Will you be mine....again??

Welcome to "The Woo"

The Woo is a monthly post about marriage. How to "woo" your marriage to eternity!

The theme or topic will always be the title of the post and then you will always see this cute heading on the post to let you know THIS IS IT! Please enjoy! We are excited about this monthly post, because we all want to be the best mommies, BUT we KNOW that the best thing we can do for our children is to LOVE our HUSBANDS!

WHAT DEVYN SAYS:

I love the title this month. I feel like that sometimes when I'm trying to think of things to do for my husband... what could I do.... again? Don't get me wrong I love doing things for my hunny, however, sometimes I don't feel like he is getting that I really am doing it because I LOVE HIM still.. and not just doing stuff because I should or have to. I've figured out that its the little things that matter the most and show him that I truly love and care for him.

I found this cute little story from LDS.ORG that I want to share. I think she is so right, and I admire how great they were at spending quality time together as husband and wife! DATING AT HOME might take a little thinking, but I think that it might be really fun! Please read this story...

(Geok Lee Thong, “Dating at Home,” Liahona, Jun 1999, 16)

"In Malaysia, the idea of dating one’s spouse after marriage is almost unheard of. My husband and I first learned about this counsel from books and magazines and from American Church members who lived in our branch in the city of Kuala Lumpur. When we heard of the good that can come to a couple who continue to court each other after marriage, we decided to try this “foreign” idea.

In the beginning it was easy for us to spend an evening together because we had no children to worry about. However, when our children began to come one after another, we had to devise new ways to date each other. Because finding a baby-sitter for the evening is difficult, we have had many dates at home after the children are in bed. These home dates are in no way inferior to those we occasionally have outside our home.

We have found a number of activities we enjoy doing together. Sometimes we watch a videocassette while munching snacks and sipping soft drinks, just as we would at the movie theater. Other nights we play computer or board games. Our evenings spent in these activities always end with laughter.

One regular activity is putting together our family photographs on a large poster. Later we frame the finished poster and hang it on our stairway wall. We now have quite a few posters, so we rotate them from time to time. Evenings spent making posters are not only fruitful, but they also bring warm and sentimental feelings to our hearts.

One Valentine’s Day I prepared a candlelit dinner for two. With soft music in the background, the atmosphere was truly romantic. Dating each other regularly has helped increase the romance in our marriage.

Our list of activities for home dates continues to grow. We have found that dating each other is about finding ways to spend time together and about taking time to build and nourish each other. When days are difficult and challenging, I look forward to our home dates when we can spend time together just talking.

My husband and I have found this “foreign” idea to be of great help in strengthening our marriage."


Dating at home ideas: Romantic dinner, playing a game, baking together, watching a movie with popcorn and blankets, dancing, etc.. What are some dates you've had at home?????


WHAT MEGAN SAYS:
Ahhh, Valentine's Day.  Have you felt the love in the air this month?  I think Valentine's Day is such a fun holiday.  Especially now that I'm a wife and mom(to be honest I use to hate it...but now its a blast!).  The hubby and I have been married 2 years, and unfortunately sometimes I feel like the romance has been sucked out by what I like to call... "THE ROMANCE VACUUM'S"

Exhibit A:

Is he not the cutest little thing ever?!?!  And we love him to death, and can't get enough of him.  But if you have kiddos you can understand me.  By the end of the day I am covered in some white crusty something,(spit up maybe, left over banana?), I am exhausted from playing "chase," "cars," "monster," and a variety of rough, loud, noisy games the little man likes to play.  And I wouldn't have it any other way... But by the end of the night when Cory(the hubby) gets home from work I am pooped!  I just want to veg out and eat treats and not move until the next morning when I get to see that busy boy's happy little face again :)

Exhibit B:
School, work, homework, work, life......BLAH!  Cory works long days and then has school work on top of that.  So not only am I exhausted so is he.  And if you are anything like us exhaustion=grouchy, well sometimes...

Life is just so hard and chaotic sometimes, and it's hard to focus on what really matters.  My relationship should never come second to housework, homework, or even the little man... it should be FIRST. all. the. time.  And unfortunately I forget sometimes.  But not ANYMORE!!! Thanks to New Year's Resolution's, the help of this "woo" post, and some of YOUR brilliant ideas(I know you have some so please share!) our marriage is going to be first!  I want Hayden and the rest of our children to know how a marriage works, and how we all work together....

So this year for Valentine's Day we had to do it early because I am going out of town for the weekend.. BUT I had some V-day surprises ready....I knew we couldn't go out and do anything, because by the time Cory gets home from work it is WAY to close to Hayden's bedtime, and two we don't really have anyone to watch him.  But I had our fancy, chill, romantic, night in all planned out in my head what it was going to be like... We were going to have a picnic on the floor with a homemade heart shaped BBQ chicken pizza, with sparkling apple cider stuff, and his favorite cookies, and treats, and we were going to watch our wedding video,  and massages, Hayden and I "heart attacked" his door and wrote a bunch of reasons why we loved him, the house would be spotless.. it was going to be perfect.

It WAS going to be perfect...but things don't ever come out how I want.  I got almost everything done that I wanted.  Here is Hayden "helping" me "heart attack" daddy :)

Then everything was clean and ready to go... I had wrapped his presents.  I got the game Scattergories from Walmart for 20 bucks!  And Hayden gave daddy the movie Sandlot :) So I started dinner.  Umm there are no pictures after this point because... well... I set my kitchen on fire.  Well, not the whole kitchen, just a pan with bacon in it.  Hayden had fell and smacked his head and I ran to resuce him, leaving the pan of bacon.  So, ya, fire..which makes LOTS of smoke, which sets off the fire alarm, which scares Hayden, which makes lots of crying... umm ya... so sorry.(no one was hurt, it wasn't that bad, just LOTS of smoke.)  So needless to say, dinner wasn't even close to being done when Cory got home.  Which ended up being BETTER!  I had the pizza dough all done, but Cory helped me put together the pizza which was so much fun!  It's funny how things work out....

So in the end it was a hilariously funny, chill, romantic night.  We played our new game(so fun),  made and ate the yummy pizza, watched our wedding video and reminisced about how long ago it seemed, gave relaxing massages and just talked and talked(the rule was not to talk about work or school or anything like that though).  It was so fun!

Feel free to steal the pizza, picnic, game or whatever ideas you want.. I would suggest leaving the fire and smoke out of it though.  And pretend I have a picture of my pretty table, with the presents and treats and hearts and candles here :) see it? ohhhh so cute....

Anyway......
THIS is the pizza dough I made.  THIS is the recipe for the bbq chicken pizza. And THIS is one of Cory's favorite treats, he had been begging me to make them for weeks(they are seriously addicting, so you've been warned). THIS is the fun game I gave him or us really... I didn't want to do the traditional V-day gifts.  One, Cory doesn't really care about sappy, cheesy stuff like that...and two, we can use the game for more fun dates to come!!

Hope you have a happy LOVE day! :)


WHAT SARAH SAYS:
When it comes to Valentine's Day, there's just not much excitement or surprise year after year sticking to the traditional ideas of Valentine's Day gifts. If I wrote my husband a poem, he'd probably throw up. Not because of me expressing my feelings, he's just not a very sensitive, sentimental guy. Chocolate, sure. But not very exciting. Dinner? Well, who is going to watch the kids, especially this year on a Sunday? I could get him a gift, but if I want to make him HAPPY with a gift, it would likely be too expensive for us to afford.


On occasions like this, we've found it most enjoyable to DO something we both like. We know it's unrealistic that we are going to get each other the 'perfect' gift. It would just be disappointing if that was the expectation.

Last year, I made 3 invitations for my hubby that I left in his car throughout the week. One was an invitation to lunch that I put on the steering wheel before he left in the morning, and I met him at his school in Salt Lake with a couple of subway sandwiches. The different atmosphere was exciting and SO romantic! The next was a game night invitation. We played monopoly while watching one of our favorite movies, and I made chocolate covered strawberries. The third was for a 'picnic.' I set up a romantic, candle lit dinner in the living room on the floor! Our girls attended that one, dressed in princess dresses. Each one of us took turns dancing with the 'Prince.' It was a very special Valentines that none of us will forget, and all for the small price of food! Now how much more meaningful is that compared to a box of chocolates or a wrapped present?

I came up with a list of DATE IDEAS. I think spending time together and creating memories is the best Valentines gift you can give your loved one!

1. Surprise him at work by showing up with a lunch you made including some of his fave foods, or send a lunch with a Valentine's note inside.

2. Book a hotel without him knowing. Call ahead and have dinner set up in the room before hand with flowers and dessert.

3. Dedicate the night to getting to know each other. Ask each other 30 questions each over a relaxed meal or steak dinner.

4. Have a reminiscing night; look at photos of when you first met, watch your wedding video, or listen to some of your favorite songs, and talk about the memories you've made. All this while drinking hot chocolate by candlelight.

5. Take your man to a nice restaurant, but have him blindfolded before getting in the car until he's seated at the table. Have a thoughtful note waiting on his plate.

6. Cook dinner together with your left arm tied to his right. Enjoy a night of laughs and good times!

7. Make a picnic on the living room floor. Lay out a blanket and light lots of candles around the room. Make heart shaped pizza and serve fresh fruit with fondu.

8. Have a progressive dinner. Eat an appetizer at one restaurant, main course at another, and dessert at another. To make it sentimental, go to restaurants that are memorable and that you would frequent while dating.

9. Go shopping and pick out gifts for one another.

10. Take your sweetheart for a carriage ride. Bring a blanket and hot chocolate, and cuddle the evening away.

11. Try something you are both new to, like ice-skating. You'll have a ball learning something new together.

12. Print out a list of '10 reasons I love you.' Leave them in various places you know he will find, like the mirror, his car, his pillow, etc.

13. Go play in the snow at midnight. Have a snowball fight or build a snow man. Then finish the evening with lots of cuddling and warming up!

14. Instead of your usual 'going to a movie' routine, go to a concert or play, and get dressed up for it.

15. Go skiing together, then warm up afterward in a hot tub.

16. Fill up the bedroom with balloons; helium balloons to cover the ceiling, and regular balloons to cover the floor. Have a board game and popcorn on the bed with some music playing.

17. Leave a 'meet me' card in his car for when he gets off work to somewhere in the community, like a bakery. When he gets there, have a cake ready for him with a note of another place to go. Have the final destination be your home. Be all dressed up with dinner ready!

18. Clear an area in the house that would work for dancing. Have soft music playing while you eat dinner, then dance the night away!

19. Go to a museum or planetarium, or any place conducive to hand-holding.

20. Give him a 'HEART ATTACK!' Cover his car or room with hearts that say things you love about him or words of significance to your relationship...or cover his car with chocolate kisses while he's at school or work!

21. If it's warm where you live, rent a canoe and watch the sunset on the water.

22. Print out coupons for future dates like 'one free massage' or 'one candle lit dinner'. Make an entire booklet and let him pick which ones he wants to use on Valentine's day.

23. Have a camp-out at home.

24. Play scrabble, only require that all words must have to do with romance or your relationship.

25. Get some magazines and each cut out pictures that remind them of the other person. Make a collage out of the pictures!

This was site that had tons of ideas.

Have the BEST Valentine's Day ever!!!!!!