Love Advice to Myself

For Valentines Day this year, Mike and I were challenged to write out a list of “Love Advice to Myself”.

Mike went first.  (These are things Mike has already been committed to, reminds himself of frequently, and continues to be reminded of as our family faces the many demands of daily life.)

• The best advice I can give is to keep your spouse at the top of your list.  This way she’ll feel more loved and feel more loving in return. (From CaMarie: Ever since listening to Joy and Gary Lundberg stress the importance of greeting each other when arriving home at the end of the day Mike has soo faithfully called out “Where’s my beautiful wife?”, or if the children find him first “Where’s your beautiful mother?” It’s been sweet to hear my little nephew copy-quote him and recently the Babies led him to me and responded, “your (yow) beautiful (bu-ifull) wife right (wite) here (ho)!” Big words for such little beings.  The feel-good smiles on their faces are the best. Nothing quite as joyful as Dad and Mom loving each other.)
• Schedule family time, put it on the calendar so that when other things come up you can say “sorry, I have an appointment at that time” or “we are already booked”.
• Include your family in your work and calling as much as you can. When mike goes to the store or the hospital or visiting another ward he always tries to take a family member with him.
• Have protected family time. Examples: family Prayers, Family Home Evening (Monday nights for our family), Family scripture study, family councils, date with your wife, one on one time with your kids, talk time, little getaways.
• Little things mean a lot, extend little kindnesses and expressions of love all day long. A text during the day, a surprise lunch date, mail a letter, a romantic note on the pillow.  Little things really do make a big difference.

(From CaMarie: One of the most romantic things Mike does is just being thoughtful!  Like the morning we each left the house in different directions at the same time.  I realized there would not be time for the children to feed the horses that morning and that the responsibility would fall on me.  As I drove back from the schools with an empty car how I dreaded getting out into the cold in my slippers to unlock the barn door, climb down the ladder and feed the animals at the barn.  i sometimes love this job but I just really dreaded it that morning.  As I pulled up to the barn, there was something brown tucked into the lock.  A note.  It read “I fed the animals. I love you. Have a great day.”  He had thought of everything; he had thought of ME!)

So that’s Mike’s list of love advice to himself.  Follow this link over to OnMogul, where I’ve written my own list of Love Advice to Myself.

We wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day celebrating your Love!

Michael and CaMarie on their 21st anniversary!