22 March 2012
By Amber
In house, Marriage, Thoughts on Thursdays
Well guys spring has sprung and with it comes home maintenance, and with that the potential for squabbling. With our busy summer last year (and another one coming up) we have a lot of projects that MUST be done this year. So in order to make sure everything gets done this year I have a plan.
First of all I made a list of the things I think we need to get done this year in Google Docs (I will express my obsession with Google Docs in another post.) Then I clicked that blue button in the upper right hand corner and shared it with my Hubby. I gave him editing rights so this way we can both add, edit, put them in order of when they should be done.
The biggest benefit of doing it this way is we are both on the same page. We both know and agree on what needs to be done, we both know what is completed and what is left. Plus we both know that some things have time constraints (i.e. adding more soft vents needs to happen before it gets too hot.)
Even if you don’t own/rent a house everyone has things that need to be done in the spring. Switching out your closets, cleaning the carpets of the winter grime, general spring cleaning and organizing.
I would HIGHLY suggest getting together with your spouse and make sure your on the same page, literally, with your spring projects. Make a list plan it out together and get going!
House, Marriage, Thoughts on Thursday
15 March 2012
By Amber
In Life, MAC, Thoughts on Thursdays
This was one of those weeks that had potential for being pretty awkward. I didn’t really want to draw a lot of attention to it but yesterday would have been Mark’s 29th birthday (for more information on Mark check out My Story.)
I’m at this weird stage in my grieving process where I don’t need to make a big deal out of his birthday in fact doing so would just make it harder, but at the same time its there and I know it is. I could tell it was bugging me a little when I managed to leave my house with my breakfast shake sitting on the counter, left a dog in a cast without toys to preoccupy him and with only 1/2 my make up on. Not a shining morning for me.
I had reminded Mac of the date the night before and he was so sweet asking if I was ok and if he could do anything. I told him it was fine so far I just wanted to let him know. Through out the day I had my moments but over all I held it together, once I got home I found out that Mark’s parents had sponsored their local Christian radio station for the day in his honor. That touched me, I went upstairs told Mac and he had the perfect reaction “Are you ok?” Yes, it was just so perfect for them to do that I think they did it last year too. Then he hugged me. It was perfect, simple and not at all awkward.
I’m so blessed.
Life, Mac, Mark, Thoughts on Thursday
08 March 2012
By Amber
In Thoughts on Thursdays
On Tuesday when I was talking about how Marriage is Special I posted a video about 2 people who went into their marriage knowing it was going to be a short one, but still very much in love. You can see the groom showing his love with actions, sitting beside her on a hard day. Going to Chemo treatments with her, and by saying yes when a dying girl asked him to marry her. Wow.
But I also referenced what I’m going to talk about today.
Marriage needs both harmony and unison
There are a few ways you can look at this I’m going to start with the one my Dad was talking about in Church on Sunday. A Christian marriage should start in unison, you should both come in to the marriage as believers and on the same page about your faith. With this common foundation you start your marriage in unison. As you progress through your marriage you can build harmony, working together with common beliefs but as separate people. Because lets face it we as men and women are different and well that is a good thing. If we all acted exactly the same the world would be off balance to say the least. Imagine a world of all men… it wouldn’t workout would it? Well neither would a world of all women, which is why we have both. We can both work together in our own special ways to:
I’m NOT saying that if you don’t believe in God you cant make beautiful music not in the least. Your just singing a different song, but all the basics are the same. If you come into the marriage with the same core foundations then you are in unison. If you come in with different core beliefs but your in harmony then you can work together to achieve unison.
Personally I believe to have a strong successful marriage (I’m talking the real emotional, life shared marriage, not the kind where you just co-exist) you need to come into it together with the same beliefs what ever they may be. So go and make beautiful music!
Thoughts on Thursday
01 March 2012
By Amber
In Thoughts on Thursdays
I’m so excited to share this little idea I have with you, I’m sure its not new but I can’t think of anywhere I’ve heard it specifically so I’ll take credit for it. 
But first I want to remind you about the giveaway I’ve got going on. Check it out for a simple way to keep yourself safe while running/biking/climbing or any other activity, just wear a Road Id.
OK back to our regularly scheduled program.
Mac and I have been noticing that many of our communication frustrations are from a lack of communication. We are around each other alot and talk a fair amount but not about those silly little things like budget, schedule, goals and so on. You know just silly things right? Humm guess not. Lately we have made a specific effort to talk about money more. So we both know where we are at and there aren’t any assumptions being made. Its helped our budget out quite a bit and I can’t help but think the same would work in other parts of our live.
So what if we took a specific 5 minutes each day to talk about ‘the important things.’ Review your schedule for the next day if anything is out of the ordinary. Talk about where you stand with your budget, any big $$ things coming up (wanting to pay off a bill or a large bill coming.) Talk about what you hope to do this week, or next week so you can check in with each other. Just spend 5 min talking to each other, I bet it turns in to more.
Thoughts on Thursday
16 February 2012
By Amber
In MAC, Thoughts on Thursdays
Well Valentines Day just past and I”m sure many of you got some big romantic gestures and that is very cool, in fact its so cool I want to hear all about them please leave me a comment below letting me know what you did for Valentines Day.
However this week I want to talk about the not so fancy things. Dates don’t have to be big expensive ordeals (although it can be fun and have their place.) Last night for Valentines day we went to an ‘everyday’ Italian restaurant, not a super fancy one, in fact its one that you stand in line cafeteria style and then go find a table upstairs. It cost us $26.00 or something like that. Then we went to a hockey game, this is super fun yes but nothing uber special for us we have already been to a few this season and we buy the cheapest seats we can find. Plus we won a gift card from Chevy for Ticketmaster so they were free!
Anyway what made the night great wasn’t expensive food or a winning Hockey team 
it was the dedicated time together, focused on each other no distractions. It was the funny detour into a store with a whole back room painted and filled with posters that reacted to a black light and 3-d glasses. It was Mac laughing when I jumped as a mechanical mummy started moving when I walked by. It was the conversation at dinner and the goofiness of competing against each other to see who could beat Where’s my Water first. It was Mac driving home (something he isn’t fond of in downtown because he doesn’t know the area) so that I could take my sleeping pill before we left the game. Lastly it was the few min of snuggling before I went to bed and he went down to his office.
It was simple, cheap and honestly the best valentines date we have had!
My mom over at Treasure to Treasure, has reached out to her friends and collected a good amount of memorable dates from them, most simple but all memorable. You would check them out!
So now tell me what was the most memorable thing from your Valentines Day?
Mac, Thoughts on Thursday
