Who Else Wants an Adventure?

Do you like to lead the pack?

Want to make a big impact by showing others the way?

Here’s your chance!

We have officially launched our Marriage Adventures Campaign!  You can pre-order your copy of our new book RIGHT NOW!

Please click here and  make your pledge today.

In fact, you can be one of the VERY FIRST people to do it!

There are eight different contribution levels, all bringing unique perks.  From advance digital copies of the book to a weekend stay at our historic home, there’s an exciting adventure awaiting everyone who gives!

Be a trend setter and be one of the first to jump on board with Marriage Adventures!

You’ll notice this campaign is through Indiegogo instead of Kickstarter.  This platform turned out to be a better fit for our project.

Thanks in advance for believing in our project!  Your excitement for Marriage Adventures has overwhelmed me.

Once you give, please do share.  Share on your facebook.  Share on your twitter.  Share on your pinterest.  Tell the world!

Invite your friends to be part of the adventure!

Why Tami Taylor is My Hero

I miss Friday Night Lights.

Mostly, I miss Tami Taylor. 

It’s hard to not love Tami when she’s played by the amazing Connie Britton.  (I can’t tell you how happy I am to see her back on TV again!)

There are many reasons why I love Tami, but what I admire about her most is her role as a wife.

Here’s what Tami does right:

1. She Goes to the Game: there is one person Coach Taylor can count on to be in the stands cheering him on rain or shine- his wife Tami.

2. She Speaks Her Mind: she doesn’t expect her husband to guess what she wants and needs.  She makes herself clear, without being obnoxious.

3. She Listens: Tami doesn’t just talk.  She knows when to keep her thoughts to herself for a while while her husband sorts out his own troubles and frustrations.  She listens, then speaks.

4. She Uses Humor: when life gets tough around the Taylor household, or in the whole town of Dillon, Tami is always cracking jokes.  She doesn’t let her husband take himself too seriously.

5. She’s Not Fearful: when conflict arises, Tami doesn’t go into hiding. She’s willing to stay up late, get up early, or show up in the boys locker room to work it out with Coach.

6. She Stands By Her Man: Tami backs her husbands decisions.  She doesn’t let their kids, the team, or the state of Texas come between them.

It’s a lot easier to act like a great wife than to be a great wife, but I still find Tami Taylor to be an inspiration.

Who inspires you to be an awesome wife?  Do you have a TV or movie hero who models a great marriage?  Please share in the comments below!

P.S. Our Kickstarter Launch  Party is TOMORROW and YOU’RE invited!  If you haven’t RSVP’d yet, please do so here.  Costumes are NOT required, but if you want to participate in our Couples Costume Contest, here are some great ideas.

Today is also the LAST DAY in our Marriage Adventures Photo Contest.  You can post photos of  your Marriage Adventure on our new facebook page or tag your photos #marriageadventures on Instagram to enter!  Winners will be announced on the facebook page tomorrow.

Exclusive Look: Be the Very First to See

Last night I had a dream (more like a nightmare) where yet another of my friends went through a divorce.

Time and time again, it breaks my heart.

I want to help people enjoy marriages that last a lifetime! 

After months of writing our new book, Marriage Adventures, it’s almost time to launch our Kickstarter campaign!

As our faithful readers, we wanted to give YOU the first look at it, before it  goes live next week.

You can check it out right here!  Be sure to click on the play button right in the middle of the “Marriage Adventures” logo to see our video.  We’re pretty proud of the students who produced it for us.  (They’re still making a few adjustments before we launch, but I think they did an awesome job!)

There are many ways you can help us diminish the divorce rate with this new book:

1. If you are a fellow blogger, write a post highlighting our upcoming book and Kickstarter campaign.  Share with your readers about this new resource soon to be available to them.

2. Like our Marriage Adventures Facebook page and invite your friends to like it too!  Consider posting a photo on that page before our contest ends on Oct 23rd.

3. Share this Kickstarter preview link with friends and family you think might be interested in Marriage Adventures.

4. Look at the pledge options on our Kickstarter page and consider giving once the campaign goes live.  There are some great rewards for giving including advance electronic copies of the book!

In a few days, we all get to see a dream come true!   This new book will be an incredible resource helping young couples to make their first marriage their only marriage.

Thank you so much for being part of the adventure!

If you have any feedback about the Kickstarter page, I’d love to hear it.  We can still edit and make adjustments.  Please share in the comments section below!

Dinner and a Movie Become Danger and Mayhem

It’s easy to get lazy and plan a default date.

I wanted more than dinner and a movie.

Birthdays are a wonderful opportunity to show your spouse how special they are.  Go out of your way to make their day extraordinary!

I’ve been planning unique celebrations for Erv’s birthday for twenty years.  I tend to go all out, sometimes making it difficult for me to top it the next time.

This year, I was stumped.  I kept coming back to the standard dinner and a movie.

When you’re trying to create  a unique experience, you have to start somewhere.  Somewhere basic.  Dinner and a movie is where I started. You can too.

A few days ago, our good friends suggested the four of us go see “Argo” together.  I did a little research on the movie and decided to plan an entire day around the plot.  Once I started to plan a few key elements, it all came together quite quickly. Operation Erv’s Argo  Birthday (EAB) was born!

I wrote a clue about the movie on a poster board and cut it up into 14 puzzle pieces.  I put these into large envelopes marked “top secret” and distributed them to my students and co-workers the day before Erv’s birthday.

Starting at 9am yesterday (the big day), various “spies” delivered the top secret envelopes to my husband’s office dressed in sunglasses.

Some got really creative and taped the envelopes under his desk and on the back of his door while he was out in the hall.  Then they called him on the phone and gave him instructions in a deep voice to look under the desk and behind the door.

One of my coworkers dressed in all black and hid in the back of his classroom, totally catching him off-guard.

Once he received all of the puzzle pieces, he quickly deciphered my code and asked if we could invite our friends to join us at the movie.  I deflected the question.

Next, Erv was supposed to be “extracted” from his office by a few operatives dressed in suits and sunglasses to be whisked off to the airport.

Unfortunately, Erv decided to leave work a bit early (being his birthday and all).  I tried to stall him but was unsuccessful.  After a few moments of panic at my foiled plan, my operatives quickly implemented plan B!

They kidnapped him from our home instead.  Fortunately, one of them actually works at the airport where he brought Erv and printed out boarding passes for them both.  At this point, Erv panicked thinking he was really being taken to Washington DC for the night!

Just before entering security, Erv received a call  from a fake “mob boss” who threatened his life.   Our fake CIA took him away from the airport, blind folded him, questioned him in the woods, and then brought him to the “safe house” for his own protection.

The “safe house” was our house, where I had planned a lovely steak dinner for two on our garage roof.  (Something I always wanted to do!)

After dinner we headed out to the movies.  Erv tried to talk me out of seeing Argo so we could wait and see it later with our friends.  Little did he know, our friends were waiting for us at the movie theater in their black suits and fake mustaches!

They got in line right behind us at the ticket counter and stood uncomfortably close.  Erv ignored them until them grabbed him from behind.  It was perfect!

Our dinner and a movie became an all day birthday extravaganza! 

What twist can you put on “dinner and a movie?”

The Bravest Act of Love Changed My Life Forever

Two very brave teenagers made a difficult decision.

They chose to bring their unexpected child into the world.

Against all odds, they fought to keep their baby.  They raised him, loved him and made countless sacrifices for him.

Today,  I thank God for their courage.

That unwanted baby is the love of my life, the father of my children, and the man of my dreams.

None of my family, who are so precious to me, would exist without the courage of those teens.

Thanks Mom and Dad for being so brave.  For choosing life.  And for changing my life forever.

Your son is an incredible gift to the world- and to me.

Happy Birthday Ervin.  I love you!

What courageous act of love has changed your life today?

Famous Couples and Dynamic Duos

Exactly one week from today,  we’re hosting another incredible party.

This time YOU’RE invited!

To celebrate the launch of our first ever Kickstarter Campaign, we’re having everyone over to our place (the Starr Barn) for some super fall fun.

A highlight of the party will be our couples costume contest.

You don’t have to be married to enter.  Just dress as your favorite couple or dynamic duo with a friend or loved one and win some great prizes!

Here are some great costume ideas from the students in my “Creativity and Problem Solving Class.”  Some even gave hints about how to make them!

From Claire and Erin:
-Fred & Wilma Flinstone
-Glass of Milk & Cookie/Oreo
-Ketchup & Mustard
-Ketchup & Hotdog/Hamburger
-Bert & Ernie (?)
-Woody & Jessie (Toy Story)
-Peter Pan & Tinkerbell
-Cinderella & Prince Charming
-The Obamas
-Pocahontas & John Smith
-Crayons

From Katy and Sarah:

Romeo and Juliet (tights, tunic or long shirt, dagger, vile)

Sam and Frodo (curly hair, bare feet, lose clothes, swords, ring

Robin Hood and Little John (tights, tunic, money bag, dirty, feathered hat)

Mary Kate and Ashley (sunglasses, bored expression, small clothes)

Fred and Ginger (tap shoes, dress, suit)

Shaggy and Scooby (green shirt, brown pants)

Tweety and Slyvester

Tom and Jerry

Ron and Harry

Angelina and Brad

JFK and Jackie O

Obama and Michelle

Raggedy Ann and Andy

From Kyle and Bekah:

Calvin and Hobbes (make ears and dress in orange and black)

Timon and Pumba (Lion King)

Marlin and  Dorey (Finding Nemo)

Ketchup and Mustard

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable

Sherlock Holmes and Watson (dress old fashioned and formal, magnifying glass)

From Andrew and  Brian:

Batman and Robin (tshirts and masks)

Winnie the Pooh and Piglet

Salt and Pepper

Alladin and Jasmin

Superman and Lex Luther

R2D2 and C3PO

From Becky and Mark:

Bonnie and  Clyde (trenchcoats, fake guns)

Fred and Wilma (bone in hair)

Mickey and Minnie

Peanut Butter and Jelly (purple sweat suit and all brown, carrying a butter knife, cardboard for bread)

From Melissa and Rachel:

Flavor Flave and NY

Devil and Angel

Captain Hook and Tinkerbell

Football player and cheerleader

Chef and a Cupcake

Dalmations and Cruella D’Ville

Fruit: Grapes and a Banana etc.

Cookie and Cookie Monster

From Randall and Alyssa:

Presidential Couples

Laura Ingalls Wilder and  Almonzo

Fat Kid and Cake

Two Peas (wear all greeen)

Adam and Eve (fig leaves)

Superheroes

From  Shawn and Anna:

Romeo and Juliet (dress from Salvation Army from that time period)

Anthony and Cleopatra (toga from a bed sheet)

Donald and Daisy Duck (Blue shirt and pink shirt with white pants)

Lancelot and Guenivere

Mario and Luigi (overalls and a fake mustache)

Still not sure what to wear for a costume?  Come to the party anyway!  The costume is not required.  Just be  ready to celebrate!

Got any other couples costume ideas?  Please share them in the comment section below!