Great Dates Globe

Two Is Better Than One è “...That’s the real war. Our generation against theirs.” Mr. Beardsley was a single father with 10 children. He was very overwhelmed. In marriage we can share responsibilities, which helps to lighten the load. How do you share responsibilities of your children? è Both Frank and Helen are distraught on their date, because they are worried about telling each other how many children they each have. Has there been something you needed to tell your spouse, but couldn’t find a way or were concerned with what their response may be? Is there anything you need to tell each other? Quality Time è Both parents work hard taking care of their children, getting everyone to bed. They may get some time to themselves after kids are in bed. In marriage the work is shared some and then you can spend time together once the kids are in bed. Do you spend this time together or co-exist, focusing on other things? How could you better utilize the time after the...

è Katie’s husband is very consumed with his job. He is a detective, and this is a high stress job. How do you deal with your stress? How do you help each other to decompress? What healthy ways can you think of that help to alleviate stress? è Once Katie finds Southport, she often looks out at the water, enjoying the serene feel of the ocean. What change of scenery would you enjoy together?   è As Katie is walking home with Jo, they are enjoying simple pleasures like the light coming through the trees. Life gets busy, but in this community, it is a bit of a slow-down. Do you live a busy life or a slower pace? What do you enjoy about your pace of life? è Alex gives Katie and her paint a ride home. As he leaves and drives back into town, Katie stands watching and pondering his kindness. She is very guarded. How do you allow your spouse to help you, even when you have “got everything under control”? è Katie lets her guard down and feel safe around the people in the co...

Communicating with the one you are married to is so important. Watch this movie and see the trouble that is caused by poor communication. Discuss: Scene 1: “Why would you want to marry me for anyway?” “So I can kiss you anytime I want.” What is your favorite thing about marriage? Melanie’s boyfriend proposes, and it is a huge surprise, but she says yes. What was your proposal like? Reminisce on this together. What qualities were important to you when you were deciding who to marry? Has that list of important qualities changed as you have grown and matured together? Melanie shows back up in Alabama. She heads on over to her HUSBAND’S house and asks (again) for a divorce (since she is now engaged to another man). They haven’t even talked in years and you can see that they pick back up where they left off: arguing. When disagreements go left unfinished it does not strengthen a relationship. What strength has come from you and your spouse finishin...

Date night! Sometimes it is just tough to get out and do something. Time to cozy up and watch Marley & Me together. Use these questions to spark great conversation that can lead to better connection and the spark you need to re-implement good practices into your marriage. New Love è Scene 1: After marrying, John and Jenny moved to Florida. They are very lovey as they pursue their careers. “Who are you?   You are John Freakin’ Grogan, who is about to get a job…” In what ways can you keep the love alive in your marriage? è How can you keep friendship in your marriage, even when struggles come? è Scene 31: When burying Marley, Jenny puts her “start of the family” necklace that Marley once ate. She expresses publicly (in front of the children) that the family had already begun, when she got the necklace (Marley was part of the family). What are some of your favorite memories from the beginning of your relationship/marriage? How can you make your spouse feel rare an...

This year is the 14th Annual Round Mountain 5k Sunrise Challenge. Running as a couple can be so therapeutic, as you are challenging yourself, but also given an opportunity to push yourself to help your partner. I am more of a runner than my husband, but he has longer legs than I do....he's 6'4''. When we run together, typically he feels as though he is holding back to stay with me, but that changes after the endurance part comes to it and he is worn out before I am set on quitting. How ever you and your spouse work through such challenges, get outside and push yourself  on the sunrise challenge morning. It will soon be too hot to be out running. Head over to the Facebook Event Page  to get the details and try it out. It is a great way to support the community and get your Saturday started early and very productively. Marriage Reconnect "More than 80 percent of the time, it's the wife who brings up sticky marital issues, while the husband tries to avoid...

My husband LOVES when I just want to watch him "in the zone" of his hobbies. He finds it very attractive. A perfect date to him would be where I went outside to where he has all of his "toys" and watched him "tinker" with his tools. He would build a new contraption by cutting and welding metals together and I would look very quizzical. Explaining how or why he is doing something or how something works is also something he loves. I love watching him in his element, too. Another great part to this kind of date is when I might try my hand at these things he is expertly inclined for. One night a couple weeks ago, after the kids were in bed, I joined him in the yard as he was finishing up a trailer he was building. I grabbed his second welding hood and was handed his square pad to kneel on so that I could get up close and watch his welding techniques. I had my knees in about the center of this smooth, leather pad. When the sparks started flying, I started sc...

At Old Dominion Mine Park you can find a Disc Golf course right across from the Playground. Make use of this great space and throw some Frisbees!  Just try not to send them soaring to the  highway below! Marriage Reconnect A great way to strengthen any relationship is to learn something together. If you can throw a Frisbee, or even if you can't (your spouse can teach you!) Check out some details on how to play Disc Golf.   A simple tutorial on the different discs used in the sport Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to chat with each other about anything. Dates are about making connections and when married it is often about reconnecting. Enjoy this laid back time to share things that have been going on in your lives. 

It all started with mining and it really is still all about mining. Head to the Historic Old Dominion Mine Park to get some fresh air and take a self-guided tour of old mine property. Go hand in hand on this date and enjoy the view off the side of the hill. Seeing the pictures on the information boards throughout the park really made me think about what life was like back in the Old West. Standing on the very ground where work was bustling and being able to see and touch a lot of the actual equipment that was used for years. Marriage Reconnect After you do all the exploring and learning about mining and the old Globe life, change focus to your own work life. Are you on track to where you want to be?  Talk about the dreams and goals you both have and look back on how far you have come while married. Times when we have discussed how we got to where we are, we have been humbled and also seen how our relationship has developed along the way. Day in and day out work i...

Meal Planning. This is a popular subject recently, but can really add a sense of simplicity to the monotony of food 3-4 times a day. As part of your home date night whip out some recipe books or search Pinterest. Make a plan for dinners for the next week. This will benefit both of you as it will alleviate stress throughout the week. As a wife and mother I know that it can be so hard to choose the menu every single day; having input is GREAT. When I get input from my husband he appreciates having a few of his own choices on the menu. Win, win! Marriage Reconnect Have you explored your hometown with your spouse? This is especially fun if you are from different places. I have loved the opportunities I have had to take my husband around my old stomping grounds and love seeing the places he liked to hangout or hear about the things he did with his buddies. As you learn about the middle school or high school version of your spouse it could be fun to talk about whether or not you wou...

Seriously though, if you are an ice cream fan or human you probably love homemade ice cream. I am pretty much ice cream's biggest fan and my husband really enjoys eating ice cream with me. We have some great late night conversations over ice cream. If you are running short on time or energy for a date night, homemade ice cream and chatting on the porch is a fantastic idea. You can get creative with your add-in's if you'd like. Create your own peanut butter and chocolate ice cream or strawberry...really you could think of SO many options. Marriage Reconnect A great discussion to have while you are relaxing together is about hot topics or things that tend to bring up the stress between the two of you. I don't mean discuss these things for date night, but rather make a plan for when these topics can and should be brought up. I have this nasty habit of throwing a pie in my husband's face the second he walks in the door after work (figuratively).  Though I know...

Surely you have lines from your favorite movies down by heart. My husband will attest to me quoting Finding Nemo at very least weekly since he has known me. Not to say that is my all time favorite movie, but scenes and words sometimes really stick with us. Have you ever thought of getting into acting? Tonight is your night to practice...both of you.  This is sure to bring out some laughs and smiles. Life sometimes becomes so serious and it is hard to find the time or even know how to break loose with each other. You could even do this at the park at dusk...que dramatic lighting. If you need to, print off some lines or refresh your memory by watching some clips of your favorite scenes. Record each other as you act out these parts. Be dramatic! 1.       “….such playfulness is extremely good for relationships. What does it require? A willingness to turn toward another’s sense of silliness, give oneself over to the moment, and have a little bit...

Massage night! Who doesn't love getting a massage? OK, so I guess some people don't, but I am almost positive you or your spouse does...so just enjoy each other's company and help relieve the tension build up in their back, shoulders, face or any place they need massaging. Marriage Reconnect Podcasts are a big thing these days. Most people are tuning in to some kind of podcast or listening to audio books. Tonight try a direct focus on marriage. Linked here are some great options for marriage podcasts. Choose one that sounds interesting and listen together. You will be able to have a great conversation from what you learn together.

Got gardening on the brain? Ever dabbled in gardening? In college my husband and I took a home gardening course together and really enjoyed the content. The most important thing I learned was that no matter where you live, how small your living quarters are, you can find a way to garden. There are so many great ideas online since the whole tiny living movement. You can garden in old soda bottles, cups, and more. When we were first married we got permission from our landlord to tear out some ugly bushes from a planter under our window and use the space for a garden. To maximize my gardening area I also planted tomato plants in some buckets that I bought for $1 at the Walmart bakery (they were old frosting buckets). (My first home garden! I think I need to take my advice on this date idea and get my garden going with my husband!) Marriage Reconnect  Put your heads together and decide on a gardening project, be it big or small, and get to it! Gardening is known to be very...

This is a pretty simple date and though it is a well known couple or group activity, I have found that my husband and I rarely use it as a go to. Surely you have a game or two in the closet. In our house, we each have our favorite game and it is so fun when we pull out the games to find out who is going to win, even at the game that I claim to not understand! 😜 Go all out with popcorn, pop, and favorite snacks. Even better, invest in a game that you have heard all about, but haven't yet played. My all time favorite two player game is Rubik's race. It is pretty much finishing one side of a rubik's cube, but two dimensional. It's the BEST. It isn't really my husband's cup of tea...because I slaughter him. He prefers Settler's of Catan, so when we do pull out the games we typically play both. Marriage Reconnect Whatever type of game you choose, even if it be a simple card game...enjoy the competition. Fun competition like playing games can be so f...

This date could be pretty fun! It's time to get creative with the camera and with recognizing what you wouldn't regularly recognize or pay attention to.  Together you will work on a scavenger hunt for any and all reflections of yourself. Reflections in windows, on the side of a shiny car, in water, and what else? Snap pictures of the reflections you find. Reflections are everywhere. Get creative and be outgoing and adventurous with this. Laugh and talk with your best friend. So, where am I going with this? Work together to reflect on the best dates and times you have had together while married and before you were married. Are there things that you used to love doing as a couple and need to start up again? Is there something you should do so that you can reflect back on it in the future? Think of the memories you have made and resolve to make new memories. Maybe even start a list! This is a great morning date and then you could go grab some breakfast burros from your favo...