Life at Gray Gables: Love notes of yesterday..

As many of you know by now...if you read my Blog, I have been married to my Hubby for Eight years. That is a considerable amount of time. (Let's face it, I am just glad we made it past that seven year mark...looks like your stuck with me Hubby!) But, that is only Married years... We have really been together.... wait for it.... wait for it... for thirteen... Now that is hard to believe! (Yes, we seriously were dating wHeN we bought a house together....)

But, time has flown by and with that we have had our share of Changes!

I mean...seriously, take notes... when they say "A baby changes everything" GUESS what people... THEY MEAN IT. That was the biggest hurdle we had in our marriage. It was bad.. Let's just put it out there.

I mean there is this person...you have to take care of, no sleep...money is tight because formula is outrageous... diapers are scary and you would never believe that you could go through a whole pack in one day..until YOU DO! Then there is the whole NO SLEEP...did I mention...NO SLEEP- oh my goodness! I know that I was told on more than 1 occasion to get my sleep now before Baby...but seriously.... It rocked my world, that is FOR SURE!

My babies were not even bad. I mean, I think I would rather NO SLEEP than when you reach that four month mark and baby sleeps but wakes up through the night...UGH. It brings back memories that is for sure. It is so hard to be asleep...awake....asleep. It messes with a person's MOJO !

Our Zombie Kids...

With this BIG change...comes a change in your relationship with your spouse...a change in your Marriage because basically for the first year...or so.... you walk around like a couple of ZOMBIES! You are both just going through the motions of life.

On a side note...IT GET'S BETTER! It really does...it just takes a couple..years. But don't focus on THAT...just focus on the IT GET'S BETTER part!

The only thing is...then... you are pregnant again... But, good news...with Baby #2 it is so much better than Baby #1- it is almost like you know what to do..wait.. maybe because YOU DO! Hooray.

Really, I am making this sound terrible and it had it's moments...but it was fascinating...obviously because I did DO IT AGAIN after all! I am in that stage of my life where my oldest if in school, my youngest doesn't really need me anymore...Ugh Three! And I miss those nights, rocking these precious girls to sleep in the antique rocker, in the dark. It had moments that I knew then I would never get back...which is what kept me going. Guess what...I can't get them back and it is sad... But, at least I enjoyed them when they were happening, because even though I was zombie-fied....I would not have traded it for the world... Lack of sleep and all. (That is saying a lot kids...I LOVE SLEEP)

Besides kids, your relationship goes through ups and downs. It is strange but sometimes I feel like I don't even know the person standing beside me and I know he sometimes feels the same.

We get lost...

Sometimes we just need to be alone to figure things out...sometimes we just need each other and to almost date again. Kind of like we have to Get to Know One Another after all these years spent together. Odd.

But, there are money hardships that happen... then parenting styles, which is a trigger at the Amstutz house! There are times when we are so busy with work and kids and this old house that we seriously seem to disconnect from one another.

Then...this happens:

Love note from Hubby 12/3/14

Love Notes... They are rare, but when they are given/received...they are the little things that can make it all better. Sometimes it is just knowing you are not forgotten that can change your whole day.

There is no secret that holds all the answers to keeping your relationship going- Lord knows I wish there was... I think that in my own home, it is just the little things that keep us going. It's making Hubby lunch and remembering to throw in a Granola Bar because sometimes he needs the extra "perk" that it helps him with. Or, remember to pay that speeding ticket he got that was due...TODAY... And even just making sure his beloved work clothes are clean and ready to wear.

Maybe we are just simple people too. But, having a night out with him is a dream, one that we experience every great while and it is so worth it. TO date my Hubby all over again is like Groundhogs day and I know that person I will end up with...doesn't stop me from wanting that first date....again. Hmm... that is weird...

What do you do to keep the romance alive when LIFE happens? What are your secrets to connecting with your spouse?

The way I figure it...I have a few more years of Home Remodeling...which is a big stress producer btw... and with that my Hubby gets BUSY...like he disappears...BUSY- so if it takes leaving a love note in his car before he heads to work.. or on the juice that I know he will drink when he gets home...I'm game!