Temple Night

This one is fairly self-explanitory and I'm sure a lot of newly weds take advantage of this.  If not, you should.  Once the kiddos come along it's A LOT harder to go.  Between nursing moms and finding sitters and actually making it out the door without smelling like spit up or worse... It's a lot more to juggle. 

We didn't have the opportunity to attend the temple before our son was born.  But we often made trips to walk around the temple grounds.  Even on the outside, it's a special place.  It helped us remember our goals and what we believed in.  This is also a good idea when you've got fifteen minutes to spend together, but you don't have an hour or longer to take in a session.

If you don't have a temple close by I suggest finding a place in your area that is secluded from everyone else.  You may not think one exists, but I promise everywhere has one.  You have to look.  Check out Google Earth.  You can find places you had no idea about.  For example, I lived in our current location for ten years, a whole decade!  My husband found a spot on Google Earth that he wanted to go check out.  He asked me about it and I had no idea where he was talking about.  We went and checked it out and it is now "Our Spot"!  It overlooks the city and is secluded enough that we've not ever run into anyone else.  It's fantastic and is our special spot.  We always enjoy our trips up there and it's a good break from the hustle and bustle of life. 

The Importance of Dating

Family Home Evenings should be fun, even if it's just the two of you. We have been encouraged to have a lesson of some sort that will help us remember or better understand the gospel.

Things You'll Need: A copy of "Dating at Home", by Geok Lee Thong to read together. A grocery sack for each of you.

Lesson: Read "Dating at Home" and discuss how you will continue to nurture your relationship now. If you decide to set a weekly date night, make plans as to who will plan it and ways to keep it going. If schedules don't allow for a weekly date then set a date for your next outing and make plans to keep it.

Activity: Each of you take a grocery sack. You have five minutes to find 3 things that you kept from your dating years, pre-marriage. Change the time limit or number of items to fit you. Reminisce about the things you did while you were dating.

Treat: If the two of you had a special treat you often had together while you were dating, eat that. My husband and I have a thing for Sonic Cranberry Juice Slushes. If you didn't have a special treat, choose something to be your special treat and share that... now and for years to come.