Our pastor told us to remember to keep our marriage and each other in the center of our universe. He said the kids were to rotate around us (and he used his hands as a visual aid), instead of us revolving around the kids. He said if we let the kids become the center of our universe, then once they were gone, we'd look at each other and say, "Who are you?" By keeping our marriage in the center, our children would learn how to be married as adults and would become more independent and less self-centered. It sounded like logical advice to us, so we've tried to adopt that approach. He cautioned, "This does not mean ignoring the children, it means teaching them to respect Mom and Dad."

My grandparents were snuggly and kissy through their entire marriage. They adored each other and that model has always been something Ben & I wanted for ourselves. Sometimes we drift and find each other at odds, but we both make it a priority to come back together and to let each other know the other is the most important person. We've been trying to walk the dogs in the evening so we can have some "us" time and stay in touch with each other. It's hard with cramped quarters, but it's temporary.

Didn't mean to babble so much... lol