Always wanted to attend one of the Family Life Weekend to Remember conferences.  We always thought it would be wonderful! 

I’m so so so thankful that before we got married we went through a book called PREPARING FOR MARRIAGE and we went through an audio Bible study going through the Song of Solomon.  Those tools helped us talk out things and how to prepare for marriage.  I think one of these conferences would have been awesome and such a neat thing to start out knowing all they share.  We had a really good start and we vowed to always keep the spark and keep our marriage focussed on Christ.  I’m thankful for that. 

However, its really good to go to something like this to refresh and maybe draw deeper and we did! 

We did come home each night since Annie Mae is still waking and nursing some.  My mom and the two boys did a great job taking care of the kids.  I’m so thankful for them.  I’m really glad we have a couple of older boys who can take the reigns! 

We want to encourage our children to go to this conference when they are engaged and during their married life too.  We want them to know that we aren’t perfect and strive to keep growing more close to the Lord.  We both desire to keep Him at the center!  and put each other BEFORE our kids! This can be hard with SIX kids! I’m so thankful we have tried to keep a DATE NIGHT each week.  So many don’t really do this, but I’m glad we have kept this going! It was actually one thing they suggested to do with your spouse.  That and pray with them.  Pray together/ stay together.  So true.  We’ve prayed every night with each other without fail (except when we are on a retreat)! It really bonds us together with Jesus!

Couple things I (Mommy)  really took home from the conference 

1.  Praise what you Prize (don’t focus on the negative)

Its really true… if you PRAISE and encourage…. they are more likely to keep doing it! For me… this goes for kids and doing it to my husband.

2.  Respond & not React (adjust how I communicate).  We both communicate differently and we need to be aware of this and be able to honor it.  

3. Make sure what they see in me is what I want to see in them.  (our speaker talked some about being a mom and this really stuck).  

Loved the 5 step to conflict Resolution 

Legitimate concern > Legitimate person > Legitimate Time > Legitimate way > Legitimate reason

Couple things I (Daddy)  really took home from the conference

1.  Reminder to be the spiritual leader in the home always teaching about the Lord and leading by example by prayer and study of God’s Word

2. “Tell Me More” is a good phrase to remember when having a conversation with your wife.  She wants to know that you are listening to her and one of the best way to do that is by asking her to “tell you more”.

3. “The first 3 minutes” is something to remember when coming home.  The way that you, the husband, enter your house for the first three minutes after you get home from work will set the tone for the rest of the day.

4. When spending time with your kids there is no such thing as “I spent quality time, and not quantity time”. If you aren’t spending quantity time with your kids, then you are not spending quality time with them.  Plan dates with them.

We got a lot of neat resources.