I still remember the moment when we realized we needed a new strategy in our marriage.
Our lives were hectic!
We had 4 small adorable children, a large business and many other responsibilities that at times made life exhausting. The days of sleeping in, relaxing brunches, and romantic getaways had long gone and quickly been replaced with sleepless nights and stressful days that felt far from what we had dreamt of.
We loved being a family but knew that the stress levels were way too high, leading us to conflict and distance that took us days to work out. We needed to become more sensitive to the high-stress moments in our lives and find new ways to put ‘fun’ in our marriage again.
So, what did we do to make our marriage fun again?
Every marriage is different, but for us, it was about making sure that there was always something for us to look forward to as a couple.In those days it was a night in the city; it was about towing the caravan (kids and all) out to the river bends for the weekend and chatting late into the night; it was lighting a campfire in the backyard; or dropping the kids at Nana & Pa’s house for the day so we could go for a drive.Whatever it was, we began to intentionally pursue quality time together to bring fun and reconnection into our marriage.
Now as Grandparents looking back, we recognize that marriage is full of different seasons and that a season doesn’t last forever. Yet, within that season we have to be ones that make it great!We do this by making sure that our marriage is flavoured with a sense of play that ignites connection and intimacy, leaving us flooded with memories that continue to stoke the fire of passion over and over again.One of our greatest joys is watching our children do likewise. We love watching them go camping and plan getaways together.And now after 32 years of marriage and with the endearing title of Nana and Pa, we get to enjoy babysitting these 5 amazing grandchildren, filling their lives with a sense of play that hopefully, they will never grow out of.
Life and marriage are constantly changing through many different seasons that sometimes lead us to a roadblock. That’s when we need to mix it up a bit and introduce some fun whilst reminding ourselves that “those who play together, stay together!!!”
P.S. Check out the photo of our last get-away and meet my awesome husband, Rick, who has long been the master strategist of creating those moments of fun along the way. 
