Scary Date Night - 31 Days of Loving that Man

I love me a good scary movie. In fact the creepier, darker, scarier, the better.  October is the perfect time of year to celebrate this scary affliction of mine. The changes in weather (unless you live near us in Southern California where we are still enjoying summer), the changes in daylight, the evening fog that starts to roll in. It just the perfect season for something a bit wicked. An almost perfect October Friday night would include my hubby, my puppies, a blanket or two and a most wonderfully scary movie to hide from.

What would be The Perfect Friday Night you ask? Well that would be.....A Scary Date Night.

Date Nights are great opportunities to cultivate an on purpose connection with your partner in crime. Especially after busy weeks and crazy lives.  I try my best to plan something at least once a month for us to do that is out of the ordinary day to day.  One of our date nights this month was to visit the Queen Mary and her Dark Harbor event. We invited some of our close friends to join us, because there could be nothing better than screaming as a group, right?

We started our evening with a yummy meal at Islands, and carpooled down to the Queen Mary.

I haven't decided which was scarier the monsters we found in the 6 scary mazes, or our friend Andy...You can decide.

There are lots of ways to spice up romance, one great way is to find yourself wrapped up in your husbands arms as scary monsters jump out at you! 

Oh Andy...your a Scary Boy!!

There is nothing better than finding another married couple to pal around with! The Youngs are just the amazing!! We value that they love our Jesus, and each other!

Then there are lifetime friendships, like the one I have with Paul (The dude on the right below). It so wonderful to have friends that support your marriage, not just your friendship!

The moral of this story....
Google something local that might scare your blood into pumping a little faster, grab on to the man of yours, and celebrate the season!

His Details - 31 Days of Loving that Man

The description of the Proverbs 31 Woman is a verse that resonates within my DNA. I just know that she and I would be fast friends, although I might be a little envious of her at times. I mean...she has her stuff together. 

As I focus on loving Ryan well, one verse stands out, to do him good. 

One easy way for me to accomplish this, is to keep track of his details.  Details for making doctors appointments, insurance changes, car registration, and other miscellaneous facts about this XY Chromosome man of mine. There are lots of great tools out there to keep this information together.  Depending on the type of information and the level of security around it, I have used a few different options. You can use a home management notebook, a planner, index cards in your wallet, or the multitude of software options like phone apps or spreadsheets. I find the most useful are the options that I can keep with me for moments When Toilets Attack or other such activities that come from being married to a cute boy. 

Here is the basic information I keep handy.

What information do you keep handy?

The Number 1 Thing - 31 Days of Loving That Man

The number one way I can love my husband is by Praying for him. 

Prayer changes hearts. It changes lives. When I think of all the ways I have been prayed for, and the ways God has showed up, my heart has been forever changed. I have prayed for Ryan throughout our marriage. I can remember praying in the days before our wedding. Other times, I’ve prayed in frustration while arguing, for safety while driving to work, or prayers for healing when cancer was discovered for third time in his skull. God has been so very faithful to the desires of my heart.

In recent years a new focus on prayer has emerged in the Christian community. A focus on praying for God’s will to influence our lives. After hearing more about this, I thought what better way to lift up my husband in prayer, thank to pray specific verses and allow God’s words, his thoughts, his wants, to direct my prayers.

In an effort to help organize my prayer time, I picked themes and verses that match the letters in our Last Name.

It looks something like this. 

Seek:

Psalm 119:10 - I Seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

I pray that Ryan is always seeking the Lord in all that he does.

Character:

Romans 5: 2-4 – And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope.

I pray that Ryan’s strong character stays grounded in the Lord, in the small trials of life to the life altering decisions. I pray that he perseveres and finds hope.

Hear:

Matthew 11:15 – Whoever has ears let them hear.

I pray that Ryan hears the Lord. The he has moments in his day for reflection and quiet, that he can by moved by the spirit.

Acknowledge

Proverbs 3:6 – In all ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your path.

I pray for courage, that Ryan will be brave enough to boldly acknowledge who his Lord is. Ryan stands firm and openly in his faith. It’s one of the very reasons I fell in love with him. I pray that this never changes.

Ask

Matthew 7:7 – Ask, and it will be given to you

I pray that Ryan seeks openly the grace and gifts of our God. I pray that he is in constant conversation with our Lord, and that he lifts his needs and wants to the almighty with faith that it will be provided.

Follow

Matthew 4:19 – and he said to them “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”

I pray that as Ryan follows his Lord, that others around whim will be influenced. That through Ryans actions others will come to know, love an find salvation in Jesus.

These are the prayers of my heart during October, and for all of my days married to this man.

What prayers to you have for yours?

We say I do - Welcome to 31 Days of Loving That Man

Welcome to my series as part of 31 Days, a writing Challenge.

We say I do to love, to honor, to cherish, and to be faithful to another living, breathing being. We say I do, us, girls, women, fiancés, brides, wives. We say I do, just as generations of females before us and hitch our beautiful souls to our handsome men with amazing hopes and dreams. And life happens. 

Seven and a half years of life for me to be exact. Years full of laughter, tears, sickness, health, anger, and compassion. Years of success and failures that have changed our relationship. From career choices to family relationships our marriage has experienced the growth pains of change with the distinct sweetness of compassion and grace.  These years have changed us as individuals. The newness of romance has been shed to reveal a steadfast love. What was once the clash of a volcano and tornado in heated disagreement has evolved into a much more productive pattern of resolving conflict. More importantly we have learned to lean on the sacred knowledge that God has hope for our marriage. 

In the movie "The 7 Year Itch" a faithful husband is tempted by the irresistible Marilyn Monroe. I have had a girl crush on Marilyn for most of my adult life.  To avoid sounding pedestrian and over promoting the importance of feminine wiles, I write this while working as a technical project manager in a predominately male IT Shop. I pride myself in successfully navigating the corporate landscape with my brain rather than my body.  However, when it comes to my marriage, my relationship with my number one man, my  goal is to keep his attention mind, body and soul. Lets face it the seven year itch isn't just a movie, and I want to honor our commitment until death do us part. 

If you have been married for 1 day or 50 years, its an important reminder and exciting endeavor to love our men with the intentions of our vows. Focusing on topics that are hard to learn other times too easily forgotten, some areas will be silly, some soul searching. Doesn't that describe the best love stories especially when they are our own?? Join me won't you, as I focus on some areas of value when it comes to loving that man of yours. 

Behind the Shutter Vol 1, Issue 11

September 8, 2014
 My Mom my Friend - We've come a long way her and I. She is the most wonderful woman I know! I  am so very blessed to call her my own.

September 9, 2014
Back to Bible Study - Our Women's Study has started back up for fall! We are working on a church wide study on Discipleship.  Tuesday evenings are so very wonderful with the group of women I get to meet with. So many backgrounds, so many different generations, all amazing reflections of Grace and Love.

September 10, 2014

Working from Home

I had multiple doctor appointments and it was just easier to work from home. On the occasion I am home, the puppies never leave my side. Diesel was trying his best not to be a distraction, but with this cute face, I was having a hard time staying focused.

September 11, 2014

Three Little Puppies - Its a bit of a Puppy circus around our home when Macy comes to stay. Our boys just aren't quite the same when she's around. Their a bit more feisty, a bit more territorial, and almost all of the dog toys end up out in the back yard. 

September 12, 2014
Women of Faith - Night 1 - As is our annual tradition my bestie Michele and I attended Women of Faith at the Honda Center in Anaheim. This year two of her girls joined us for the event. Sharing Faith and Friendship is such an amazing Blessing!

September 13, 2014
Women of Faith - Day 2
We continued listening to amazing women, singing praise, and sharing time together learning more about our Lord. I am so very thankful for this woman and our shared Faith. I don't know what I would do without her.

September 14, 2014
We broke our Toilet ...and the toilet broke my Husbands Back.
Well not quite broke, but a nicely out of place disc.....Who knew he would get attacked by such a terrible monster. We spent some time with the local doctors at urgent care getting some pain medicine and direction on properly lifting heavy things.  Silly Husband

Behind the Shutter Vol 1, Issue 10

September 1 - Kidney Stone Recovery Take 2  
Kidney stones....are of the Devil....I might have already said that...but I don't quite know what else to say! This little black pup follows me around when I am not feeling well. He is never far away, especially when it comes time to nap on our bed...oh I mean his bed.

September 2 - Our Sick Little Dude
Opie had a tooth that was infected and ended up creating a hole to his nasal passage. It wasn't good. The poor little dude was sneezing blood and just exhausted. He ended up having multiple teeth pulled. You have to love that chicken bandage on his little leg where the IV was. I hate having a sick puppy, but so thankful for our Vet Dr. Laura.

September 3 - Got Cheese
I am convinced that these dogs can hear an american cheese wrapper from miles away! We have a few days of wrapping medicine in cheese for Opie to get down. These boys are like sharks when cheese is around.

September 4 - He’s Back
Opie is finally showing signs of life. He is growing a little more feisty everyday after his surgery!

September 5 - My Life as the Wife of an Angel's Fan
I married into a love affair with the Angel's Baseball team. Unfortunately that means from March to October most evenings there is a Game on our Television. Thanks to my Amazon Prime subscription I get to watch "My" shows like The Tudors, while sitting close to Ryan! Its good stuff, and keeps our marriage strong! Go Angels!!!

September 6 - Urgent Care Waiting
We spent Saturday evening in Urgent Care with more Kidney Stone Pain. Having Ryan with me makes waiting so much easier! 

September 7 - Camp Steaks and Fried Potatoes
My parents came for Sunday Dinner and not only brought all the fixings but cooked dinner too! Camp Steaks and Fried Potatoes is a favorite dinner of mine and totally hit the spot! I pretty sure it helped protect my stomach from all the pain meds Im on! So very thankful for my sweet parents and husband for their support and love as I work through these kidney stones! 

Behind the Shutter Vol 1, Issue 9

August 25 - Ice Cream Conversations

This is Sonny, he is our nephew from Tennessee. He and his Uncle enjoyed heaping bowls of Thrifty's ice-cream while discussing important things like legos and trains. I grew up eating ice cream from our local Thrifty's drug store, it was the cheapest ice cream in town. And quite honestly, some of the yummiest!. Thrifty's has since been bought out by the competition, but you can still find their ice cream at some Rite-aid Stores. We made an ice cream run and ended up with quite a few different flavors. If you get a chance, try it! 

August 26 - The Pi Piti Nan Club
Welcome to the adventures of the Pi Piti Nan Club. Im still not quite sure of how it all started but I am a proud member of this illustrious club! 
This is my niece Meagann and sister in law Paige from Tennessee. They happen to be the founding members of the club, and lovingly invited me to be a part!  We visited my favorite nail salon Savvy Chic Nail Cottage, and had a great time. I have so enjoyed having their laughter and sweet smiles in our neck of the woods. 

August 27 - Whale Watching Awesomeness
My niece Summer who was out to visit us wanted to visit Sea World on their vacation out here. After Ryan and I watched Black Fish last year, we have been a bit hesitant about visiting Sea World. I lined up a trip with Captain Dave's Dolphin Safari, Ryan and I have been on multiple whale watching trips with his company and find them beyond enjoyable and wonderfully educational as well! This trip exceeded our expectations with lots of dolphins as well as blue whale sightings. 

Here is a video of our day!

August 28 - Angel Girl Fun

Of course we had to wrap our week with our visiting family by going to an Angel's game together!  This sweet girl and her red lips encourages me to no end.  She makes me want to be courageous with my smile. Some day I might work up to bright red lips, but I'm currently working my red lip gloss. Pi Piti Nan 4 Life!

August 29 - Resting with my Fur Babies

Friday found us with some down time as the family was out and about. I enjoyed spending a few quiet moments napping with these fur babies! It was a great way to end our Staycation!

August 30 - Vegas Fun
We got up early and drove to Las Vegas to meet our friends who were sharing their time share at Tahiti Village off the Vegas Strip!  We arrived to amazing burgers at Steak and Shake. Followed by some attempted nap time, secret pizza, and a dance club with fantastic 80's music! We found ourselves in front of the Las Vegas Sign at 4:30AM....I mean seriously...who does that...We Do!!! Once a year...at the most...I'm old...totally old...

August 31 - My Hero
After going to bed at 5:00 AM (Again...I'm so old)...I woke up in terribly pain at 8:30. That kind of pain that makes you writhe in bed, walk in circles, and scream into your pillow as an attempt not to wake up the other 3 adults who went to bed just 3 1/2 hours earlier a bit intoxicated. At 10:30 I finally woke up Ryan who took one look at me, and all but commanded that we head home. So we did, and he once again proved to be the most amazing husband in the world. We ended up at Urgent Care with another diagnosis of kidney stones, referrals to more doctors, and pain medicine. I was so very disappointed that we had to leave Vegas early, but so very thankful of this Man!