Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Above all else: a shared faith in God

Access to the sacrament of reconciliation--to all the graces from all the sacraments

Openness to children

Humility, a willingness to ask for forgiveness and to forgive

A wild, passionate, crazy obsession with each other's bodies that gets more intense every day

Appreciation that each of us lays down our life for one other every day

The most intimate, intellectual, joyful, trusting, loyal friendship of all our friendships is with each other

After all else: a shared faith in God

I could have written this for you. You say the same thing over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over.

Truth doesn't change.

Neither does a broken record.

Sex, support, patience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Above all else: a shared faith in God

Access to the sacrament of reconciliation--to all the graces from all the sacraments

Openness to children

Humility, a willingness to ask for forgiveness and to forgive

A wild, passionate, crazy obsession with each other's bodies that gets more intense every day

Appreciation that each of us lays down our life for one other every day

The most intimate, intellectual, joyful, trusting, loyal friendship of all our friendships is with each other

After all else: a shared faith in God

I could have written this for you. You say the same thing over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over.

Truth doesn't change.

Anonymous wrote:Above all else: a shared faith in God

Access to the sacrament of reconciliation--to all the graces from all the sacraments

Openness to children

Humility, a willingness to ask for forgiveness and to forgive

A wild, passionate, crazy obsession with each other's bodies that gets more intense every day

Appreciation that each of us lays down our life for one other every day

The most intimate, intellectual, joyful, trusting, loyal friendship of all our friendships is with each other

After all else: a shared faith in God

I could have written this for you. You say the same thing over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over.

The biggest contributer to a 'happy marriage' ?

Not marrying a twat of a husband in the first place.

Money.

Our marriage and EVERYthing in it (sex, domestic chores, laughter, football spectatorship, interaction with the child, laughter, communication, laughter, fights)

was markedly better when our HHI was 150% higher than it is currently.

sex toys

Anonymous wrote:1) Avoiding repeat arguments--accepting some things/habits as permanent

2) Fairness/equality

3) Trusting the other with finances

Also, beyond one's control, having the kids outgrow the toddler years.

Cute, but I wouldn't call parenting tweens through to adulthood as stress-free for marriages.

1) Avoiding repeat arguments--accepting some things/habits as permanent

2) Fairness/equality

3) Trusting the other with finances

Also, beyond one's control, having the kids outgrow the toddler years.

Listening

Laughing our asses off

Letting each other be the boss of certain stuff. NOT "working as a team" on everything (subspecializing roles/duties). THIS has been a major reason our marriage is working. Honestly, I feel like so many other couples are constantly bickering and micro-managing and negotiating every little step. With us it is divide and conquer on everything except the big stuff (values, family time, love, etc). We never second guess each other on the domestic duties or the financial investments or what to dress the damn kid in on a Fall day. And we don't fight about directions or parking or driving!!

Lack of selfishness = willingness to sacrafice yourself, your needs, your desires and put your family first.

Realization of my inability to do better

AND

Shutting up when appropriate

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The "wild, passionate obsession with each others bodies" kind of gives me the heebies. I don't know, it makes me feel like I'm in 7th grade sex education.

The "used to have 8 kids but not anymore " sort of freaked me out.

Sorry about that, that does sound rather negative, doesn't it?

Just had my first ultrasound today, saw the heartbeat, everything looks beautiful. Cried with joy. Life is beautiful.

And sorry about the juvenile tone--we are high school sweethearts, after all, so maybe that's why I'm still in the starry-eyed, total obsessiveness stage of our physical relationship.

I am capable of lyricism, really.

And PP, thank you for the congrats!

Anonymous wrote:The "wild, passionate obsession with each others bodies" kind of gives me the heebies. I don't know, it makes me feel like I'm in 7th grade sex education.

The "used to have 8 kids but not anymore " sort of freaked me out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Above all else: a shared faith in God

Access to the sacrament of reconciliation--to all the graces from all the sacraments

Openness to children

Humility, a willingness to ask for forgiveness and to forgive

A wild, passionate, crazy obsession with each other's bodies that gets more intense every day

Appreciation that each of us lays down our life for one other every day

The most intimate, intellectual, joyful, trusting, loyal friendship of all our friendships is with each other

After all else: a shared faith in God

You have eight kids, right?

Um, we used to, but not any more...

Congrats on the addition! I must have missed the pregnancy/birth announcement.

So now I can lovingly think of you as crazy nine baby lady?