Wrapping up this month of posting, I feel like I might have jumped the shark a little with a post I wrote mid-month. I said, “Being married is a lot of days, too. It’s a lot of days to do something–it’s a lifetime.” (Read the rest here.)

I feel like maybe I should’ve left that post for last–the post about how you keep showing up. Marriage works because you keep showing up. You put date nights high on the priority list. Your spouse comes before your child(ren). You use your words to build your spouse up, not tear them down. You go to The Word together and grow in your faith as a couple. Everyday you work at it. You keep showing up.

I’m glad I showed up in this space for 31 days. I’m glad I spent my time writing about marriage. Even in the silly posts about ordering dresses off the internet or watching TV together, I was spending time investing in our marriage. Through the time I spent here for 31 days, I put emphasis on my marriage, my spouse, and our time together. It helped me focus on the things I want to focus on all the time–the good things, the things we do right. We topped it all off with a trip that was just what we needed, when we needed–time together, just the two of us!

I’m writing Marriage Matters as part of the #write31days challenge. Are you in? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to check your posts out!

We took an early birthday trip to California from last week to early this week. It was a trip for both of us, but it was mostly a trip for me. How do I know? I got to spend some me time at The Dry Bar and explore the baby Target. You read that right, in a whole big city full of things to do together, I chose a bunch of girl stuff.

From the day we first drove by the City Target, I had my heart set on checking it out.

My sweet husband gladly obliged–and took photos of me being a total fangirl along the way.

Same thing happened with The Dry Bar, I saw it one morning and was dead set on checking it out. I even jumped out of the car (I was driving) in traffic to make my appointment in time. Mr. Gray did a little solo exploring then came in, paid for my hair, and let them surprise me at the counter and wish me a happy birthday–definitely made me feel like a princess.

And then there was the part where he let me drive the fun car first. If that doesn’t make him a gentleman, I don’t know what does.

The whole trip was so much fun. It was a great time for us to connect, hang out, recharge, and just be us. We didn’t have a single date, time, place, or obligation to stick to, and it was wonderful. It was just me and him–on our own time.

I’m writing Marriage Matters as part of the #write31days challenge. Are you in? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to check your posts out!

Back when this #write31days challenge first started, I was working on my topic and some ideas to go along with it. My always-helpful husband decided that elephants was the way to go. When I’d run out of “marriage” ideas, it was always elephants on his radar. I still don’t really understand why. That’s what makes us fun.

So, imagine our hysterics when we found this in the Austin airport as we were about to head to California.

Yep. The cover of Psychology Today has a married couple with an elephant in between them. So we laughed, took a picture, and elephants have found their way into my October posts. AND… I still don’t know why! So, there’s that.

What do elephants mean to you? Do they correlate to marriage? Is it a never forget kind of thing? Or an elephant in the room? Elephants couldn’t drag you away from your spouse?

I’m writing Marriage Matters as part of the #write31days challenge. Are you in? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to check your posts out!

We’ve got our boy; we’re home; we’re back to reality. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’m writing Marriage Matters as part of the #write31days challenge. Are you in? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to check your posts out!

By the way, I’m over on MOMQuery today sharing Aunt Cookie’s survivor story. Head that way to check it out. (Read here.) 

I love you because:

+ you take care of our family.

+ you seek Godly wisdom through prayer and good counsel.

+ we have fun together. 

+ you support my dreams and aspirations (no matter how crazy they sometimes are).

+ you are always on my side.

+ you truly want what’s best for me.

I’m writing Marriage Matters as part of the #write31days challenge. Are you in? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to check your posts out!

One of the best things that we have done in our marriage is make friends with couples who are for  our marriage.

When we first moved closer to home, we got plugged in with our Heart Group, and this was the first time we had experienced this type of support system in the two years we had been married. It changed our marriage.

We learned so much about God’s plan for marriage and for our lives. We had (have) people praying for our marriage. Mr. Gray had similarly-minded men to do life with. I had similarly-minded women. We have never had relationships like that before, and I am so glad God led us down that path. That first group of friends is still full of some of our best friends.

Shortly after that, we got plugged in at Revolution with a similar group. These people were also for our marriage. They also taught (teach) us a ton about how to be a better married couple.

I’m so grateful for the Godly friends in our life who help us become better at being married. Are you surrounded by people who lift your marriage up in prayer and support you?

I’m writing Marriage Matters as part of the #write31days challenge. Are you in? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to check your posts out!

Some people make a big ordeal out of wedding dress shopping. Me? I ordered mine online.

It was exactly what I wanted, too.

What’s your wedding dress story?

I’m writing Marriage Matters as part of the #write31days challenge. Are you in? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to check your posts out!