Each Begins with the Letter "C"

From the article "Building a strong marriage takes work" by Dr. Billy Graham

My husband and I were thinking back to what we were doing this time last year.  We were packing to move from our rental house to our first home.  We were excited to say the least.  Everything had gone very smoothly with finding our soon-to-be home, getting approved, making an offer, etc.  But our smooth ride came to an abrupt halt.  At the end of this October, we will have been in our house for a year.  Gosh a year, but what a year it has been....from living in hotel after hotel for a month, changing jobs,  fixing up our home, starting a blog, buying a boat, to continuously learning about each other (and our dogs!) and much more.  

My Mom gave me an article a few months back she had saved about building a strong marriage.  After my discussion with my husband about our past year, I felt the need to find this article.  It is short and sweet but says so much... 

How to build a strong marriage in four simple points....Each Begins with the Letter "C"

1. Cherish

God gave you to each other; you are God's gift to your spouse.  Take time to express your love, both by your words and by little acts of thoughtfulness- a surprise gift, a special time away, a favorite dinner.  

2. Communicate

Let each other know what's going on in your life at home or at work.  Don't clam up; don't nag or only express yourself when you're upset.  The Bible says, "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver" Proverbs 25:11

3. Compromise

The greatest enemy of love is our selfishness, but in marriage you can't always have your own way, so learn to compromise with grace.  The Bible says, "Love does not demand its own way" 1 Corinthians 13:5

4. Christ

Make Christ the center of your lives and your marriage every day, by committing yourself to him and his will.

I am going to add a 5th point to make this my own

5. Caldwell

I have learned that it doesn't matter what type of home you have or where you live to begin your marriage/ life together...It's just being together that makes everything worthwhile.  

Can't wait for what lies ahead! 

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.”

-Peter F. Drucker

Rolling with the Tide...Wedding Reception at "The Zone"

One of my friends got married at the beginning of August in Tuscaloosa, AL.  Of course I was excited to go because I wanted to see my friend get married, I love weddings, and of course I had to see a wedding reception in The Zone.  For those of you that have not been able to attend an Alabama Football game in The Zone,  this area is very large and packed with large banquet tables of food, popcorn and stadium dog stands, many tables and chairs, and of course people!  The Zone is a great addition to Alabama's stadium and numerous events have been held there since it was constructed.  Needless to say, I had to see how my friend was going to turn this area into something other than a place to watch football.  I took a few pictures to capture flower arrangements and such, but I mainly wanted to show how adding nice gold bamboo chairs, ivory sheen tablecloths, and flowers can really change a venue.  If you ever come across a venue that you are not sure about because of the carpet, accent colors, etc. please do not give up hope! The Zone has red carpet, yes red, and I seriously did not notice it!

She used the bar area that was already provided as well as an additional bar on the other side of the room.  The bars had personalized koozies for everyone to grab and use right then or take with them.  The flower arrangements were assembled differently throughout the room and had a wide variety of bright colored summer flowers- perfect for August.  There were numerous tall arrangements on the main 60 inch round tables which were all towards the center of the room.  These tall arrangements immediately caught my eye as I entered the room.  The tablecloths were an ivory sheen that complimented the colorful flowers.  The food tables had a large arrangement in the center that was gorgeous.  Towards the back of the room there was a potato bar and many small tables.

The reception was a lot of fun. Good food, good friends, good times! The band was awesome and had everyone dancing.  I especially loved the spacious dance floor.  The room was so large that my friends and I had our own little dance party towards the end of the night! Another great aspect was that you could actually have a conversation by just walking ten feet away from the band.  Many venues cannot provide the greatest space for all the tables, chairs, food tables, bar, stage, band, lights, etc. My next tip- Do not be afraid of a large room.  Find the pros instead of the cons. The room will eventually come together, I promise!
There were sparklers for everyone to take by the exit.  The sparklers were in two tall glass vases filled with glass marbles on the gift table.  All the guests lined up by the stadium's entrance and the happy couple ran through our sparklers and left in a limo. Very picturesque!!

“Expect the best, plan for the worst, 
and prepare to be surprised.”

-Denis Waitley