Early in our marriage, we lived in married student housing on the campus of the University of South Dakota. It was an extremely small apartment with a living room/kitchen combo, bedroom, and bathroom. We had to take the door off of our bedroom so our waterbed could fit. We were very cozy as a newlywed… Read More 10 Ways to Resolve Conflict in a Marriage
My husband Micky and I were engaged on December 25, 1991, at exactly midnight. Our wedding day was on June 20, 1992; five and a half years from the day we met. During the less than six months of preparing for our wedding day, we were busy with all the details of our big day.… Read More Divorce is NOT an Option
Picture it. December 25, 1991. Small town South Dakota. A young, 19-year old girl was respectfully asked to be married the evening before. Many thoughts and questions were entering her mind even though she had been carefully planning for this moment in her life since she was a little girl. She and her new fiancee were talking candidly with the girl’s parents about lifelong marriage. They have an exceptionally strong marriage and have weathered every storm that has crossed their paths and are nevertheless together to this day. One of the many questions they asked that day was, “How do you stay in a marriage for the long haul?” Her brilliant mother carefully took a moment to ponder the question and said precisely, “Take care of… Read More Take Care of the Marriage First…The Kids Will Follow
There is a bridge in Paris, the “City of Love”, called the Pont des Arts where couples would inscribe their names and a message on a padlock, lock it on the fencing of the bridge, and throw the key into the Seine river signifying their love is forever “locked” together. It became known as “Love… Read More Communication is Key
Think back to a time when you were choosing a friend to be with. It could be in Elementary school when you were just learning whether or not you were a social butterfly. Or maybe it was in Middle or High School where you found your “bestie for life”. What are some of the qualities… Read More Be Best Friends in Our Marriage
One evening we were coming home from Mass when the discussion in our vehicle turned into a story about an actor that passed away recently. It was then that a thought hit me. So I asked my family, “Why is it we say nice things about people when they are dead but not while they… Read More Appreciation of Each Other Goes a Long Way
I was standing in front of my class talking to my 7th-grade students about their family slide for their presentation about themselves. It was at that moment I realized that my husband and I were in the minority. The traditional family of one mother and one father for a child’s entire life has changed drastically.… Read More Lenten Series: Building a Better Marriage
This is a rant… This past week was a rollercoaster. I started the week in a great mood. My students would be working on their projects, my 8th-grade Science kiddos were working on an assignment about heat and temperature, and we would be watching the student-created videos in my FLEX classes. I had fun tools… Read More That Escalated Quickly…
A week ago I was concerned with the state of how my classroom was and how my students were behaving. I was concerned with the students who were “all in” with me while being distracted by the misbehaving students. My frequent flyers were taking advantage of me, my classroom, and the other students. I was… Read More Update: Do I Have to Entertain to Teach?
This past week I have been very conflicted. It is the second year that I have been thrust into teaching Physical Science to 8th-graders. The “honeymoon” is over and I am struggling on how I can make this subject “not boring”. On Friday, I was so upset with the 4-5 boys in my classroom I… Read More Do I Have to Entertain to Teach?