Karissa Tunis

The most powerful advice given to my husband and I as newlyweds was about our words. And now, ten years and five kids later, I reflect on that advice which has been an important key to a long and fulfilling relationship…  I would definitely argue that language is the most powerful tool we have. It plants ideas, nurtures dreams, and communicates information. And depending on how we use it, it can greatly affect our lives! Below are the most important words that my husband and I use to strengthen our relationship. These 5 simple phrases help us express our love and appreciation for one another.

To me, our love story is from a fairy tale complete with roses, kisses, and a whirlwind romance. But happiness doesn’t just happen. It takes work. And by choosing the right words, it has helped us and our relationship continue to grow even deeper over the past decade.

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I often find myself asking “What does a perfect marriage look like?” Or “What does a perfect marriage look like with three small children and sleepless nights?” Or how about, “What does a perfect marriage look like with three small children, sleepless nights, 4 dogs, busy schedules, an upcoming move, and juggling all of this while trying to run a new business?” Sometimes all of the chaos of everyday life has me thinking about where my marriage and relationship is at. Prior to kids our life was so different! We traveled, went to fancy dinners, hosted parties, and enjoyed much more alone time. But with each child that seemed to change… So how do we make our relationship work now?

This article is written by Karissa Tunis
For more on this topic, check out the full Be My Valentine collection

So How Do We Make Our Relationship Work?

We Fall In Love Again and Again

Now, 12 years later, traveling to exotic places has been replaced with exploring anywhere a packed SUV can take us. Instead of going out to fancy dinners, we pick up sushi to go and enjoy it on our patio. And the noise and laughter in our home has also changed. There are no longer quiet days looking for something to do. There are no more last-minute movie dates, because we are now surrounded by kids, dogs, popcorn, and Disney characters.

Life has changed. The feelings and love has changed. But for us, it’s gotten even better!

I once read that a

Successful marriage is falling in love with the same person over and over again.

– and I could not agree more!!

It is so easy, especially in this phase of life, to fall out of love or to not always like each other. In fact, there are days that we sometimes cannot stand one another!

And yet…. some-how and some-way we do make it work. We look for that common ground, and we appreciate the small gestures and the big choices such as…

We Acknowledge the Challenges, and Work Together Towards the Same Goals

The day-to-day can be hard and challenging with so many demands and three little kids that need us for everything. But we are building a life, expanding our careers, raising our children, creating memories, and deepening our relationship. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves, and even each other, that we really are partners in this journey. At the end of the day we both want the same things for our family.

Together we find a compromise. Sometimes we need to watch our words, perhaps apologize, put aside our stubborn ways, and agree to reconnect. Together we make it work, and together we take care of our home – our family. I don’t like to cook, but my husband does. He sometimes make a mess, but I clean it up. He claims the basement and garage, I get final say in the house. I clean inside, he does all the yard work. I love to laugh, and he can be very funny. He stays up late with the kids, and I get up early with them. Together we can accomplish a lot!

I have realized that the butterflies definitely do not last forever. But they were replaced with 3 precious little human beings. And those feelings of infatuation were replaced over time with something much deeper – LOVE….. a true friendship and partnership. We respect one another, appreciate the value that we each bring to this relationship, and together we share the same dreams and goals.

We Share the Same Priorities

For us, the key to making our relationship work through this phase of life is that we don’t put as much pressure on “us”. Instead, we both agree that our family is our priority. We love each other, and do occasionally try to sneak away for a special date night. But by sharing the same priorities, and working towards the same goals, that brings us close together. It’s in a different way than when we were dating or newly weds, but it’s also deeper.

Marriages go through phases. As we have children and raise our families our relationship changes. There are definitely challenges, but also really special moments. And just as your children grow, your partnership will as well. Just try to appreciate the good, and when it gets hard – appreciate your partner who is right beside you through it all.

Our marriage is imperfect, but together we will continue to fall in love again and again.

For more on this topic, check out the full Be My Valentine collection

Co-Owner: Karissa Tunis

As parents, life can feel very busy! But that doesn’t mean that we can’t do small things to help reconnect with our spouse, or find that spark again with our partner in all of this family chaos…

Be sure to check out the free printable below!…

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