Sometimes making people happy is easy. The other night I brought Kyle home a cookie that I grabbed while I was out with a couple friends. He was thrilled. More thrilled than I expected. It was easy. He was happy. But it got me thinking . . . is giving as sweet if it doesn’t…
What would it take for you to realize you’re in the middle of another pointless argument? In our five years together so far, Kyle and I have had hundreds (thousands?) of stupid arguments. We’ve argued about everything from why he took the good GameCube controller to why my taste in furniture is so “girly.” When…
I married my best friend. No really, I did. And I hope you did too. But when I think of “best friends,” I picture being in middle school again, and having that best friend that I spent all of my time with. We had inside jokes, we we spend all of our weekends hanging out, and…
This week we celebrate the one year anniversary of Nitty Gritty Love! Over the past year we’ve published 154 blog posts—here are our ten most popular posts: 1. 3 Reasons to Stop Asking Couples When They’ll Have Babies 2. 10 Powerful Marriage Quotes 3. 5 Ways to Build Up Your Husband 4. A Letter to…
“Honey, I have a headache.” The easiest excuse to grab out of the bag, right? But what if you really do have a headache? What if you suffer from chronic migraines? What if all you want to do is lie in a dark room and wait for the pain to go away? For about a…
I recently found a journal entry from my seven-year-old self. It read, “I feel bad for my brother and I’m surprised!” That’s pretty much my personality in a nutshell. I’ve always been, well, empathetically challenged. Even as a wife, it’s something I struggle with. Especially when Kyle’s upset over small(er) things—like researching and picking out…
I know exactly where most of my husband’s wounds are—his most sensitive insecurities. I don’t know where all of them are rooted, and some of them don’t even make sense, but I know about them nonetheless. I remember when I really figured this out—the hard way, of course. Responses were flying back and forth, not…
When I think of some of the most influential Christian authors, Beth Moore is definitely at the top of the list. In fact, the first Bible study I ever did was by Beth Moore. Her devotionals and Bible studies have made a huge impact on my own walk with God, and they’re great for women…
I’ve had six friends get engaged this month. And along with holiday engagements come lots of blog articles about why we should or shouldn’t get married at certain ages, if at all. When Kyle and I got engaged, I knew we’d receive more guff than excitement. I expected negative remarks. And they did come. So…
You know the feeling. Your husband is doing something that’s driving you crazy. Maybe it’s something as little as getting ready and throwing his clothes on the floor. Or he’s leaving without kissing you goodbye. Or he isn’t helping you with dinner or housework. You let him do it. You decide not to say anything,…