=a "weekend to remember"=

Michael and I had the opportunity to attend the Weekend to Remember in Bellevue this past weekend. It’s a marriage conference put on by Family Life. We have talked about attending for some time now, however, we were never able to afford the registration and room. About a month ago, we got a letter in the mail from the new pastor of our church, Pastor Matthew Klaus, informing us that the registration for the weekend was taken care of and all we had to do was pay for our room. When Michael and I read the letter, we were overcome with excitement! I’m not sure if it was the church itself that paid our way, or if someone from the church paid, either way, it was a blessing. It was definitely a humbling experience.

Through out the weekend, we touch on every different aspect of marriage. Why marriages fail, coming from different backgrounds, divorce, men and women as individuals, conflict, expectations, how to love and respect your spouse, God, parenting, sex and how to make a marriage thrive. We went over way to much to put into a blog, but there was one thing that really opened my eyes.

The weekend challenged Michael and I to take a step back from our relationship and evaluate where we are currently, where we are heading and where we would like it to go. Let me give you a little bit of background, for those of you who don’t know. I grew up in a single parent household. My parent’s divorce was final when I was 7, but for those 7 years, my dad was not living at home. So, I never saw what it meant to be a wife. My mother was a great mother, no doubt about that. But in all the years growing up, all I saw was an independent woman. (Don’t think I’m blaming anything on my mother, that is not the case. I love and respect her for what she has done and been through. Also, don’t think I’m making excuses, believe me, I’m not.) Because of the background I have, I know how to be a great mother, but a wife on the other hand, not so much. I didn’t know how to treat him or what to expect from him…therefore, I expected way too much. One of the things said at the conference, when we were split up into men and women, was that women not only need to love their husbands, but respect them and treat them with respect. When that was said, my heart sunk. For the two years that we’ve been married, I’ve been doing anything but that. Michael works two jobs, as you all know. He works early in the morning until late in the afternoon and the heads off to work his other job until late at night. In between, he naps…can you blame him? Well, I was. Him taking naps made me view him as lazy. In my mind, he needed to come home and clean the kitchen, or do a few loads of laundry. When he didn’t, it would upset me. What I wasn’t remembering is the sacrifices Michael makes for the family. He works two jobs! Most weeks, he doesn’t even see Hailey until the weekends…there is no way I could do that. While I’m at home cooking dinner, cleaning, bathing and getting Hailey ready for bed, he’s working his butt off as well. I need to start treating him with the respect that he deserves and he is anything but lazy. I love you Michael Paul and I thank God everyday for blessing me with you.

=Stephanie=