«

Meet Tim

January 26th, 2012 . Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Hello readers of the Stronger Marriage blog! I am so happy to be a part of this educational and entertaining blog and I hope my humble entries help contribute to stronger marriages in our community. Before I begin contributing weekly, I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Tim and I will be adding my newly married voice to this blog as I have been happily married for almost two months! And I’ll say that the last two months has been an interesting journey.  More to come in later blogs!

I was born and raised in Los Angeles and I moved to Utah in 2004 to attend BYU. While attending the university I had the opportunity to go on a lot of dates with a few different girls and in the middle of all that fun I managed to earn a degree in Sociology. Right now I am currently a student at Argosy University studying Marriage and Family Therapy and I work for the Division of Child and Family Services. My life experiences and formal education has given me different perspectives on families and I am excited to share the things I learned.

My goal, as I write these blog posts, is to connect with you (the reader) and to gain more knowledge on strengthening families. I have only been married for two months so I am not an “expert” on marriage but I am ready to learn more and willing to strengthen my own marriage by listening to the thoughts of everyone who comments on my posts. Thanks for taking the time to read about me, if you have any questions feel free to ask away.

My Final Thoughts

January 8th, 2012 . Posted in Background, Utah Commission on Marriage | 1 Comment »
Tags:

me with my husband and son, August 2011

This post is really bittersweet for me. It is my last post as the Stronger Marriage blogger and I’m sad to go. But I’m also excited to see where the blog will go next and what the new writers have in store. We decided long ago that it would be a good idea to rotate the blogger periodically to keep things fresh and new.

Writing for the Stronger Marriage blog has truly been a dream come true. I have always wanted to write for couples and families but felt like it was too far-fetched to ever really achieve. But then this incredible opportunity came along and I have loved every minute of it. Read the rest of this entry »

Couple Inventory for the New Year

December 28th, 2011 . Posted in Tips for a Stronger Marriage | 1 Comment »
Tags: , , ,

As the New Year approaches, people are starting to think of new resolutions and goals to make. But along with the goal to go to the gym more often, what about also making new goals that will help you have a happier marriage?

Although it is always good to have regular discussions with your spouse about how you can improve your relationship, the New Year is a good time to have a couple inventory discussion about how the last year was and how you want to improve in the coming year. Read the rest of this entry »

Crossroads of Divorce? Consider Carefully.

December 21st, 2011 . Posted in Tips for a Stronger Marriage, Utah Commission on Marriage | 4 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , ,

I heard a story today from a woman who has been married for well over 30 years. She talked about how the first few years of her marriage were really hard, especially after the birth of their first child. She said that she went through a period of unhappiness where she felt a lot of hurt and anger towards her husband. She even said that the thought of leaving her husband crossed her mind more than once.

Her story really touched me and brought me to tears. I would be lying if I said I never thought about ending my marriage. Even though I have only been married for two-and-a-half years, they have still not been easy ones. Days full of school, work, and child rearing, as well as a heaping dose of financial struggles lead to high, emotional stress. And sometimes the easiest solution is to get angry and blame one another. Read the rest of this entry »

The Secret To Marriage

December 16th, 2011 . Posted in Marriage in the News, Tips for a Stronger Marriage, Utah Commission on Marriage | 2 Comments »

Clarence and Mayme Vail, married for 83 years

Clarence and Mayme Vail have been married for 83 years, becoming the new Guinness World Record holders for the longest living married couple.

In a society where 50% of marriages end in divorce (and some don’t even last 72 days!), the question often asked to Clarence and Mayme is, “How do you do it?”

Surprisingly, their answer is very simple: you take your vows seriously! Read the rest of this entry »

The Pornography Problem: Getting Help

December 8th, 2011 . Posted in Tips for a Stronger Marriage, Utah Commission on Marriage | 1 Comment »
Tags: , ,

Pornography has become an increasingly available in the world, and I think it is leaving a trail of broken hearts, broken marriages, and aching regret. It is all over the internet and other media too. Like any harmful substance addiction, the consequences of pornography coupled with poor decisions and selfishness leads to crumbling relationships, especially marriage. I have seen firsthand how others’ marriages fall apart due to pornography addictions.

If you read the last post, you know a little bit more about how pornography addictions affect the brain. You also understand the damaging effects addictions can have on families and relationships. But all of that research and statistics might not mean much to you if you are already seeing these negative effects in your own life.

Instead, what you are looking for is how to get help for this disease and how to maintain hope through it all. Read the rest of this entry »

The Pornography Problem: Prevention

December 5th, 2011 . Posted in Marriage in the News, Tips for a Stronger Marriage, Utah Commission on Marriage | 1 Comment »
Tags: , , , ,

Pornography has become so pervasive in our world that it has become almost “normal” to come into some kind of contact with it. The people who are in the business of pornography will tell you it is a natural thing to do; that being human is all about natural, sexual urges. We should embrace pornography, not shun in.

I’m here to tell you differently. And why.

Pornography and sex addictions can destroy lives. Pornography is built upon lust, an unquenchable hunger, and addicts are constantly trying to satisfy that hunger. Sure, not everyone who dabbles in pornography gets addicted, but many do. And just like most addictions, it is never satisfied. The addiction has an ever-increasing need for more stimulation and more drugs, and only becomes progressively worse. Read the rest of this entry »

Couple Talks Before Marriage

December 1st, 2011 . Posted in Tips for a Stronger Marriage | 3 Comments »
Tags: , , ,

Even after being married for two-and-a-half years (and almost two years of being friends and dating before marriage), its amazing the things I’m still learning about my husband. Like how he once played the trumpet in elementary school. Or how he started a forest fire while at a family reunion. Although these little snippets are seemingly insignificant (well, the forest fire is kind of a big deal), it still shows that when I said “I do” I only just started getting to know the person in front of me.

While my husband and I talked a lot before we got married and got a good feel of our habits and dispositions, the actual act of being married and living together is hard to fully grasp until you are doing it. Read the rest of this entry »

Attitude of Gratitude

November 21st, 2011 . Posted in Tips for a Stronger Marriage | No Comments »
Tags: , ,

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I’ve been thinking a lot about the little things that I am grateful for. Obviously, my husband immediately came to mind and I was overwhelmed with a feeling of sincere gratitude and appreciation towards him. But then I got to thinking, how often do I really tell him how grateful I am?

I think too many times we get caught up in thinking, “Oh well, he knows how I feel about him. He knows I appreciate him.” But does he really?

When is the last time you really thanked your partner for spending time with you? Or listening to you talk about your day? Or helping you around the house or yard? Or going to work to help pay the bills? Read the rest of this entry »

Dream Wedding Update

November 18th, 2011 . Posted in Dream Wedding | No Comments »

It’s hard to believe it’s already November 18, which means only 15 more days until Laureana and Adam have their Dream Wedding! We wanted to recap what they have done so far and what you have helped them plan:

  1. RELATE: Even before Laureana and Adam were voted on as our winning couple, they took the RELATE Questionnaire – a comprehensive survey that gives couples (at any stage of commitment) an opportunity to sit down and talk about their relationship. They thought the survey was both enjoyable and informative and found that their results reflected very similarly, especially in communication! Anyone can take the RELATE Questionnaire, free of charge, by linking from the StrongerMarriage.org website
  2. DRESS: One of the first elements of their wedding Laureana and Adam had viewers help them plan was Laureana’s dress from Mary’s Bridal. The women at Mary’s Bridal helped pick out dress options for Laureana that they knew would look fabulous on her and FOX viewers picked this one! For more information on Mary’s Bridal, visit their website or stop by their store, located at 6267 South Highland Drive Salt Lake City, Utah 84121.

    Laureana's Wedding Dress

  3. PHOTOS: To help remember the moment, Adam and Laureana had an engagement portrait session with Ashlee Brooke Photography. Ashlee does an incredible job of making everyone look naturally beautiful and ties in some gorgeous landscapes. Photos from their engagement shoot will appear on their invitations and Ashlee Brooke Photography will be shooting their wedding as well! (You can check out some teasers from their engagement shoot on Ashlee Brooke Phototography’s Facebook page.)
  4. THEME: The second thing FOX viewers helped Laureana and Adam decide on was the theme of their wedding. Ella Rose Floral, Beautiful Wedding Announcements and Cake by Roxie came up with three wonderful theme choices, including Park City Winter, Holiday Sparkle and Classic Christmas. Viewers chose Holiday Sparkle!

    Holiday Sparkle Theme

  5. RINGS: In our final week of voting, FOX13 viewers have the opportunity to vote for Adam and Laureana’s rings; something so important, because not only does it showcase your commitment to one another, but you will be wearing them for the rest of your lives! Saratoga Jewelry Co. helped the couple pick out three, incredible ring choices, which you can vote on here. The winning designs will be announced on FOX13′s Good Day Utah on Monday morning!
  6. PRE-MARITAL COUNSELING: It’s easy to get caught up in the planning of the wedding (especially when it’s a whirlwind like it has been for Laureana and Adam!) and not look to the future and have those important conversations with one another. To help make sure they are fully prepared for their life together, Adam and Laureana are meeting with marriage and family therapist. Dr. Liz Hale.

In additional to the elements mentioned above, Laureana and Adam have been working with Newpark Resort & Hotel to plan the reception, Utah Food Services to design their menu, Divine Limousine about transportation and Laughing Gravy Entertainment for music!

Stay tuned for a blog post from Adam and Laureana about their thoughts on the process and excitement for their future together!

To our married readers out there: what was the most memorable part of your wedding planning process and did you and your partner take time to have those important conversations about your future?

« Older Entries