5 Ways to be a Better Wife

Buying a house, getting a puppy, and having a baby can definitely put a lot of stress on your marriage. Every day, I have to work at being the best wife I can be. Oh boy, do I fail at this some days. Especially when the dog wants to go outside 157 times and the baby wants to eat for the 519th time today. In my heart I know I tried my hardest that day. I'm sure my hubby knows this, too. Here's 5 ways that I try to be a better wife to my hubby each day.  

  1. Pray for your husband daily When's the last time you prayed for your husband? You don't have to set aside 5 minutes of your day to accomplish this, you can pray wherever, whenever, and for whatever you want. Pray for your husband in the shower, in the car, while cooking dinner, during workouts, before bed, while brushing your teeth. See? You really can pray wherever and whenever. God's always listening. What matters is that your prayers are sincere. Maybe you're not sure what to pray about. Some things I pray over my hubby include: his struggles, his work, his happiness, his health, and his role as the leader of our family.
2. Do not depend on your husband for your happiness Now, I'm not saying that your husband can't or won't make you happy. But, what I am saying is that your happiness shouldn't come from your husband alone. That's a lot of pressure for anyone to bear. When you stop expecting your happiness to come from your husband and you choose to be happy, you are better serving your husband and your marriage.
3. Forgive My Hubby and I are far from perfect and we both have moments we'd like to forget about. But, the past is the past and life doesn't get an undo button. Learn from your past mistakes and let it go moving forward. How freeing would that be for both you and your husband? Each new day brings new opportunities.
4. Communicate, communicate, communicate Ladies, your husband cannot read your mind! You shouldn't expect him to know how you are feeling if you don't vocalize it. I'll admit that this is probably the hardest of the 5 for me. I'll hold every thing in and then one little thing will set me off. It's not good and I am trying really hard to let my Hubby know what I'm feeling when I'm feeling it.
5. Appreciate your husband We are so quick to thank a complete stranger for holding the door open before we've even walked through said door, but show no gratitude towards our husband's for working hard all day long. Is that because we've come to expect so much out of our husbands? You don't need to lower the expectations of your husband, but you do need to show appreciation for his hard work. Showing appreciation towards your husband benefits both of you. When you give appreciation, you often receive more in return.
There are days that you don't accomplish all 5 of these, but that's okay. The only thing that matters is that you are making an effort to be a better wife. The journey starts now.
Will you join me on this mission to becoming a better wife?

10 Ways to Pray for Your Husband

I believe in the power of prayer. I've seen God work through prayer and He will never let you down. Things may not happen the way you asked or the exact timing you asked for, but God doesn't disappoint. I pray for my hubby and that I would show more grace towards him on a daily basis. Here are 10 ways you can pray for your husband.

1. Pray for your husband to be a spiritual leader for your family.
2. Pray for your husband's relationship with God.
3. Pray for your husbands emotional, mental, and physical health.
4. Pray that God would bless your husband.
5. Pray for your husband to love you deeply.
6. Pray for your husband to have a heart for his children.
7. Pray that your husband will be faithful to his wedding vows.
8. Pray for your husband to make wise choices.
9. Pray for your husband to prosper at work.
10. Pray that you will show your husband grace, kindness, and respect.
This list is not all-inclusive as there are many, many more ways that you can pray for your husband. These 10 ways are meant to give you ideas and get you accustomed to praying for your husband on a regular basis. Intentional and sincere prayer can change your marriage.

25 Questions to Ask Your Spouse on Valentine's Day

The first couple years that the hubby and I were dating, we would go to dinner on Valentine's Day, but soon realized that everyone else does, too. Waiting for an hour while trying to have a conversation over all the other couples also waiting for a table was oh-so-romantic. We quickly realized we could have a romantic dinner at home while saving money and our sanity, so that's exactly what we have done the past 5 years. And, I love it. Instead of standing around waiting for a table, we stand around our kitchen drinking wine, cooking dinner, and talking about our hopes and dreams. If you'd like to avoid the crowds this Valentine's Day, try making dinner at home and asking your spouse these 25 questions. You may find something out about your spouse that you never knew. You won't be disappointed.

1. What is your favorite memory of me while we were dating?
2. What is your favorite thing I ever did for a special occasion for you?
3. What was your first thought when you saw me at the end of the aisle?
4. What was the very first thing you thought about me?
5. What was your favorite childhood movie?
6. When was the last time you thought about me in a positive way?
7. What is your favorite thing that I do for you?
8. What movie reminds you of us?
9. What do you think we need to work on the most in our relationship?
10. What's the one accomplishment you are most proud of?
11. What would you do with one million dollars?
12. If you had $1,000 to spend on just yourself, what would you buy?
13. What is the biggest goal for your career?
14. What is your biggest goal in life?
15. What was your favorite subject in middle school?
16 What is your greatest talent and demonstrate?
17. If you could see into the future, what would you want to know?
18. If you could go back in time, what age would you be?
19. What do you like most about our relationship?
20. Are you an optimist, pessimist, or realist?
21. Do you think I am an optimist, pessimist, or realist?
22. What your favorite date night we ever had?
23. How did your siblings shape who you are?
24. What's a question you've never asked me, but always wanted to?
25. Have you ever considered a completely different career path?
Now that you are armed with 25 questions to ask your spouse on Valentine's Day, you don't have to be stuck talking about your latest project at work.

Our First Home!

There's been a lot going on for the Dang family the past few months, which is why I disappeared. I'm back today to let you know that we bought a house!

 

The hubby and I recently closed on our very first house! The roller coaster of emotions we have been on the past couple months has definitely been a wild ride, but we wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. This will be the first home that either of us truly feel like we have our own space and can do whatever we want to it, which makes this house that much more special. We have started painting, but I haven't bought many decorations yet. If you need me next week, I'll be at TJ Maxx and HomeGoods.

  This is the house we will eventually bring our babies home to. This is the house we will laugh, cry, fight, and love in. This is the house we will entertain our guests in. This is the house we will start traditions with our little family in.   Here's a peak inside the house we get to make our home - beginning this weekend! These pictures are from the listing, so imagine a very empty house right now.

 The front door leads you into the living room, with vaulted ceilings. My favorite part of the entire house.

The living room opens into the dining room and kitchen.

 

It's a cozy 3 bedroom and 2 bathroom house.

 

The basement is finished. This is where you will find the dry bar and laundry room.

 

This house will forever be a very special place to us. Stay tuned for updates and DIY projects!

 

*Disclaimer: There are no pictures of the outside of the house for safety reasons. Please do not ask to see the outside of the house. You'll have to come visit us to see this.*

Honeymoon Road Trip (Part 1)

I want to start off by saying that these honeymoon posts will be the longest I'll ever write, but I want to remember everywhere we went and all the fun things we did.

Khanh and I finally escaped the cold Michigan winter to go on our honeymoon. We loaded up my 2015 Jeep Cherokee Limited and headed out on the open road for 15 days. We stayed in 7 cities in 5 states. Though it wasn't the honeymoon we were dreaming of, it was absolutely perfect and I wouldn't trade it for any other trip. OK, maybe Hawaii!

Our first overnight stop was Nashville, Tennessee. But, first, we made a quick pit stop just outside of Bowling Green, Ohio at the National Corvette Museum. This stop was special to me because my grandpa was a member of the museum's founding board and his name is on a brick located near the front entrance. We also got to see the huge sink hole from February 12, 2014 and all the cars that were salvaged.

We arrived at the Residence Inn Nashville Airport in Nashville, Tennessee just before dinner. My grandparents friend, Dr. Bob, who is a vocal surgeon for all the country stars, made reservations for us at the best table at Sperry’s Restaurant, a steakhouse in the cutest little neighborhood. This was the only meal we splurged on during our entire trip because it was also my birthday!

We woke up the next morning and had the continental breakfast provided by the hotel. After filling up on waffles, we headed out to explore Nashville. Our first stop was the Grand Ole’ Opry. Unfortunately, we arrived too early and the only thing open was the gift shop.

Next on our agenda was exploring downtown Nashville. We got gypped paid for parking and started looking for the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge. It’s a big, beautiful bridge in the heart of downtown Nashville that connects the city on both sides of the Cumberland River. After exploring the bridge, we wanted to tour the Country Music Hall of Fame, but decided against it after seeing the admission prices. Here’s the thing, Khanh isn't a country music fan and didn't want to spend money to look at something he could care less about. I know, I know, what horror! I’m working on him still. After all that excitement for the morning, we found ourselves back at the hotel for a quick nap before being locked in a room with four strangers for an hour.

The Escape Game – Nashville, was hands-down most fun we had in Nashville. We decided to give the Classified Room a try this time around. Our group was acting as anti-terrorists trying to find clues that would lead us to terrorists (or in this case just unlocking the door to escape in the allotted 60 minutes.) We escaped with seconds to spare!

After such an intense game, our stomachs were begging to be fed and Edley’s Bar-B-Que hit the spot. I always gravitate towards pulled pork at any BBQ place, and this time it definitely did not disappoint.

Back at the hotel, we packed our things up before our heads hit the pillow. Stay tuned for our next stop in Hot Springs, Arkansas!

New Year Goals

I used to make new year resolutions, but - like most people - I found that after a few weeks I even forgot what I was resolving to do that year. If you are one of the few people on the planet that can actually stick to their new year resolutions, good for you! Pat yourself on the back for me. We had a breakthrough moment on our road trip (more on that in another post!) over Christmas break. My husband asked what my goals are for this year. Insert my mind being blown here. Goals? I've never thought about new year resolutions in the form of yearly goals. I'm not sure if the word resolution intimidates me or if the word itself implies that I'm being forced to give something up. Whatever it may be, I'm not a fan. But, goals? I like that word a heck of a lot more! Goals are achievable. Goals are not intimidating. Goals push you to be a better you.   After the initial shock that making new year goals make 10000% more sense than trying to keep new year resolutions, Khanh and I came up with four goals that we each want to accomplish during 2015. Below you can find my personal goals.  

  Goal 1: Publish at least one blog post per week. If you're a blogger, you know how hard this can actually be. This goal includes finding new organizational tools and sticking to a schedule.   Goal 2: Finish designing my blog. Blog design is very time consuming when you don't know any HTML code. I have to watch YouTube videos for almost everything I want to change. I could pay someone to work with me on designing my blog, but I feel like that's the easy way out - unless you have absolutely no free time. There is a sense of accomplishment and pride just knowing that I created my blog from scratch, even if it takes hours days!   Goal 3: Move to a different department at work. I'm lucky enough to work for a company that wants to see their employees succeed. Moving to another department will allow me to gain important skills to further my career, learn more about the company, and ultimately end up doing what I'm passionate about.   Goal 4: Find a local church. This is a goal my husband and I both share. Since Khanh and I moved across the state, we haven't found a church we can call home. Even more important to us, is finding a community within that church of young married couples. Learning about marriage, life, and God is so much easier when you have like-minded people to encourage you along the way.   What are some of your 2015 goals?