Date night! Eric and I just got back from the movies. He told me a few days ago that he wanted to take me out on a date, but he didn’t tell me what we were going to do. So, for several days I didn’t know where we were going, but I knew that we were going to do something fun and I looked forward to it all week. We got pizza and went to one of my favorite movies now playing in 3D. It was nothing outrageous, but it made my week! Eric has a tendency to focus on the future with reckless abandon. He loves to dream, plan, and work towards goals. Sometimes he becomes so focused on what’s to come … [Read more...]

Dating can be fun when you are single and carefree – or just single. It is a special time to get to know someone and enjoy some relaxing time (although most of us have at least one story of a date that was not so relaxing). After marriage, dating is more important than before marriage. How that is possible? After all, wouldn't dating be more important when you are trying to get to know if someone is right for you to marry? It is important to get to know someone deeply and study his or her character, responses to situations, and personality before determining if you and he/she are a good … [Read more...]

My husband is off work this week and we are on our way to a mini vacation (coincidentally, it is also our one-year anniversary of our PreEngaged blog - so, thank you for reading and sharing us with others!). I am so excited. It is nothing extravagant, but it will be a change of pace and we will have time to hang out with no stress and few responsibilities. We have not gone on too many trips since we were wed – and when we have gone somewhere, it has usually involved family or professional training of some kind. So, what changed - how are we getting away now? A few weeks ago, Eric popped up … [Read more...]

Do you find getting to know others challenging? Sometimes it is hard to know how to show who you are to someone else. Maybe you are still trying to find yourself and you feel overwhelmed by the daunting task of letting someone see the real you. We've all heard the phrase, "just be yourself." Many times I have thought, "Who am I? I would love to be myself... if I could figure out what that means." Today, while looking at some of my old things, memories began to flood back to me and I thought, "What a great way to remember where I came from and a great way to show who I am to someone … [Read more...]

We all have various cultures. We have the culture based on our nationality, culture based on our demographics, and the family culture in which we were raised. The family culture I personally experienced growing up was different than the family culture of my next door neighbor... even though we played in the same yard, went to the same school, and shared the same friends. Behind the doors of each home, there is a culture, and these unique cultures shape us. As we grow older and are exposed to more life experiences, we are influenced by new cultures. We meet new people from different places and … [Read more...]