Ever look at the covers of those magazines in the check-out line?  They are full of stories of celebrities caught cheating and articles about who’s getting divorced.   Turn on the television; you will find shows featuring unhappy husbands, wives who make snippy comments about their spouses, and marriages falling apart.

Everywhere you look, marriage is portrayed in a negative light.

And that’s why it’s so important that there is someone out there willing to stand up not only for marriage, but the fact that happy marriages can and DO exist!

I first met Fawn Weaver in an online community we were both members of.  Her positive outlook on marriage was a refreshing change to the negatives you so often hear.

Fawn had become so tired of hearing all the negatives about marriage, when she knew it was possible to have a happy marriage, that she started a club — The Happy Wives Club.  That club has grown to over 100,000 women in over 100 countries!

But Fawn didn’t stop there.  She went on a global search to find the secrets to a happy marriage.  Fawn traveled all over the world, interviewing those who had been happily married for 25 years or more, and then she wrote a book to share what she learned.

Happy Wives Club: One Woman’s Worldwide Search for the Secrets of a Great Marriage is unlike any other marriage book out there.  For one thing, it is not the same old boring, dry “you should do this” type of marriage book.  When you read it it’s almost as if you are there with Fawn, traveling the cities she visited.  She uses vivid imagery to describe the cities, and the food (oh, the delicious food!), mixed with the fascinating interviews of each happily married woman.

I found myself eager to visit the next country, the next city, with Fawn as I read through the chapters.  And as I read, I took away something unique from each and every interview.

Want to check it out for yourself?  The book is now available in stores and on Amazon.  What a perfect bridal shower or wedding gift for a friend or family member!

I was honored to receive an advanced reader’s copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.   I received no other compensation.  All opinions are 100% my own. 

The post Happy Wives Club Book Review first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

This post is part of the Happy Wives Club Blog Tour.  Want to learn more?  CLICK HERE!

I am far from the perfect wife.

There are (many) times when my husband comes home that I have no idea what I will be making for dinner that night.

I don’t greet him at the door with a smile every day.

I keep things inside far too often and then pick a fight over something stupid and trivial.

And, if you’ve read my twist on keeping romance alive, you know my nightwear is less than 5 stars.

Yes, I am certainly not the perfect wife, but I DO love my husband.

And, even with all my faults, I know that he loves me.

From the time when we just started dating in college and he helped me study for exams, to the moment I decided I wanted to become a stay at home mom, to starting this blog, he has supported me.

In those darkest moments, when all you can do is wait and pray, he has held my hands and prayed with me.

He has made me laugh when I didn’t think it was possible.

For these reasons, and too many more to write, I will always love my husband.   And, although I may not be the perfect wife, I look forward to working towards being a better wife in 2014, and for many years to come.

I am excited to join Fawn Weaver, the founder of the Happy Wives Club, in the Happy Wives Club Blog Tour, promoting her new book, where she shares the best marriage secrets the world has to offer.   Travel the globe with Fawn and discover the secrets for yourself! You can get a copy of the book here, or through Amazon.

The post Happy Wives Club Blog Tour — Not the Perfect Wife first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

If you’ve been a regular reader here, you know that until recently I always had a Thankful Thursday post.  While I still share what I’m thankful for each week on the Facebook Page, I’ve decided not to stress about a weekly commitment here on the blog.

But this week, Mama Kat’s prompt to write about something you’re thankful for came at just the perfect time.

I’ve been dealing with sick kids.  The house is a mess.  (When is it not???)  No one seems to want to eat what I cook for dinner.  I’ve got a list of things I want/need done a mile long.

Everyone’s been tired, cranky.  I yelled at the four-year-old.  I mean really yelled.

It’s been a week of not feeling good enough, just trying to make it to the next day.  I’m struggling.

Tuesday was a low point.  And I went to bed dreading having to get up and do it all again the next day.  Having to face my parents when they came up as planned the next day.

And then, as I forced a smile on my face, and pretended everything was okay while they visited, my husband walked through the door.

In the middle of the day.

Totally unannounced.

My first thoughts?  Is he sick too?  Did something happen at work?

I jumped straight to the negative.  That’s where my mind has been focused lately.

I never thought that he’d just come home to surprise me, because he knew I’d had a rough couple days.

What am I thankful for?  My husband.

Sometimes I lock my feelings away, make the mistake of not opening up to him, not telling him what’s on my mind.  I make the mistake of thinking I’m alone in this.

And then he does something like this.

And I know he is there if I just reach out.

The post Thankful Thursday 11/21 first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

10 years ago I spent the morning getting my hair pinned and sprayed like never before, sipping a frozen coffee drink, and painting my toenails blue.

10 years ago I slipped into my mother’s wedding gown, stepped into new white heeled sandals, and put in my grandmother’s pearl earrings.

10 years ago I walked down the aisle on my father’s arm and saw tears in his eyes.

10 years ago I stood before my family, my friends, and God and vowed I would love you “in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”

10 years ago we started on this journey.  There have been good times and bad, sickness and health, and 2 beautiful children added to our lives. 

Thank you for those 10 years.  There is no one I would rather spend my life with.

Happy anniversary!

The post 10 Years Ago… first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Happy Thankful Thursday and Valentine’s Day…

It sounds like the perfect time for a letter to my husband.  (Mama Kat thought so, too.  It’s one of this week’s prompts!)

Dear Valentine,

There are people all over celebrating their love for one another today.  But I find myself wondering what happens those other 364 days of the year?  Why is it more important to show your love for someone on the 14th of February than  it is, say, on the 12th of April?

Today I want to thank you, not for showing me how much you love me by buying me a card or giving me a box of chocolates on some special day, but for how you show me all those other days of the year.

Thank you for asking if you can bring home dinner on those days where you can tell I’m frazzled when you talk to me on the phone.

Thank you for watching the kids each Tuesday night so I can go to yoga at the library.

Thank you for running into the grocery store after work to pick up bread, or milk, or whatever other items we may need.

Thank you for taking care of the “presents” the cat brings us.

Thank you for rubbing my shoulders, without my even asking, when I mention how sore they are.

Thank you for noticing when I actually bother to put on lipstick.

Thank you for sitting down and helping me fold laundry when I have 3 baskets over-flowing and you see me starting to fold it.

Thank you for always knowing when my favorite author has a new book coming out, and then for getting it for me right away — usually before I even know it’s out.

Thank you for holding my hand and praying with me in those hard times.

Thank you for feeding the dog and the cat each morning before you leave for work so they don’t drive me crazy when I get up.

Thank you for washing my car whenever you wash your truck.

Thank you for making extra shelves for the pantry the same day I mentioned I’d like some.

Thank you for washing the dog in the basement on those days where it’s too cold to wash her outside and she really needs a bath.

Thank you for helping to clean the carpet for all the variety of reasons the carpet may need cleaned when you have 2 small kids and a dog living with you.

Thank you for making chocolate chip pancakes on the weekends while you let me stay in bed just a little longer.

Thank you for bringing wood up from the barn for the fireplace so I wouldn’t have to hike out there when it was cold.

Thank you for understanding when I cried because our youngest didn’t want rocked to sleep anymore.

Sweetheart, every day you do things that let me know you love me; I could keep listing all those ways, but my lst would have to be endless.

I want you to know that those daily actions mean more to me than the flowers and chocolates that so many women will be receiving today.

I am forever grateful for the day we met and the time we have had together.  I hope we have many, many more years to show each other our love.

Love,

Me

Okay, so now it’s your turn!

Leave a comment telling me what you are thankful for this week.

Have your own Thankful Thursday post this week?  Link it up with us!  As a Valentine’s gift to my readers this week, I’m sharing all the Thankful posts that link up with a link back to There’s Just One Mommy on my Facebook page!

Also linked up with:  Black Tag Diaries, The Fontenot Four

The post Thankful Thursday — Dear Valentine first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Trust.

As babies it is easy to trust.  We learn to vocalize our needs and we trust that they will be met.  That trust continues as children.

But at some point, at some point our ability to trust changes.

Someone hurts us.

We learn to be careful with who we put our trust in.

And the kicker?

While the time it takes to trust someone may be long, that trust can be torn down in moments.

And once that trust is broken?

It takes even longer to build it back.

And just when you think you trust that person again, there are times when you will find yourself doubting.

And prayer is all that keeps you going.

The post Trust first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.