Charleston

Anthony and I recently attended a marriage enrichment weekend in Charleston, SC put on by the Christian Medical Dental Association.  First let me say I highly recommend Charleston.  So full of history.  So quaint.  And the food?  Delicious and romantic.  There is no building over 2 stories high and some date as far back as the late 1700's.  In our time outside the conference we took a walking tour, ate fabulous food, and perused the local art galleries. 

Circular Congretional Church

One of many beautiful residential gardens

Sweet potato pancakes at Joseph's Restaurant

For all those dentists reading the blog.

Gravestone dating back to the 1700's.  Visiting historic cemetaries is a favorite for us. 

But the purpose of our trip was to focus on one another, our marriage, and God's plans for our family.  We started a family mission statement (it's a work in progress), took a personality profile, and came away with some very practical ways to keep our priorities straight.  I'll share a few that we are currently using because maybe you can use them too:  1.  Designate 2, 30 or 60 minute sessions a week to discuss problems or issues in your marriage (we are currently doing only 1, 60 minute)  2.  Set aside time each day to pray and read scripture together (We do 5 minutes in the evening) 3.  Set aside a weekly date night (We are trying to do 2 dates/month at home after the kids go down and 2 dates out).  We are using a timer to help us stay within the allotted time frame since time is so precious.  These are simple goals but they are really helping us use our time wisely and purposefully.  And since I turned out to be a beaver (secondary otter) in the personality profile, I love the timer and setting goals.  Tony was a lion - all the way - no other animal came close.  I'm curious, what are you?  If you have time, fill out this quick checklist and let me know.  I've probably already analyzed you (I'm nosy like that) but would love to know for sure....