By Ashley McIlwain Husbands are interesting creatures. They are so different from us women in too many ways to count, and while that can be incredibly frustrating, it’s also a wonderful blessing. They can make our day, and they can turn our world upside down. They can make us feel like we’re the most loved
By Ashley McIlwain Inevitably, as a couple, you will make many big decisions during the course of your relationship. From whether to get married, what kind of wedding you’ll have, kids or no kids, how many kids, where to live, when to buy a house, what kind of house to buy, how to handle finances,
By Ricinda Perry We have all been there … challenges with our in-laws. While reading this article, keep in mind that when you married your spouse, his or her family became your family. When we were dating, we liked to show the good side of our family and the good side of our spouse to
By Ashley McIlwain Growing up, birthdays were always a pretty big deal in my home. If you were the birthday girl, it was all about you that day. As a kid that meant simple yet special privileges like getting to answer the phone the entire day, being the one to get the mail, and no
By Dr. Jeff Klick God made me male, and I am very glad about it. Is that shocking? Can we men still say that in our day? Oh well, I did say it, or at least wrote it. God made me a man, and I am very thankful. In our current environment, to say such
By Ashley McIlwain At every corner there lurks danger. The potential for problems and conflict seem to pepper the future of our marriage like a field of landmines. One misstep and everything blows up in front of us. It can seem that there’s no winning at times when it comes to our marriage. This may
By Steve McIlwain Hubs here. The car was full. Our bags were packed. 3,000 miles of road lay ahead of us. Ash and I had just made one of the biggest decisions of our lives, and the future stretched out to the horizon. Since we first got married, Ash and I had discussed where we
By Erin Hensche Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Well, at least that’s what the old adage says. But is there any validity to that statement? If you had asked me that question at the beginning of mine or my husband’s aviation career, the answer would have been a resounding no. After a few years
By Ashley McIlwain As human beings we gravitate toward routine. Toward comfort. We like to be in control, and we like to have things figured out. Most of us avoid change like the plague and find safety within the boundaries of regular and familiar. It’s not that this is a bad thing. Routine creates efficiency.
By Ashley McIlwain When I look around me, I realize how blessed I am with inspirational, successful marriages. My parents just celebrated their 37th anniversary. My sister and her husband their 11th. My husband, Steve’s, parents just celebrated 42 years. Just last month our board members, Greg and Rosemary, hit the 40 year mark. Steve’s
