what a sin - day 7

To wrap our week of sins, we have lust. The task: list seven love secrets. Hmm ... I'm not sure how to interpret this one. How about secrets of love? With almost eight years together and nearly two and a half years of marriage behind us, Husband and I consider ourselves very lucky to be so in sync with each other. But really, we don't have any secrets to making it work. Lots of elements of our relationship come easy, but there are also lots of things that we work at to keep everything going smoothly. I'm not sure we have one thing that keeps us on track, but here are a few ideas we came up with ...

1) Be thoughtful. Sometimes this means romantic gestures, other times it's thinking of the other person before yourself. I love when Husband does or says something sweet and unexpected that reminds me how well he knows me, and I love returning the favour.

2) Appreciation where appreciation is due. Husband and I like to thank each other for the littlest things ... for taking out the garbage, for changing the baby's diaper, for making a simple meal, for turning the light out before hopping in bed. Usually, it's the little, everyday things that count the most.

3) Respect each other's time and space. Everyone needs a break now and then. If I want to spend a couple hours with girlfriends, or Husband wants to get out for a round of golf (or watch it on TV, since it's February), we give each other the freedom to do so as much as possible. If I'm busy with a project, Husband jumps in to take over with Baby J, and visa versa. We can't function as a couple if we don't take time for ourselves as individuals.

4) Be each other's No. 1 supporters. When it comes to jobs and goals and dreams, we're behind each other 100%. Even when it comes to the baby, we both have our own methods for everything from diaper changing and dressing, to soothing and cuddling. We do our best to respect and encourage each other's methods. Parenting is the ultimate teamwork, after all.

5) Admitting when he's we're wrong. I kid, I kid. We have differences of opinions all the time. It's healthy. I would hate to be with a partner who had the same thoughts as I do. When disagreements arise, we try our best to fight fair. Hear each other out, provide constructive criticism when needed, and be able to apologize and forgive.

6) Find our best time of day and enjoy it. Since Baby J arrived, Husband and I obviously have less alone time, which we're OK with; it's what we signed up for. But we take what we can get and the hour or so before we go to bed has turned into some really great quality time. Usually it consists of watching a show on the DVR or chatting about our days, followed by teeth brushing and reading or talking some more in bed. We value that time together so much these days.

7) Looking ahead. Our schedule is key to keeping our day-to-day lives running smoothly. We have a whiteboard calendar on our fridge where we write down everything that's coming up. It's the only way we can both stay organized and remember what each other is up to. By taking into account the other person's schedule, we can usually avoid squabbles about time conflicts and make the most of the time we have together when things get busy.

These are just a few things that make us tick. Have any love secrets of your own to share?

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Here's what you've missed:

Day 1 - Pride. Seven great things about yourself.

Day 2 - Envy. Seven things you lack and covet.
Day 3 - Wrath. Seven things that piss you off.
Day 4 - Sloth. Seven things you neglect to do.
Day 5 - Greed. Seven worldly material desires.
Day 6 - Gluttony. Seven guilty pleasures.
Day 7 - Lust. Seven love secrets.

Check out what Amy and Heather are posting, too!