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Flanders Family Freebies

FF #89: 💕 How to Fuel a Love that will Go the Distance

Published over 1 year ago • 2 min read

Welcome to the 89th issue of Flanders Family Freebies, a weekly themed link list of resources designed by me, Jennifer Flanders, in hopes of helping you build a strong, happy, healthy home. Thank you for giving me a place in your inbox! Was this newsletter forwarded to you by a friend? Want your own? Subscribe here.

Tyler, Texas
Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Hello, Friend.

Monday, my husband and I celebrated 35 blissful years of marriage. All those many years ago, Doug hired a limo for our getaway car. Since the limousine company had a strict "no shoe polish policy," we rode incognito from church to hotel after the wedding ceremony and reception.

And I've been trying to make up for that fact ever since by decorating his car every year on August 15. Sometimes the children help me. Sometimes I work alone. By now it's become our anniversary tradition.

We're grateful for our 35 years together and looking forward to many more. So, in the interest of building a love that lasts (and because August is "Romance Awareness Month"), I present to you this week's marriage-themed link list, with a prayer that these resources will help you fuel a love that will go the distance.

Free resources for you this week:

What we're reading this week:

Doug has been reading the last Penderwick book in the series aloud to the family in the evenings: The Penderwicks at Last. In this story, the oldest sister is getting married, but the wedding plans (thus far) are not going as smoothly as hoped. We've grown to love the Penderwick family and are going to be a little sad to see this (final) story end.

What we're eating this week:

We've been enjoying the nearly 3 weeks of freezer meals the kids and grandkids helped me put together over the weekend.

What we're watching this week:

We watched another movie my adult daughter recommended this week: Thirteen Lives. Like the one she recommended last week, this film tells the true-life story of everyday heroes who risk their own lives to save someone else's. In this case, world class divers team up in an attempt to rescue 12 young Thai boys and their soccer coach who got trapped deep inside an underground cavern after monsoon rains arrived early and flooded miles' worth of passages in the cave they were exploring.

Progress on last week's goals:

We were able to mark almost all our stated goals off last week's list. With lots of help from my kids, I ✅ assembled not 10 but 20 freezer meals, ✅ finished my Timberdoodle review, ✅ celebrated an anniversary and a birthday, and ✅ attended a swing dance. The only thing I didn't finish was printing out our lesson plans, so that one's getting turfed to this week.

Personal goals for this week:

  • finish lesson plans
  • empty another 2 boxes in garage
  • design a new cookie sleeve for DoubleTree's doodle contest
  • start back to our homeschool co-op

A new poll for you:

I enjoyed reading all the back-to-school traditions last week: Special breakfasts. New clothing. Fresh school supplies. First day photos. Lots of fun, all around!

This week's question: What's the best marriage advice you ever received. What lessons about marriage do you want to make sure you teach your kids?

Flanders Family Freebies

A happily married mama of 12, I am passionate about faith & family and love sharing ideas, fun resources, and free printables to help you build a strong, healthy, happy home.

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