The Official site of Gary Smalley, Michael and Amy Smalley, and Greg and Erin Smalley! » extended family http://smalley.cc Expert advice on dating, marriage, and parenting from a name you trust - Smalley! Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:58:51 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 12 ways to keep your love alive http://smalley.cc/12-ways-to-keep-your-love-alive http://smalley.cc/12-ways-to-keep-your-love-alive#comments Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:41:27 +0000 Gary Smalley http://getahappyhome.com/?p=3673
  • Praise is such a great gift, and it’s so easy to give. So look at the things that make your spouse and others unique and develop the habit of praising them for those special things.
  • Every painful trial is like an oyster, and there is a precious pearl—a personal benefit—in every one; every single one.
  • Don’t go it alone. Welcome fresh insights of other perspectives—from extended family, friends, good marriage books, or a qualified marriage counselor.
  • In a mutually satisfying relationship, both people’s needs are expressed, and they have the flexibility to give and take.
  • Honor goes hand in glove with love, a verb whose very definition is doing worthwhile things for someone who is valuable to us.
  • All our trials, great and small, can bring more of the two best things in life: love for life and love for others.
  • Oneness does not mean that one mate dominates the other or that the stronger controls the weaker.
  • Anger is our choice. We can choose to see its powerful potential for destruction and take steps to reduce it within us. Otherwise, it’s and iceberg sinking our love.
  • Better understanding of the motivations and actions that grow out of our basic personalities can help us achieve personal and marital satisfaction.
  • Sharing deep feelings with each other is emotional intercourse, and it’s vital to sexual satisfaction.
  • As we reach out to another, our own needs for fulfillment and love are met.
  • Give seven or more praises for every one fault-finding suggestion.
    • ]]>     http://smalley.cc/12-ways-to-keep-your-love-alive/feed 0     Family reunions for adopted kids http://smalley.cc/family-reunions-for-adopted-kids http://smalley.cc/family-reunions-for-adopted-kids#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:27:51 +0000 Michael Smalley http://www.gosmalley.com/theblog/?p=829 My sister is currently in Ethiopia picking up my latest family member, Zoie.  She is a beautiful baby and I can not wait to meet her! I stumbled across this helpful article in families.com that might be of some help to those of you who have also adopted children in to your homes:

    Many adoptees report feeling part of their immediate families, but never quite feeling like “part of the gang” at extended family gatherings. Especially when these reunions are of people who live far from each other and don’t know each other that well, much of the talk may center on who looks like who, on memories of someone your child never met, on family history and ethnic traditions which your child may be conscious of not being a part of. Even if your child is used to looking different from you and your spouse, being the only brown child in a sea of twenty blond cousins drives the difference home…read more here.

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