Family Table.

Todd and I have recently implemented Family Table, time on the schedule each week for us to sit down and sync up.  Every Friday after the kids are in bed, Todd grabs his laptop and I grab my planner and bullet journal, and we spend time intentionally getting on the same page.

To be honest, I knew I wanted to start something like this, but I had no idea how indispensable it would become to us in such a short time.  We missed out on it a week and a half ago because I had the flu, and even Todd commented that he was feeling the chaos that was resulting from not having intentional time to just sit down and talk about stuff.

So what do we all talk about?  Anything.  Everything.  Each week, I keep a special spot on my weekly to-do list of things I want to talk to him about.  A lot of the time it includes out-of-the-ordinary expenses I'd like to run by him before purchasing, like a humidifier for the girls' room or a yearly subscription for online piano lessons for the kids.  I also write down house projects I'd like to ask for his help with.  And a lot of the time I'm working on some kind of creative endeavor I'd like his input on - the marriage boot camp vlogs, for instance, or an online course I'm working on putting together.

We also sit down and go over our schedules for the week: who's coming over for dinner, what nights we have church meetings, when we'll need babysitters, etc.  If there's anything we would like the other person to put on their to-do list for the week, we cover that.  We also come up with the meal plan together - I find that it really helps me to have a little bit of accountability in cooking, since Todd knows what the plan is, and it helps me to know that he's on board with what I'm serving.

Last, we like to sit and pray for each of the kids individually, and we ask what we can be praying for each other through the coming week.

You guys.  This hour or two every Friday night is quickly becoming my favorite time of the week.  It's better than date night!  I always feel really connected with Todd during these times, and it's so great to have time set aside to talk face-to-face about our goals and plans.  Even when the conversation gets sticky, like it can when budgeting or something comes up, it is amazing to plan to just sit there and work it out, at a time when the kids aren't causing chaos and disrupting conversation.

It is one of the best things we've done for our marriage lately!  Do you have any habits with your spouse that help to get you on the same page?