Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉
She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early on Saturday March 11 at 1:52 in the morning. 

Josh and I just had a feeling about that day (Friday), so we kept the kids out of school, went out to breakfast, and just spent our last day together as a family of four. 

My contractions started right after my 38 week appointment that morning and progressed throughout the day until around 4pm when I thought, "Mmk, I'm starting to really need to breathe through these. Better go in."

I was so convinced they were going to turn us away that it really didn't hit me that we were actually going to meet our girl that night until we'd been there for a few hours already. 

Baby girl ended up being 7lbs 15oz and 20in long!

We are all so in love. David and Evy are OBSESSED. A few times their friends have come to the door to ask them to play and they've said they'd rather stay home with the baby 😄

We are so blessed and thankful for this little girl ❤️
How to use a French hair pin. I love these things How to use a French hair pin. I love these things because they can hold up even my thick and chunky hair and I don't have a large clip sticking off the back of my head (don't get me wrong, I love a good hair clip, too)! Have you tried one yet??
This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m s This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m so grateful for it.

On the one hand, there’s so much to do to get ready for little one to join us—it’s been a while since we’ve had a newborn! I’m spending most of my free time writing and nesting, nesting and writing. 

And then on the other hand, I’m feeling pretty ready to have my body back. And by that, I mean just to be done literally sharing it with another being. You start to miss things after a while like being able to breathe when you lay on your back or not getting indigestion for eating a few grapes. 

Overall, there’s so much to be thankful for. Each little inconvenience is a blessing and I’m happy they’re there. I’ll also be happy when they’re over. For now, I’m just savoring being a mom of “older kids” (8 and going on 6) that can grab their own snacks from time to time and put on their own shoes. We’re going to be heading back to square one in a couple months and I’m sure there’s a lot we’ve forgotten!
Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill it and fix it. On top of this, it’s hard for us to ask for help because we don’t want to be a burden to others. 

But in the process of meeting everyone else’s needs and neglecting our own (especially our need for rest), we often become bitter towards the ones we’re helping.

Instead, one of the best things we can do as a wife or mother is to assess our own needs and make sure to leave space to meet them ourself or to ask for what we need. 

It might be time to rest, help with the next meal, time alone to pray and meditate on God’s word, or allowing yourself to leave a task un-done so you can “selfishly” enjoy a hobby of yours like the rest of your family gets to do. 

In the end, making room to find joy each day may be one of the best things you do for your relationships.
30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet yo 30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet you. We *think* we've finally settled on a first name after non-stop back-and-forth and brainstorming. Any guesses?? Or.. what are your favorite baby girl names right now??
Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be s Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be super intentional with the time we spend with David and Evy recently, knowing that big changes are just around the corner! We pray with them, ask them what questions they have, take the time to explain things. I'm hoping they'll be set up pretty well for the transition of little sis coming in March but most of the work will happen after she gets here! How did you help littles prepare for baby?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️ Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️
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Marriage, Relationships · April 22, 2017

3 Ways My Wife Encourages Me

 

"During our short, going-on-three-years marriage, I’ve realized that I’m blessed with a woman who encourages me well. I want to tell you about her—about how her consistent encouragement makes our marriage better."

I’m a novice when it comes to marriage or relationship advice. I hardly have any experience. So, I’m not going to give you any advice. Sure, I could tell you about a few things I’ve learned since Holly and I married in 2014, but I am primarily looking for advice, not giving it.

Holly and I like to spend time with older couples at our church who’ve been married 20, 30, or even 40 years. Those people can give advice. When you talk to those folks they’ve usually experienced each situation that we have a question about. So when Chelsea asked me about a guest post, my first thought was “what can I say with such limited experience? I’m a rookie.”

As I thought about my relationship with Holly, I kept coming back to times when I realized how thankful I am for her. In place of advice, I want to offer a part of our story from my point of view. During our short, going-on-three-years marriage, I’ve realized that I’m blessed with a woman who encourages me well. I want to tell you about her—about how her consistent encouragement makes our marriage better.

I’m aware of three things that my wife does well. She does more than these three I can assure you, but I feel the impact of these three more than others: she prays for me, she says, “I love you” every day, and she’s my biggest fan.

She Prays for Me

The most important thing my wife does is to pray for me. I know she does this not only because she tells me she prays for me, but because she stops me in my tracks and prays for me when she sees I need it.

I can get like those characters in a Snickers commercial when things are not going the way I want them. I recently had a frustrating week with a lot of tasks to finish and not enough time to finish them. You know how it goes. Those weeks wear me down. I end up giving in and getting irritable about unrelated things. Holly takes the brunt of those little frustration outbursts even though she plays no part in creating my problems.

One morning during that week, Holly saw I was in a mood, as every little thing seemed to irritate me that morning. “Should’ve packed that last night, I don’t have time to get that together this morn—.” She put her hand on my hand—in mid-complaint—while I was about to dip my spoon into my cereal and said she wanted to pray for me. I knew she was right, so I let her.

The frustration I harbored against my week melted away as I listened to my wife’s voice pray over me. I was embarrassed that I let those circumstances get the best of me. I’m thankful she had the courage to offer a simple prayer for her husband.

She Says, “I love you”

Another simple thing my wife does is tell me she loves me every day. I used to think saying, “I love you” was best saved for meaningful moments, or that actions showing love were more important than just saying the words. Growing up, I was conditioned by society to think that actions spoke louder than words, and that words didn’t have the same power compared to what a person did.

When I was single, I viewed young married couples saying, “I love you” as silly. The cynical side of me thought that repeating a phrase so often diluted its meaning. Who says I love you before running to the grocery store when a simple “bye” will suffice?

As a man, I rarely felt the need to state something that I thought was obvious. I assumed my wife knew that I loved her because we’re married and I showed affection for her, etc.

Marriage gave me a new perspective on the power of words and the phrase: “I love you.” Believing that words are less powerful than actions is not true of life; words affect us. Holly uses those words to remind me of her support for me. Whether it is leaving for work in the morning or right before we hang up a phone call, she professes her commitment to our marriage and me by saying, “I love you” whenever she can.  

Yes, my wife knows I love her, and I know she loves me. But reminding each other of this truth keeps us in continual contact with each other. Now, I make it a point to initiate this communication because I see how saying “I love you” fills Holly with the encouragement she needs each day. Her consistent encouragement with her words changed our relationship.

She’s My Biggest Fan

Whether it is in my job or a side project, Holly throws her support behind me no matter the challenges I face—we face. The real world can be a tough place. Jobs require effort and time, and those commitments can tax a marriage relationship.

At times in our marriage, we’ve had a lot on our plate—maybe you’ve been there. I’ve taken on extra work as we try to save money for our family goals, finding myself away from home longer than I like. Sometimes extra work involves quietly working on a side projects after work when we are at home together. I know those times aren’t easy for Holly.

I’m thankful that she supports me in those busier times; I’m thankful for her patience with me. It’s easy for me to get discouraged and lose sight of the bigger picture in those moments. Holly’s little reminders like, “it takes time,” “we’re doing the right thing,” or “we knew it wouldn’t be easy,” are timely words for me when I’m fatigued.

When those busy times pay off, Holly is the first to pour on the praise. She enjoys keeping our friends and family updated with our successes and accolades—even if it’s stuff that’s not a big deal. Like when she got ahold of pictures of me from work and sent them to all of the family with the message: “Isn’t he so handsome.”    

My wife’s prayers, loving words, and support are a sweet encouragement for me to reflect on in our third year of marriage. Her daily commitment to perform these simple tasks has slowly taught me that I can encourage her better by repeating her steps. The truth is Holly and I both married an imperfect person, so I don’t think we’ll ever grow out of needing reminders and a little support from one another.

"During our short, going-on-three-years marriage, I’ve realized that I’m blessed with a woman who encourages me well. I want to tell you about her—about how her consistent encouragement makes our marriage better."

"During our short, going-on-three-years marriage, I’ve realized that I’m blessed with a woman who encourages me well. I want to tell you about her—about how her consistent encouragement makes our marriage better."

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Adam Dupere
Adam Dupere
Adam Dupere is a high school teacher in Lynchburg, Virginia. He married Holly in 2014. When he's not teaching the future leaders of tomorrow, he's reading or practicing his Spanish by watching soccer games en español. You can find his latest ramblings and musings on twitter @doop_air.
Adam Dupere
Latest posts by Adam Dupere (see all)
  • 3 Ways My Wife Encourages Me - April 22, 2017

In: Marriage, Relationships · Tagged: advice, Christian, compare, encourage, encouraging, engaged, family, fan, husband, love, man, marriage, married, men, pray, Relationships, Respect, wife

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Comments

  1. Ayanna @ 21FlavorsofSplendor says

    May 1, 2017 at 10:27 am

    Love this! Congrats on 3 years of marriage. All of these tips are so on point. After being married for 10 years, making sure I am my husband’s biggest cheerleader and supporter is so important.

    • Adam Dupere says

      May 12, 2017 at 8:50 pm

      Thank you. It’s really encouraging to hear that other couples have similar experiences. Sometimes it’s hard to keep it all in perspective.

  2. Jerry Stumpf says

    May 3, 2017 at 6:39 pm

    Adam,

    You are very wise to seek counsel from couples married a long time.

    It is good for you to give praise to your bride about these three items.

    Hopefully your marriage always reflects Romans 15:5 -6 (not about marriage but a great outline to live by!)

    4-27-17 we celebrated 43 years together!

    • Adam Dupere says

      May 12, 2017 at 9:02 pm

      Congratulations on 43 years of marriage! That is a great legacy to share with others. Both my wife and I have learned a lot from more experienced couples just like you and your wife. We’ve been fortunate to have good examples to learn from in our family and church. Thanks for the comment.

  3. Thomas Pate says

    May 28, 2017 at 1:02 am

    OK…wow! Adam thank you for sharing! Had me in tears with the first thing talking about praying for you. I had this movie going on in my head, as I tend to get the same way. How powerful a thing is a spouse who has the awareness to do such a thing to head off her husband from spiraling down, down, down.
    Thank you Chelsea for inviting Adam to write this post! Would love to interview you and your husband on my podcast, Relationship Fitness Podcast, to help spread your message and wisdom. 🙂

  4. Fiona says

    January 4, 2022 at 9:58 am

    So men do read, write and comment on this blog. I’d love to see a post aimed at how husband’s can encourage their wives. I get so discouaged by the amount of advice for women about how to make their husbands happy, but next to none for husbands. I also get tired of being told that marriage advice blogs are almost never read by men when this article has proven otherwise.

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Hi! I'm Chelsea and we're the Damon's. We spent the last two years in WA state paying off student loans and just bought our first house in SC! I love a smooth black coffee, Josh's first love is the Seattle Sounders. Our kids are huge dorks and constantly make us laugh and we all love spending as much time outside as possible.

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Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉
She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early on Saturday March 11 at 1:52 in the morning. 

Josh and I just had a feeling about that day (Friday), so we kept the kids out of school, went out to breakfast, and just spent our last day together as a family of four. 

My contractions started right after my 38 week appointment that morning and progressed throughout the day until around 4pm when I thought, "Mmk, I'm starting to really need to breathe through these. Better go in."

I was so convinced they were going to turn us away that it really didn't hit me that we were actually going to meet our girl that night until we'd been there for a few hours already. 

Baby girl ended up being 7lbs 15oz and 20in long!

We are all so in love. David and Evy are OBSESSED. A few times their friends have come to the door to ask them to play and they've said they'd rather stay home with the baby 😄

We are so blessed and thankful for this little girl ❤️
How to use a French hair pin. I love these things How to use a French hair pin. I love these things because they can hold up even my thick and chunky hair and I don't have a large clip sticking off the back of my head (don't get me wrong, I love a good hair clip, too)! Have you tried one yet??

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  • So I know the title of this post says, “What men want most in a wife,” but to be more realistic, this is about what men need most in a wife. Like men, there are a lot of things that we (women) would really like in a husband. Like, it’d be a huge plus if he looked like Chris Hemsworth. But that’s not really what we need in order to have a positive relationship with our spouse. If we married him, we probably think he’s pretty cute, anyway. Take a look at these 5 things a man really needs in a wife, and if you can think of anything else, share your thoughts in the comments below! 5 Things men want most in a wife
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Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉
She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early on Saturday March 11 at 1:52 in the morning. 

Josh and I just had a feeling about that day (Friday), so we kept the kids out of school, went out to breakfast, and just spent our last day together as a family of four. 

My contractions started right after my 38 week appointment that morning and progressed throughout the day until around 4pm when I thought, "Mmk, I'm starting to really need to breathe through these. Better go in."

I was so convinced they were going to turn us away that it really didn't hit me that we were actually going to meet our girl that night until we'd been there for a few hours already. 

Baby girl ended up being 7lbs 15oz and 20in long!

We are all so in love. David and Evy are OBSESSED. A few times their friends have come to the door to ask them to play and they've said they'd rather stay home with the baby 😄

We are so blessed and thankful for this little girl ❤️
How to use a French hair pin. I love these things How to use a French hair pin. I love these things because they can hold up even my thick and chunky hair and I don't have a large clip sticking off the back of my head (don't get me wrong, I love a good hair clip, too)! Have you tried one yet??
This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m s This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m so grateful for it.

On the one hand, there’s so much to do to get ready for little one to join us—it’s been a while since we’ve had a newborn! I’m spending most of my free time writing and nesting, nesting and writing. 

And then on the other hand, I’m feeling pretty ready to have my body back. And by that, I mean just to be done literally sharing it with another being. You start to miss things after a while like being able to breathe when you lay on your back or not getting indigestion for eating a few grapes. 

Overall, there’s so much to be thankful for. Each little inconvenience is a blessing and I’m happy they’re there. I’ll also be happy when they’re over. For now, I’m just savoring being a mom of “older kids” (8 and going on 6) that can grab their own snacks from time to time and put on their own shoes. We’re going to be heading back to square one in a couple months and I’m sure there’s a lot we’ve forgotten!
Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill it and fix it. On top of this, it’s hard for us to ask for help because we don’t want to be a burden to others. 

But in the process of meeting everyone else’s needs and neglecting our own (especially our need for rest), we often become bitter towards the ones we’re helping.

Instead, one of the best things we can do as a wife or mother is to assess our own needs and make sure to leave space to meet them ourself or to ask for what we need. 

It might be time to rest, help with the next meal, time alone to pray and meditate on God’s word, or allowing yourself to leave a task un-done so you can “selfishly” enjoy a hobby of yours like the rest of your family gets to do. 

In the end, making room to find joy each day may be one of the best things you do for your relationships.
30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet yo 30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet you. We *think* we've finally settled on a first name after non-stop back-and-forth and brainstorming. Any guesses?? Or.. what are your favorite baby girl names right now??
Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be s Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be super intentional with the time we spend with David and Evy recently, knowing that big changes are just around the corner! We pray with them, ask them what questions they have, take the time to explain things. I'm hoping they'll be set up pretty well for the transition of little sis coming in March but most of the work will happen after she gets here! How did you help littles prepare for baby?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️ Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️
The 12+ hour drive is worth it 😊 The 12+ hour drive is worth it 😊

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