On Sunday afternoon, when we submitted our offer on the house we’re hoping to get, we did so “site unseen.” All we had to go off of were the iffy Zillow photos, and what we could observe standing across the street from the house (in case you missed it, see here). We knew the deal was good, we saw the potential in the house, and we just wanted to get in the game before another offer was accepted. It was likely the most spontaneous, life changing, decision we’d made together, but it felt right. After we submitted, the waiting game began. Late Monday evening our realtor called us and said that the selling party wanted us to come by to see the house. Which gave us a glimmer of hope…..

So, last night we had our first walk through of the house…. and while there were some very less than desirable aspects of the home (a few not so welcome smells…..) we couldn’t help but see more potential and agreed that we wanted to keep our offer on the table. Now, we wait again….. and say our prayers that what’s meant to be will be….

As TJ, Harper, and I walked through the house, I couldn’t help but get mildly excited about this potential new chapter for our lives. And as we drove home, I reflected on how far we’ve come… first as a young married couple, trying to navigate married life….. then to parenthood… possibly the most challenging of all… and now onto making big life decisions. I thought about the challenges and success along the way, and how we navigated it all. Basically without the help of family, God’s guidance, and a couple good books who knows where we would be today…..

Books? Yes…. In grad school, and my proceeding internship and job, I read a lot of books, and attended a lot of trainings on parenting, relationships, and families. And while most of those trainings and books were filled with important information, I often walked away with a few new nuggets that I could apply here and there throughout my practice. The exception? Two books that I still own, and continue to reference, to this day…. both in marriage and parenthood. And while I know that it’s not a traditional Wellness Wednesday post, I do believe that a healthy home life is a very important aspect to overall wellness. So, today I wanted to share these two invaluable books with you…..

1. The Seven Principles For Making Marriage Work– John M. Gottman, PH.D: So, Gottman is pretty much an expert when it comes to marriages. He has a “Love Lab” up in Seattle where he’s been studying couples for over 30 years. Through research conducted in the lab, they can reliably predict the future of a relationship AND make suggestions to improve the “course of a couple’s life together…..” This book is pretty much a culmination of all the lab’s findings/work put to practical use for every couple. It’s loaded with exercises and questionnaires aimed at improving any marriage, and can easily be done at home between couples…. TJ and I read this book in our premarital counseling and I highly recommend it to anyone else looking to better understand their relationship/marriage…. and not just for marriages that are struggling. This book can help to make strong marriages even stronger… or provide insight to couples looking to take that next big step….

2. The Whole Brain Child- Daniel Siegel, MD: Our friends are in the process of becoming foster parents and this was the one book I recommended they read… and the book I reference time and time again in my interactions with Harper. As a neuropsychiatrist, Siegel offers 12 important techniques/strategies that help in healthy brain development, leading to calmer, happier children. It also provides simple + practical exercises that can be implemented and taught to children. The goal of the book is to empower parents to help teach their children to lead “balanced, meaningful, and connected lives.” An easy, yet very powerful, read!

(Outfit Details- both our looks are from the Nordstrom Sale….  || Leggings | Tank | Bra | Pullover | Shoes | TJ’s Shorts | TJ’s Shirt | TJ’s Hat)