Recently Wed: My hobbies, your hobbies, our hobbies

Kevin and I have hobbies that we share like scuba diving, camping, studying the Bible, boardgames, etc. But there are also things that Kevin is slightly more obsessed about than I am. And there are things I am obsessed about that Kevin is...less than excited about. Take Pinterest for example. I love Pinterest. I planned our wedding on it. I plan the future of our children on it. I design our home on it. Kevin doesn't know it yet, but our house will have shuttered windows with window seats, a large library, and bedrooms with lots of aged wood and white curtains. Fortunately, our decorative tastes are similar.

Kevin, on the other hand, is obsessed with genealogy. And I do mean obsessed. Ancestry.com is his favorite site in the world and aside from God, myself, family and friends, his favorite thing to spend time with his Family Tree Maker and ancestry.com. I NEVER thought I would marry a man who was into genealogy. But it has turned out to be a very respectable, and fascinating, hobby. I even indulge from time-to-time in genealogy binges where I spend hours trying to track down some missing piece of the family puzzle. However, I will never love it as much as Kevin does.

It's good for us to have hobbies together and separately (I do have more hobbies than Pinterest in case you were wondering). I appreciate the chance I get to hone my own skills in something I can call "just mine." But I also love doing things both Kevin and I love. I read a study for a class once that concluded by saying that couples who spend time doing things they both enjoy are happier than couples that spend time doing something one enjoys and not the other. The key is less compromise and more commonality. Sometimes I get jealous of Kevin's genealogy projects. Especially when they take up all the space on our kitchen table (we had slides and a scanner on our table for several months while Kevin worked on one genealogy project and we were exiled to the couch for meals).

Some of our happiest time together is spent doing something as simple as playing Skip-Bo every evening or going for walks together. As stubborn as we both are, mere compromise is not the answer. It's finding the things we love together that bind us closer.What are your hobbies? Does your significant other/spouse enjoy doing them with you? Make a list of some activities that are important to you and keep them in mind. Kevin and I spent quite a bit of time while we were dating talking about things we enjoyed doing. When we realized that almost everything that was important to one was important to the other, we thought it was about time we talk about getting married! Here is my list to get you started thinking about your hobbies:

1) Reading the Bible together. I love reading through books of the Bible with Kevin. We discuss, we debate, we dig. It's enriching and reminds us who is in control of our relationship.

2) Being outside. Kevin and I enjoy walking, camping, backpacking, snowmobiling, bike-riding, etc. Although the Michigan weather is often a deterrent for us (we are both a little wimpy about being cold and wet) we try to get outside in the sun as much as we can. The fact that we get exercise and vitamin D while enjoying these activities is an added bonus :D.

3) Games. Both Kevin and I love playing games, both board games and card games. We have developed the habit of playing Skip-Bo every evening before we go to bed. It relaxes us and provides some healthy competition :D.

4) Traveling. We love trips, especially international ones. Even when we can't afford to travel, we enjoy making plans!

5) Music. Kevin plays guitar and sings and I play the piano. Although I am not a pro at playing by ear, we have been learning to play together and have spent many a happy Friday evening playing praise songs and hymns. We also enjoy finding new music and going to concerts.