Passport 2 Love Fall 2016 Series!

We are excited to announce the Fall Passport 2 Love series are ready for registration!  This will be the final series of 2016, so sign up now before the craziness of the holidays begins.   We are also very excited to be hosting Passport 2 Love in Spanish, as well as the first South County Passport 2 Love series.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/passport-2-love-group-a-david-and-angie-jackman-tickets-28169283084

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/passport-2-love-dave-and-chelsey-richards-southern-utah-county-tickets-28203091205

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pasaporte-al-amor-grupo-c-utah-county-con-adrian-y-rita-parry-tickets-28210844395

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/passport-2-love-group-b-courtney-and-robby-parker-tickets-28170974142

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/passport-2-love-group-d-with-robert-and-tresia-lindsay-tickets-28242722744

Is your heart broken that you missed out on Passport 2 Love?

We have just the medicine for you!  Passport 2 Love Series 2 has just opened for registration! We are excited to have you join us.  The date nights consist of activities such as making pizzas, bowling, and a museum treasure hunt. The activities are directed by facilitators that are trained and certified in **PREP curricula, a relationship enhancement program (click on the link below for more information). The facilitators will invite the couples to learn new skills and techniques that will help them to reconnect, recommit and respond to conflict effectively. 
If you have graduated from one of our previous Passport 2 Love events and would like to join us again, feel free to come and invite your friends.  This course is appropriate for any couple at any stage of your relationship.  Have you been married six months?  Passport 2 Love is for you.  Have you been married 60 years?  Passport 2 Love is for you.   Follow one of the links below.  

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/passport-2-love-group-a-series-2-tickets-21751381969

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/passport-2-love-group-b-series-2-tickets-2175185538

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/passport-2-love-group-c-series-2-tickets-21752129204

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/passport-2-love-group-d-series-2-tickets-21838265841

**For information about PREP
PREP (Prevention Relationship Enhancement Program) https://www.prepinc.com/content/about-us/what-is-prep.htm

Why should you attend Passport 2 Love

My name is Teresa Kilcrease.  I have been married to my sweetheart, Mark  for nearly 21 years.  We have been involved in Passport 2 Love for a year and a half and I volunteer as the  Social Media Consultant for Passport  2 Love. This is my personal journey...

Marriage Education and PREP was not something that I had ever heard of when I got married.   My sweetheart and I married 21 years ago with stars in our eyes and dreams of happily ever after. Everyone knows *how* to be married, right? Isn't that the idea, you just fall in love and live your very own personal fairy tale?  While there were plenty of moments of  fairy tale, there were some pretty difficult moments too.  By our second anniversary we had added two amazing wonderful children into our family. Just 4 short years into our marriage, we buried our stillborn son.  We struggled through job loss and unemployment, We struggled through in-law issues and health issues.  By year 11, we now had 5 children and the fairy tale moments seemed fewer and further in between.  We hit a point in our marriage that was bad!  When I say "bad," I mean the kind of bad where people get divorced.  Hindsight has given me a much clearer idea of what went wrong, but at the time I felt completely blindsided.  The rug had been pulled out from under me, and I didn't know where to turn.  One night, I made up my mind.  I was leaving.  It was over.  The only thing that stopped me was that I was too pregnant (with our 7th and final child.) and too tired to do it.  At this point we had been struggling to "make it work" for two years.  I can't even begin to tell you what happened in those long and dark hours that night.  Something happened that changed our minds and hearts.  Softened them.  Before the sun set again, we had determined to give our marriage one last shot.  Somehow, through sheer stubbornness and the grace of God, we made it through.  We relocated, made changes and muddled through.

A year and a half ago, just shy of our 20 year mark, we again found ourselves traveling back down a difficult road.  This time we recognized it.  We saw the signs, and knew that it wasn't a road we wanted to travel again.  What we didn't know was how to change course.  We started to look around for resources.  We took a marriage class from a local college.  It was our first introduction to PREP.  We followed the first class up, by signing up for the original Passport 2 Love date nights.  We learned a several skills that have made a significant difference in our lives, and in our marriage.   The first of these principles are the three central themes of PREP.  First, "Decide, don't slide."  We don't have to simply accept that we have a bad or good marriage.  We can make a conscientious decision to improve our marriage.  This is the same if you have been married for 2 weeks or 25 years.  Even a great marriage can be improved when couples choose the path their marriage will follow.  The second of these principals is "Make it safe to connect."  This was a huge wake up call for me personally. It was choosing not to let my emotions rule the conversation and reminding myself that I love this man and I want him to know that he can come to me with his concerns without being hit with a blast of emotional backlog.  The last of these principles is "Do your part."  Once again, this principle really put things into perspective for me.  Am I a "right-fighter?" Where is my priority?  Is it getting my point of view through or is it improving and nurturing my marriage and my husband.

While it is possible to muddle through and hope that you come out alright at the other end (we did it once before.),  there is an incredible comfort in knowing that you can take control of the course that you are following and you can choose to have a bright and amazing future with your sweetheart.  The Passport 2 Love program is even more amazing because you get the opportunity to learn these skills, and many more in a safe, fun environment with other couples, who are also charting their own course to a better marriage through Passport 2 Love.

Passport 2 Love Series 1 is starting!

What better way to start a new year, than by amazing date nights and learning new skills?  We are excited to announce three new groups that will be beginning in January and February. Each series will be 5 weeks long and include fun date nights such making pizza at the Pizza Factory and Bowling at Fat Cats.   Please check out the links below to start your new adventure.  

Group A Jan 30- Feb 27, 2016

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/passport-2-love-group-a-series-1-tickets-20824126523

Group B Feb 5- March 5, 2016

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/passport-2-love-group-b-series-1-tickets-20823874770

Group C Feb 6-March 6, 2016

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/passport-2-love-group-c-series-1-tickets-20823924920

Winter 2016 Passport 2 Love is coming soon!

Please check back with us often as we will be launching the series for 2016 very soon.  We appreciate all of the support that we have received.  We love the opportunities that we have had to serve you and to get to know the amazing families that have participated in Passport 2 Love!

Our fall Passport 2 Love groups have finished!

We look forward to the new year and new and exciting Passport 2 Love date nights.  Our fall series finished up with a date night at the Pizza Factory in Provo, Utah. We enjoyed a lovely meal, and the opportunity to visit with our new found friends.  We want to share with you some of the things that our participants had to say about our Passport 2 Love Date night Series.  

Lauren Rogers said: 

"This was such a fun program!  What a great way to spend time with your spouse and have fun, while learning how to strengthen your marriage.  I would highly recommend it to anyone, a great investment in your future happiness!"

Another participate said:

"The Strengthening families program has helped my husband and I communicate better and see the good in each other."

G.W. said : 

" We sure love those classes, it helps us remember what's important and helps us gain more skills to use with each other and our children. I have noticed it gives our kids more confidence to speak their mind without fear."


We are already busily planning our next series set to take place in January 2016! We hope to see you there!

Fun and Friendship & Bowling with Boundaries

Our Groups 2 & 3 enjoyed a night of fun at Fat Cat's in Provo.  They were able to learn about making fun memories and strengthening their relationships through friendship.  After all, we want to enjoy the time we have with our sweethearts.

Passport 2 Love Halloween Cruise Group #3

Our Passport 2 Love Group #3 started their date with a cool drizzly evening, but still had a very enjoyable evening complete with a cruise day the Provo River with CLAS Ropes Course in Provo, Utah, followed by a warm fire, hot dogs to roast and S'mores.  

Bowling with (and without) Boundaries. Group #1

Our couples had a fun night of bowling at Fat Cat's in Provo, Utah, and talking about the importance of setting boundaries in our relationships. There was a lot of laughter and good memories made, while discussing an issue that is very important within our relationships.

Passport 2 Love Group #1 Riverboat Cruise

Our first date night got off to a slightly damp but very exciting start.  Couples were able to enjoy a fun riverboat ride down the Provo river at the CLAS Ropes Course in Provo, Utah.

 Our amazing facilitators were Bil and KT Haslor.  They are both certified in PREP.

After our cruise down the Provo River Couples gathered together for an "Icebreaker" activity and s'mores.  Of course our favorite "icebreaker" question was what we loved most about our spouse.

We are so excited for our next date night!  The first "You, Me & US" workshop this friday!

Passport 2 Love Series #1

Its here!  Its here!  Passport 2 Love Series #1 begins Oct 2, 2015 with a Halloween River Boat Cruise! Head over to Facebook now and grab your spot!   https://www.facebook.com/events/1503408656647451/

You, Me & Us

You, Me & us is a workshop designed to enhance and strengthen communication skills, commitment, conflict management, fun and friendship, problem solving, and intimacy. This workshop ran in conjunction with the Passport 2 Love date nights, helping to strengthen the the relationships of our couples.  

Stressproof your marriage through mindful meditation

This date night was held at the beautiful Shri Shri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork Utah.  After a tour of the beautiful temple, we were able to listen to the Priest give an amazing discussion on having and enjoying a happy marriage.  We were then invited to mediate.  After mediation we had were able to enjoy a wonderful meal together.  

Building a Stronger Marriage and a more Vibrant Community

This beautiful date was held at a Habitat For Humanity work site.  On this cool spring morning we were able to help side this home.  Participants were given the opportunity to reflect on their own blessings and  ways that they are able to help in the community.  

Bowling with Boundaries

Description

The Bowling With Boundaries date night is a blast! This date night is full of fun, free food, and bowling-pins filled with candy.

Comments

Participants were in for a fun evening at Fat Cat's in Provo.  For those of us with no bowling skills the evening was perfect.  We were able to bowl with boundaries (otherwise known as having the bumpers up).  After games filled with laughter and fun, we were able to listen to a short presentation on how to create healthy boundaries in our marriage and why they are important.

Reframing your marital perspective

Our next date night started at the beautiful Springville Museum of Art in Springville, Utah.  Reframing your Marital Perspective started out with light refreshments and an opportunity to visit with your spouse and other couples.  We were then given the opportunity to learn a little about the history of the Springville Museum of Art.  We walked through the museum, discussing different perspectives in the art.  Couples were then encouraged to find a piece of art that reminded them of their spouse and share with them the reason why.  

Talk and Toss at The Pizza Factory

Description

The Talk and Toss date night will inspire romance and strengthen commitment as the husband and wife work together to make their own unique pizza, a Pizza of Passion. This sexy and safe activity will teach them three different relationship skills using a hands-on learning style.

The pizza of Passion consists of:

1). Cuddly Crust- Making it Safe to Connect.
2). Sexy sauce- Speaker/ Listener technique.
3). Charming Cheese- Descriptive Praise.
4). Turn Me On Toppings- A private discussion about their new marriage motto and future goals.

Comments

"Our Passport to Love Series started out with a lovely and romantic evening at the Pizza Factory in  Provo, Utah.  Pizza Factory Talk and Toss began with a fun icebreaker game that discussed all of the many services that are available in the community.  We discussed the many layers of successful marriage and started to build our pizza as a couple.  We enjoyed yummy salad and bread sticks as we waited for our   pizza to cook. The pizza was amazing and was a bit hit.  Couples were encouraged to write down a very specific thing that they appreciated about their spouse and add their love notes all together. It was a sweet and tender moment to hear the love notes all read out loud and to be able to hear something wonderful that our sweethearts thought of us."  Teresa Kilcrease

Passport to Love Spring 2015

Love was in the air last spring as several couples grabbed their Passport to Love and set out on an amazing adventure.  Not only were they able to experience fun, exciting and affordable date nights, they found an opportunity to grow closer to their sweetheart in the process.  The amazing date nights included "Talk and Toss," at the Pizza Factory in Provo, Utah,  "Re-framing your marital perspective" at the Springville Museum of Art, "Bowling with Boundaries" at Fat Cats in Provo, "Building a  Stronger Marriage and a more Vibrant Community"  with Habitat for Humanity, "Stress proof your relationship with mindful meditation" at the Shri Shri Radha  Krishna Temple, and "Invest in your relationship while serving the Food Bank" in Provo.

The Passport to a Stronger Marriage

Passport to Love

At some point in our lives, we have probably all had the desire to travel the globe and explore the many wonders of the world with a special someone.  But we also have all probably come to the realization that traveling the globe is hard to do.  Whether it’s because it costs too much or would require too much time away from jobs and children, something has probably kept us from taking that dream vacation.  More importantly, though, those same things may be making our relationship hard to maintain at all.

Here at the Utah County Stronger Marriages, we’ve got you covered.  Why not allow us to help you explore the world around you and improve your marriage at the same time.

We may not be able to send you on a dream Caribbean cruise, or fly you around the world in 80 days.  But we do have a passport waiting just for you and your spouse: the Passport to Love.

What is the Passport to Love?

The Passport to Love is a program we have created to give married couples the chance to explore Utah County and its many attractions.  Join other couples in a series of date nights designed to both give you new ideas for dates, as well as learn new ways to strengthen your marriage.  All you have to plan and pay for is the babysitter.

In addition, you get a little booklet to keep track of your date nights and remember the things you learned.  You can see what a passport looks like here: 

Cassandra Southam, Coordinator for Utah County

How do I get a Passport?

It’s easy to enjoy this great program and get your own passport.  The first step is to attend one of our many marriage workshops.  You can learn more about upcoming events on our website here: (insert link to schedule).  Just attend the one that looks the most applicable to you and your spouse, show up, and grab a Passport when you come.

What can I expect from the date nights?

The date nights are fun ways for you and your spouse to explore many different activities together, plus the additional benefit of learning how to strengthen your marriage.  And it’s certainly not boring!

“I really like that it is an opportunity to talk to other couples and your wife, and not just sit in a classroom listening to other people talk.  The activity attached to the date made me much more interested in participating… Each of these dates has helped me to feel closer to my wife and remember all of the reasons why I love her.”

“The activities have been so much fun, and well organized. We love that there is an opportunity to visit with other couples.  It has been eye opening as we have talked to other couples just like us, who have had their own trials and challenges and yet, are devoted and determined to make their marriage succeed.  One gentleman said "There are plenty of great marriages, they just don't make the news."”

If you want to make your marriage even greater, join us for a trip around the county.  With this great program developed just for your marriage in mind, there’s no need to delay that special trip any longer.  

Come explore the sites you never knew existed so close to home!

Passport to Love Announcement

Utah County Stronger Marriages is excited to announce that we will be getting a blog up and running before the end of this week! Through this blog we be sharing a lot of the information that we post on our Facebook page but plan to also include stories, pictures, and experiences of couples who have participated in the date nights thus far. We hope through this blog we will be able to promote stronger marriages and our current project: Passport to Love. Stay tuned!