There are definitely stages to your marriage. It’s like the seasons/stages in your own personal life. Sometimes you go through periods where you are very, very ambitious/passionate about something you want to do/accomplish, then there are the stages where you feel content and wouldn’t change a thing, sometimes there is a spell of “what next?” or boredom, sometimes you feel unsettled/discontent. It’s all normal.
In a little over 3 months, we will celebrate our 12th anniversary. My dh & I have experienced all of those feelings I mentioned above. We don’t always feel the same way at the same time, but that’s ok. We talk about it - what to do to help the other one through the stage (if it’s a less than desirable feeling), what it means for our marriage, what we feel we need to do, etc.
I don’t put much importance on a scheduled date night (we do have one son, 10, so we can’t just do whatever we want, whenever we want). Sometimes, just sitting after he is in bed and talking, watching something together that we both enjoy, etc., is better than any date night outside of the house. But again, that’s what works for us. Others might need to physically get out and do something.
Always be communicating, and that will take you far, IMO.
