Advice About Advice

Once upon a time,

There was a ruggedly handsome prince and an admirable, exemplary, super intelligent, and overwhelmingly beautiful princess. They had a wonderful and supportive family, siblings, friends, parents, ward members, distant relations, extinct pets, ect.... Unfortunately, unsolicited advice soon began an invisible but unpleasant cycle. Such a plethora of well meaning persons soon began a torrent of adamantly given advice in their marriage. While knowledge is power and the couple were new, this routine soon led to a problematic scenario as follows:

1-Well meant relative strongly gives obvious advice.
2-Couple fains gratefulness, but receives (understandingly) a sense that the relative thinks they are naive know-nothings and too young to make decisions.
3-Relative, encouraged by such a reception or immune to subtle hints, offers more advise and more forcefully.
4-Couple feels even less flattered and wonders why they are considered to be of unequal standing to other adult relatives. They then go out and do/think exactly what they already had carefully planned, prayed, studied and talked about doing and are very happy anyways.
5-Steps 1 through 4 are repeated over and over until couple puts a post on their blog that politely asks others not to offer unsolicited advise or push their ways, opinions, or rationals on a very careful, conservative, and capable newlywed couple that desire to strengthen their marriage through unity and mutual problem solving.

Ahhhh, and look: here is that very statement:

"Loved ones, friends and all: Please do not offer unsolicited advise or push your ways, opinions, or rationals on us." We love you all, but assure you that if we have need of you and your wisdom, you shall be contacted and hear the words "What do you think we should do?" or "What would you do in our situation?" Additionally, in all circumstances we reserve the right to our free agency in decision making so feel encouraged, one and all, to step back and assume no outside influence as decisions are made in our 3-way-only marital decision counsel (consisting of God, Lisa and Stephen in order of most decision making power) ;) .

Happy Valentines Day everyone and Happy half Birthday Emily Hancock!!!!!!!! -we gossip about our fondness of you constantly!

Disclaimer: It should be noted that we expect advice from our grandparents -they are a cherished exception.