Jermaine & Kembe Sullivan are a dynamic, humble, down-to-earth couple. In this interview, they give us a peek into their marriage and into how things work. They have learned to be flexible with their date nights (now that they have three little boys), and have learned how to handle conflict in a healthy, calm manner. They nurture their marriage through the little things – like foot rubs – and have learned to laugh together as they share this journey called life.
Q. In what specific ways do you express love and appreciation for each other on a day-to-day basis?
K: On a day-to-day basis, I try to keep the communication going. It could be a text, an email, or simply a foot massage.
J: She stole my idea! I was going to say foot massage. It is something we do on a regular basis. It is a way to express affection. It is a love language we have in common.
Q. What are some of your absolute favorite date-night ideas?
J: Kembe is the one who always plans where we go.
K: Yup, I try to find free things around the city. Parks, lectures at the local college (Kind of nerdy, don’t laugh!) and even theme parks.
J: I like The Spoken Word Poetry Café.
K: Remember that time we went to Centennial Olympic park and had a picnic?
J: (laughing) Yeah, we used to do a lot of stuff like that before the kids!
K: (giggles) There is date night before-kids…
J: … and there’s a date night post-kids. Which is usually a movie night because we didn’t get a babysitter.
K: We do occasionally splurge on a concert for an artist we really like, like Stevie
Wonder, India Arie, John Legend, Sade…
Q. What principles and/or practical suggestions have helped you manage your
finances?
K: We have listened to some of the money gurus and used some their practical
suggestions. For example – saving for emergencies, debt stacking, and tracking our spending.
J: Some of those we don’t do consistently, but having a regular time to go over finances has been good. Hopefully every Monday.
K: Yes, hopefully on Monday… I guess being honest about our finances is a principle we use. (Laughing) Jermaine will buy something and he’ll tell me about it. It will be a used book almost every other day!
J: Not every other day!
K: I know some people who buy stuff and hide it in the car. I like checking out the thrift
stores and showing Jermaine all the deals I got.
J: We are still working on staying within a budget.
Q. What specific things help you nurture the intimate relationship you have with
your spouse?
To read the answer and the rest of the interview, visit Nurturing Marriage.
Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. She currently hosts the podcast “Single to the Glory” about singlehood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies.
