I know you have heard it all too often, Mom and Dad need to
take time for themselves and their relationship from time to time. The truth is though, we all get so busy being
“Mom and Dad” we sometimes forget how to be “Husband and Wife”. I’m sure everyone has experienced that
awkward silence when we have nothing else to talk about except the kids!
Within the past five years my husband and I always made time
for a monthly date night in our relationship.
Actually, we forced it! We joined
a bowling league with my sister-in-law and her husband so that we were
guaranteed one night out a month. This
monthly night always includes dinner and then bowling; it is a perfect
opportunity to get away. We also now
have about 3 different couples we like to go out with, so we normally try and
go out with one of them also once a month.
At the beginning of this year, we were looking at goals and
one that I had that kept getting pushed off was for my husband and I to take a
mini vacation, just the two of us.
Beside an overnight for a wedding or the kids spending the night at
their grandparents, we have not taken a vacation, just the two of us, for NINE
years! Yes NINE years, this happen to
coincide with right before I became pregnant with our first son. Well, our kids are now 8, 5, and 2, I was out
of excuses, and it was time to just book that vacation!
We had always intended on taking a really nice trip on our
10th wedding anniversary, however that snuck up on us one month
after our 3rd child was born!
So we decided, we were finally taking our 10th anniversary
trip on our 12th anniversary.
She would be 2 by then and we had willing grandparents to watch our
children. Once again, no excuses! It was decided, we booked a vacation at an
all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana, and it would be our first vacation without
kids since kids!
Thoughts of spending days on the beach and at the pool
laying in the sun, eating fancy dinners with only adults, sleeping in until we
wanted too, quiet alone time, was all so appealing to us. We were so excited and could not wait until
the day our plane took off to our sunny destination. Then the week before hit us like a rock, my husband
suddenly had a horrible ear infection and then my daughter had one! Was this meant to be? I was a nervous wreck (to say the least) the
day before we left!
In the end, we got on that plane and had the best 4 days of
our married life. I am so glad we took
that giant leap and the next time it will be easier. The kids were just fine; they actually had a
blast with all the activities their grandparents had planned for them. They kept them a lot busier than we would
ever had! My husband and I spent days
floating in tropical pools, had our toes in the sand, and enjoyed wonderful
food just the two of us. We are so glad
we took this trip and we are going to make a yearly trip for just the two of us
a priority. It does not have to be as
extravagant as this one, but definitely at least three days away a year to
reconnect and just be us again!
If you are having doubts about taking a trip and are out of
excuses, take my advice and book it now!
It only has to be a few nights, but it will be a wonderful rejuvenation
to you and your marriage. You need it,
your spouse needs it, and your family needs it.
In the end it will make you a better parent to your kids. The best part was definitely seeing the huge
smiles and great big hugs we got from our kids when we walked back in the door
at the end of our trip. They were so
glad to see us and could not wait to tell us about their adventures with
Grandma and Grandpa!
