Just the two of us

My bubba and I left the kiddos for three days, two nights to take a trip to Seattle to see my all-time favorite companion, Wheeler, take the plunge and enter into marital bliss.  Wanna know what?  I loved every minute of it and I missed my kids for maybe about an hour the whole time we were gone.  I knew they were in good hands and enjoying themselves.  Carsten was being showered with love from my friend Rachel and her husband Ted - the newly weds, and Elisabeth was having sleepovers at her bestie's home.


More than anything, Lance and I felt like we were 10 years younger, on our honeymoon together.  We slept in, went swimming at the pool at 11 pm at night, ate spectacular crab on Puget Sound, bought some Finnish goods and chatted with a Finnish woman in Finnish, went sightseeing, and just enjoyed each other's company without having to push a stroller through a crowded Pike's Market or be a slave to our kids' nap schedule.  In fact, we laughed all weekend at how easy it is to travel without children and wished we would have done more before EB and Little Man joined our family.

Don't get me wrong.  I love my children. Being a parent is the most rewarding thing I have ever done.  But I also love my husband.

Lesson learned:  Couples need to take time to remember why they fell in love.  Couples need time to strengthen their relationship and enjoy each other's company without their kids there.  A strong marriage makes a strong family.  As I am not one to hold back my opinions in life I will say this:  I think every couple should have at least a weekend away from their kids every year.  Not only is it good for the parents, it is good for the children on many levels.  My children have become quite adaptable in life (whether this is nature or nurture may be debatable. . .though I attribute it to nurture) and have learned that they are safe and loved by many family and friends.  

And parents always come back.  Hopefully more rested and in love than when they left.