The first week in August is a big deal at our house. My DH has a birthday on the 4th and every year our anniversary comes just 3 days later. Really, what were we thinking?? Apparently NOT about having 5 kids and the need to spread our date night celebrations evenly throughout the year!
As is common with his actual birth date, we "celebrated" with a baseball game.
We're talking, he-gets-home-from-work-in-time-to-jump-in-the-van-that-I-already-have-packed-with-all-the-kids-and-gear-and-we-speed-there-just-in-time-and-get-home-sometime-after-10:30.
Yeah, that was a fun Birthday Party.
We decided (a whole week ahead) to go away for the weekend for our anniversary. The super brave sister/aunt agreed to be on boy patrol for us and baby girl kept Grandma company for the weekend. But since (again, as is common) it was anybody's guess when the hubs would get home on Friday I decided to make a special birthday dinner for the two of us here. Thus eliminating the need to spend half the evening driving and waiting in line. Trying to make it a little extra special and escape our chaotic, not recently cleaned house, I created a fancy-schmancy little setting on the front porch.
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| Table for 2, Please! |
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| Just try to ignore the traffic roaring by mere yards away. We did! |
While he dropped the kids off, I grilled steaks, 'loaded' baked potatoes, tossed salads and threw in some garlic bread and crispy broccoli for good measure. Making sure we had just enough room left for the traditional birthday carrot cake.
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| The Man Slab! What can I say, the hubs is a carnivore. :o) |
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| The 'Birthday Boy' with some of his loot! |
Saturday morning we headed toward Philadelphia with absolutely NO schedule! We stopped for coffee and then hit the mall for some exercise and window shopping (mostly!)
We found plenty of things to remind us of our sweet, crazy boys back home.
We may have missed them a little bit. (But not for long!)
I know what you're thinking, you are pitying my poor man because I drug him mercilessly around the mall. I say only this, he made several purchases, I made one!
(not even for me--a birthday present for the next family member's b-day)
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| This is where the hubs says "I thought 5 was a lot." |
We also went exploring at IKEA. First time there for both of us. More exercise and lots of fascination with the carts that can be pushed sideways. Boys will be boys!
And then we punched our motel (the one that had our reservation and credit card #) into the gps and it said "PERMANENTLY CLOSED."
Excuse me?? What??
And as we get off the highway we see this....
.....gigantic, empty parking lot. This does NOT look good!
After a bit of investigation, he assures me that it is indeed still open but it seems we may have been one of about 7 guests for the weekend. I counted 4 cars in the parking lot when we checked out. Crazy!
Our room rate included dinner at one of the in house restaurants. We of course took full advantage of that!
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Shrimp Cocktail Appetizer
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Another Man Slab for Him.
(Don't worry we'll be eating sensibly again soon!)
Lobster Tail and Pasta for her.
Our total bill $87.something--Covered!
Gotta love that!
After dinner we made a special trip here.
I guess I was so busy making sure that there were enough clean shorts, diapers, stuffed friends etc. for the little people that I didn't think enough about what I packed for me. I mean I had a change of clothes and my toothbrush, what else could I need? Or maybe it's just been so long since I did it that I forgot. Anyway, in addition to my steamy cup of Starbucks, I purchased a brand new book (gulp!) for all of 20 plus dollars. And one that I could have checked out of the church library at that. But a chance to read a good books and to just BE with my sweetheart--priceless!
After dinner we made a special trip here.
I guess I was so busy making sure that there were enough clean shorts, diapers, stuffed friends etc. for the little people that I didn't think enough about what I packed for me. I mean I had a change of clothes and my toothbrush, what else could I need? Or maybe it's just been so long since I did it that I forgot. Anyway, in addition to my steamy cup of Starbucks, I purchased a brand new book (gulp!) for all of 20 plus dollars. And one that I could have checked out of the church library at that. But a chance to read a good books and to just BE with my sweetheart--priceless!
I love to stroll through places like this and see the creative ways the many tasty treasures and cool crafties are displayed. It intrigues me how some displays just beg you to stop/buy and others not so much!
After the market we did some more strolling in a nature preserve garden. Not much blooming in August, but oh well!
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Apparently only one of us is obsessed with taking pictures of e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.
And after all that serious exercise (yeah right!) We had to take in one more peaceful dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. (I've been wanting to check that place out for awhile now!) Delicious food. Quality Time Together. Uninterrupted Conversations. And Cheesecake!! What more could you need to finish out an incredible weekend?
I told my husband on the way home I didn't do anything all weekend that I didn't want to do. I ate when I felt like it....all food I didn't have to make. I got out of bed when I felt like it (and then crawled back in, most times.) No one interrupted my sweet dreams with crying or fussing. I didn't wipe anyone's butt but my own. I didn't even no 2 people could make such a mess in a motel room in less than 24 hours, but I didn't feel like putting things away, so I didn't. It was delightful!! And on top of all that I was reminded again how lucky I am! I have been blessed with a man of God,who loves me, treats me right, provides for our family, makes me laugh, and who has patiently put up with all my flaws for 12 years!!
I read somewhere recently that the average marriage last 5-7 years (if that's accurate? I don't know.) REALLY?? So if you factor in my Grandparents who were married 59 years when my Grandma passed away and my husband's Grandparents who have been married 65+ years, that's going to sway the averages, right? How many marriages are never even making it to that 5 year mark then? It's a scary thought! Does making it to "double the average" guarantee us anything??
NOPE!
We are both still very human! We both need to continue to "put off the old man." We both have days when it would be easier to act like a child and we must decide to be adults. We both say things we regret sometimes. We both get plenty of chances to practice (and choose) Forgiveness!
(That's a big one right there, btw!)
But we took the time to Celebrate 12 Happy Years! We were reminded of the things that brought us together. We stepped back far enough from 'parenting duty' to remember that we were married first and we can only be successful as parents if we make our relationship a priority even on the busy days (which is all of them these days!) We have renewed determination to 'make this work.' We both know that there will be "for better" and "for worse" days ahead but we are committed either way. We made a promise to each other. We made a promise to God. We represent Christ and His Bride, the church.
This is not a small commitment, but we made it and we meant it!
So here's to the next 12 (or hopefully, 70!)
I've heard it keeps getting better!
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| So happy together! |
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| Isn't he good looking? Yeah, I think so too! |
And after all that serious exercise (yeah right!) We had to take in one more peaceful dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. (I've been wanting to check that place out for awhile now!) Delicious food. Quality Time Together. Uninterrupted Conversations. And Cheesecake!! What more could you need to finish out an incredible weekend?
I told my husband on the way home I didn't do anything all weekend that I didn't want to do. I ate when I felt like it....all food I didn't have to make. I got out of bed when I felt like it (and then crawled back in, most times.) No one interrupted my sweet dreams with crying or fussing. I didn't wipe anyone's butt but my own. I didn't even no 2 people could make such a mess in a motel room in less than 24 hours, but I didn't feel like putting things away, so I didn't. It was delightful!! And on top of all that I was reminded again how lucky I am! I have been blessed with a man of God,who loves me, treats me right, provides for our family, makes me laugh, and who has patiently put up with all my flaws for 12 years!!
I read somewhere recently that the average marriage last 5-7 years (if that's accurate? I don't know.) REALLY?? So if you factor in my Grandparents who were married 59 years when my Grandma passed away and my husband's Grandparents who have been married 65+ years, that's going to sway the averages, right? How many marriages are never even making it to that 5 year mark then? It's a scary thought! Does making it to "double the average" guarantee us anything??
NOPE!
We are both still very human! We both need to continue to "put off the old man." We both have days when it would be easier to act like a child and we must decide to be adults. We both say things we regret sometimes. We both get plenty of chances to practice (and choose) Forgiveness!
(That's a big one right there, btw!)
But we took the time to Celebrate 12 Happy Years! We were reminded of the things that brought us together. We stepped back far enough from 'parenting duty' to remember that we were married first and we can only be successful as parents if we make our relationship a priority even on the busy days (which is all of them these days!) We have renewed determination to 'make this work.' We both know that there will be "for better" and "for worse" days ahead but we are committed either way. We made a promise to each other. We made a promise to God. We represent Christ and His Bride, the church.
This is not a small commitment, but we made it and we meant it!
So here's to the next 12 (or hopefully, 70!)
I've heard it keeps getting better!
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