Oh, how I love my children. Funny how they suck my energy, my time, my sleep… and in the end I really don’t mind.
But, oh… how I love my dear hubby, too! And I know that the very best gift we can give our kids is our own strong marriage. They need to see and know that their mom and dad are a team, no matter what.
The daily tug-o-war for mommy’s time and attention took a 3-day hiatus last weekend. My brother and sister-in-law (God bless them!) and their 5 children volunteered (I kid you not!) to keep the kids for two nights while Lance and I spent the weekend at a lovely Bed & Breakfast.
The occasion? We called it a 40th birthday celebration for Lance. His only request was that he would have me all to himself for 48 entire hours. No kids, no computer (ahem), no distractions. It was lovely, even though we both caught nasty head colds on Saturday…
My real-life suggestion? Don’t wait for an occasion. Celebrate your husband. Nurture your marriage. Schedule time alone, whether it be a weekend away (we try to do this once a year) or an evening of Wii bowling after the kids go to bed. Time is a gift. Give it freely to the one you love.
What Finer Things are you celebrating this week? Link up so we can celebrate with you! Please follow the rules and share the gift of a comment on other links.
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Oh, I have wanted to take a weekend for such a long time. Hopefully soon! Thanks for hosting another great FTF!
-Liz
I love this Amy!! So true & so sweet. We have Wii bowling matches too after the kids go to bed:) It’s a cheap date that doesn’t require a sitter:). Thanks for the gentle reminder!
Amen! It truly does make you better parents when you make time to focus on your marriage. It is so nice to see that you had the chance to get away and spend time together. Too bad for the colds.
Wonderful and so true! We haven’t ever been able to get away over night, but we do make a priority to have a date night out every few months. We also (when hubby is not deployed…) do Sunday night at-home date night. After the kids are in bed, we have a late takeout dinner and then spend some quality time together. It frequently involves Guitar Hero!!
What a lovely idea!! Because I’ve breastfed our children to a year and Army deployments, we haven’t had 48 hours together since we were newlyweds… and I even didn’t realize this until right now! My mom is coming to visit us here in Germany in May — I will have to keep this idea in mind!
Have a great weekend Amy!
And thank you for hosting!
And I bet grandma would LOVE some alone time with the kids!
So true! Glad you guys were able to get away!
We are getting better at having a monthly date night. My little one isn’t ready yet to spend the night at grammom and pop’s, but when she is, the two of us are going to get away. The list is long of places we want to get away to.
We try to spend ‘ordinary’ time together very regularly. That’s what keeps us going, even though date nights do not work for us.
Annie Kate
Beautiful and so important! Thanks for reminding us to make special time for the ones we love, especially our spouses. Glad you enjoyed your weekend together!
We just did that recently and it really did breathe new life into our marriage!!
Funny how God works! This morning was a bad morning at home with Jeremy. And while we have a strong marriage, this post is what I needed today. Today, I have been cleaning the house so tonight we can relax and just be.
Thanks for the reminder and have a great weekend Amy!
Funny… I was thankful for time for just the two of us, as well… but my finer thing was time alone with my youngest child. We had a week together while big brother was out of town with friends – and what a week it’s been! It was a great opportunity to remember how absolutely enchanting this child is – outside of the sibling bickering, the temper tantrums, the fighting… all of that. And in June, I’ll have the same opportunity with the older one while the little guy heads off to be spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa – I can’t wait… because it’s nice to be reminded now and then, outside of the daily grind, just how truly amazing our kids are… and to see them as individuals and not as just a part of the group.
Time alone with each child is important, too!
You are SO right about nurturing your marriage. Strong marriage, strong family, strong kids. Good for you!
Having couple time is important. How fun that you guys got a whole weekend to spend together and what a wonderful brother and sil you have for taking your kids
Hubby and I are long over due for some time together without distractions. Thanks for the reminder!
That’s really great, Amy.
Isn’t it such a sweet blessing to have a good husband?
Amy I couldn’t agree with you more. We will be celebrating 20 years of marriage this June and we have always made sure we do dates and getaways. Luckily for us his parents also saw it as a huge thing too and they have watched our kids often through the years.
My daughter is going on a missions trip in June and we are thinking of sending our son to Grandma and Grandpas and the cousins for a week and we are going to take off.
Thanks for the reminder. My husband is very stressed right now and is working nonstop with school and coaching (I know you know what I am talking about!). I think tonight should be “us” time after the kids go to bed. I can’t wait.
I think the request for 48 hrs with you alone…was a finer thing husband request
How lovely! This is a constant focus in our home and our kids are so much better for it. You can’t build a house on sand.
So glad for you and your getaway!
What a lovely blog and what truth! I told both of my children when they became parents that one of the greatest gifts they could give their children would be to always let them know how much they love their spouses and always to make their spouse a priority. The spouse will be there long after the child is “grown and gone.” A most blessed week to you!