After kids, your marriage changes. In some ways, it's stronger because of the bond you share with having children. Or watching one another be a parent to your children can make your love grow leaps and bounds.
In the day to day, we tend to forget about taking time for "us." Personally, at the end of the day with the kids I just didn't have anymore energy. The routine of making dinner, feeding them, cleaning them, getting them ready to bed...it just seemed like I had nothing left to give to my husband.
So in the last few months, I've tried to make more of a effort to preserve the "us" that we once had. We are lucky that our in-laws do watch the boys so we can do date nights. But when they can't, I have made the decision to get a babysitter.
Before we had kids, we used to travel a lot and do fun activities. We might not be able to travel as much as we did, but we have made it work with smaller trips (like Chicago at the end of his business trip), and last weekend we did a winery tour in a town about an hour away.
It was just for one night, but it was so nice just to get away. We toured three wineries and of course wine tasted! Once we finished we went to Putt-Putt golf and dinner. The next day we did something we haven't done forever...we SHOPPED until we DROPPED. We shopped at the outlets which is close to the wineries. It was just like old times and so fun...you know minus the spending money part!
So even though our life has changed, I think it's important to steal away those moments. You'll be glad you did!
Natalie
Good job focusing on your marriage! It is so important!! Yet, it is so hard to get everything line up to do it!
ReplyDeleteLove this. We would have totally been friends back in the day as the hubs and I traveled for almost 7 years before deciding to start a family! A wine tour sounds awesome right about now, glad you had fun!
ReplyDeleteMaking time for your marriage is important to you AND your kids. Glad you do make the effort, that's great, Natalie!
ReplyDeleteSo fun to get away, even little trips! We have at least one date night a month, though we shoot for more.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun little getaway! You deserve it!
ReplyDeleteI said to hubby once, having kids is like setting a bomb off in your marriage. But when the dust does settle (and it does), the goal is to still be a couple who enjoys one another. And to take the time absolutely -- even if in just small ways. Hubby and I learned to be content with snuggles during a movie if we couldn't actually leave the house. Or linger over morning coffee and let them watch one more cartoon on some days. You just gotta grab the chance when it comes! :)
ReplyDeleteI'd like to do a wine tour.
Sounds like such a fun weekend, and yes it is so important to have couple time. If you end up being married for 50 years, only about 20-25 of those married years will you have kids in your home, so more than half of you married life it will be just the two of you, so definitely need a strong relationship.
ReplyDeleteSo important to focus on the marriage! Kudos to you!
ReplyDeleteAnd this sounds FUN.
I am TERRIBLE about making sure my husband and I have alone time and date nights. We've NEVER gone away together since this kids were born (my son is 14) until this summer. It was WONDERFUL. I really need to be better about this. It's important and I need to make it a priority!! Sounds like you all had a wonderful time!! --Lisa
ReplyDeleteDate nights (and little trips) are so important. I'm glad you were able to get some quality alone time with your hubby. A happy marriage = happy kids.
ReplyDeleteWe let date nights slide a lot. But we are always so happy to have them and wonder why we don't do them more often when we do. :)
ReplyDeleteWe try to have couple time every night, even if it does mean chatting over the laundry! I'm glad you had a great getaway!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a total blast!!! xo
ReplyDeleteThis is SO important! I'm glad you two were able to get away. Great pictures too!
ReplyDelete