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Finer Things Friday – My Marriage
Posted by
tricia on
03.05.10 |
21 Comments
Short Link: http://onceamonthmom.com/?p=6043
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I have been wanting to participate in Amy’s Finer Things Friday but I was doing the Create Your Own Menu series on Friday’s until last week. And honestly, as a stay at home mom, I view Friday as a Monday which makes it sometimes hard to see the finer things of life through my puke covered poop stained peanut buttery foggy glasses. But all week I have been dreaming up this post in my head.
This weekend my husband and I are going away. Without the kids! I know, some of you have kids that are years old and have never left them. You are likely thinking I am crazy for leaving my 18 month old and my 3 month old for the weekend. And you might be a bit right. But it is exactly that crazy that is going to keep me focused this weekend.
Two months ago my husband sent me an email with a brochure to the Weekend to Remember Conference with a note that said, “We should go to this!” He even went a step further and called my mother to see if she would be willing to watch the children for the weekend. I just laughed. (Actually, what I really was thinking was, “Man my hormones must be really getting to him! They might be worse than I thought.”)
Now, my marriage isn’t exactly in trouble or on the rocks, which is precisely why I want to go to this conference. Because I love my marriage and I adore my husband. You all know that I have struggled terribly with the transition to being a parent of two. He has too. And so has our marriage.
If you are reading this as a single person, know that marriage is so absolutely wonderful, but it is something that you constantly have to work at. It is also something that is strained and takes more effort the more kids that you add to the mix. And if you don’t have kids yet, this is where you should start taking notes. And in the midst of those strains there is less time for one another. It isn’t that you don’t want that time, it is that you have mouths to feed and butts to wash and cheeks to kiss. It is still a wonderful thing but it takes a lot more work than it did when we were not married or didn’t have kids.
So when my husband suggested a marriage conference I knew I should take notice. Not because he was saying our marriage was in trouble, or that I am being a hormonal wife, or that I am failing as a mother. But because our marriage is important to us. Because we don’t want to wake up in 18 years and have a hole in our life as big as our obsession with our children. We want to go through life as a team. Honoring one another and focusing on our marriage as much as we focus on the education of our children.
So today, I am remembering that one of the finest things in life is my marriage. And I can’t wait to spend the weekend with the man God chose for me. And if you think of it pray that we are able to leave all of the worries of work, life and children behind to focus on one another.
**For more great posts on the Finer Things in life visit Amy’s Finer Things.
21 Responses to “Finer Things Friday – My Marriage”
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Tricia I love this post!! And what a great conference to go to. The transition from 1 to 2 kids has been so trying for us too. We’ve had to make very concious decisions to have weekly date nights. Even if we don’t get out but just watch an episode of 24, have popcorn & talk! I’ll definitely pray that you can leave your worries & enjoy your weekend together … I’m jealous (but happy for you!!):)
Beautifully put! My husband is a chaplain in the Army and counsels marriages all day long. Most of the sadly do wait until their marriage is on the rocks to really care about it. I’ll be praying for yall as you have some alone time. Thanks for the reminder to squeeze my husband a little tighter!
Well said, Tricia! I struggled a bit when my oldest was born because things were really hard, and my husband had to remind me that our marriage was just as, if not more, deserving of our attention as our new baby was. What really hit home was him saying that we needed to still be close when the kids went off to college. It’s something I still think about when life gets overwhelming, because it helps me to keep my marriage my first priority. Because the other part of it is that it’s better for my kids if their dad and I have a healthy, happy marriage. We all win
Awesome post! Great job keeping the priorities straight! Hard to do sometimes, but it will be so worth it!
Tricia, you have such a great perspective!! I hope you all really enjoy your weekend away.
Question…is your three month old sleeping through the night? I have a three month old who isn’t, and that’s the reason I haven’t thought to leave him overnight yet. But my husband and I have been able to get away for dates around every 2 weeks, so that’s been nice.
Not quite sleeping through the night yet. No.
Thankfully my mother is still willing to watch them. 
Wonderful post, Tricia! You know that my husband and I struggle with finding time for ourselves in our busy family schedule. But even if we can’t spend time together alone, we try to show our love for each other in other meaningful ways. We support each other’s decisions and hobbies – the kids and I play rounds of disc golf with him and he applauds my sewing efforts (when I take the time to sew anyway). And we do try to work as a team with the kids – 50/50 all the way. I grew up with parents that tended to not support one another kept their distance from each other… and I don’t want the same for my children. Good for you and Ben for making an effort to get away from it all, if just for a short while! Enjoy it!
What a blessing!! Enjoy every moment. Your children will be blessed by the investment you are making in your marriage. Have a wonderful time! My husband and I went two years ago and always look back on that weekend fondly
Have a wonderful time! My husband and I attended the Weekend to Remember conference when I was pregnant with number 2 (number 3 is on the way). It was a wonderful experience. I’m sure God will bless your desire to enrich your marriage!
Girl, my hubby and I loved the WTR conference we went to. It was a great time to reconnect! Have a great time.
Have FUN! Oh how I wish I could find someone (or two!) to take two kids! It was easy to send one away, but so much harder with the two. We haven’t had a night alone in forever. ENJOY IT!
I am praying that you have a wonderful weekend! I remember those days. We had twin girls, and 13 months later had another single daughter! 3 baby girls in a year. Now they are 21, 21, and 20. I used to tell people when I was at the stage you are, that “it gets easier every day!” and it did, until they became teenagers, and then I don’t know what happened! I wish someone had told me when they were 9 and 10 that “they are half way grown”. Because they are, and you just don’t realize it. I am so glad my husband and I worked at our marriage. Because when the kids are grown, even if they don’t leave home, it is a very quiet and lonely place! So you will need your hubby!
Great job on putting your marriage first. I hope you two have a great weekend!
You are going to love it, Tricia!! My husband and I went a couple of years ago. I’ll be praying for you and your husband this weekend!!
I’m a firm believer that the best gift we can give our children is our own STRONG marriage. Do what it takes!
Enjoy the weekend! My husband and I went to one of those conferences a few years ago (pre-baby) and it was wonderful. I totally believe that taking time to nurture your marriage is essential to being good parents! My hubby & I left our 15 month old to go on a marriage retreat in January, so you’re not crazy.
Good for you for making time for your marriage! Your kids will be fine and YOU and your hubby will have a GREAT time!
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head with something that ALL married moms struggle with — to stop being a mom and continue being a wife. What a blessing it is for you to have a man who is committed to making your marriage fruitful for the two of you! I pray blessings on the both of you!
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My husband and I went to the Cincinnati conference this weekend and loved it. I’m so glad we splurged and stayed at the hotel. WTR was such a great change of pace and made me fall more in love with my husband! And yesterday, after we made dinner TOGETHER, he did the dishes without a grumble!! Maybe the conference needs to be a yearly thing
Looks like we were in the same room together this weekend and didn’t know it. Glad it you enjoyed it as well.