No Time For A Get Away? Read This!

Troy & I just had the most wonderful weekend away in San Antonio! O.K. it really just about a 24 hour time frame, but it was STILL great!
A night at a beautiful hotel on the Riverwalk, dinner at the famous Casa Rio, brunch at the Guenther House (You've GOT to go there if you're visiting S.A. or the Riverwalk area! Order the sweet cream waffle & applewood smoked bacon...my mouth is watering thinking of it, yum!)
Our kids had a blast visiting with family (thank you Grandma, Aunt Becky & the Molinets, you're the best!), and Troy & I had a blast just being "on our own" for a few brief hours.
We were once again reminded of how incredibly important it is for a couple to set aside the time to get away, to spend some hours alone, without the kids, without work demands, etc...And it makes me think, if it's SO important for the continued health of our marriage, why don't we do this more often???
In the past 7 years of our marriage (since kids), "getting away" just hasn't come easy enough for us, I don't know about you, but we can always have too many reasons why we might need to wait awhile for that little "get away!" Don't get me wrong, we WANT to go, but sometimes really making it happen is quite another story. I'm sure alot of you are much faster learners than we have been! Please feel free to share the insights you've learned along the way in making this get away thing really work for couples (just hit the comment tab at the end of the blog), but I tell you one thing we have learned...it just won't happen on it's own. If we aren't committed to setting aside the time, we will most likely never go.

So here's some excuses, I mean, "reasons" we've had in the past that maybe we can help "talk through" with you if you're thinking, or not thinking, of a get away!
Excuse #1:
"This is just a busy season of time (or phase of life), after things slow down a bit, we'll make it a point to go."
Reality Check:
It's been our experience, and probably yours too, things NEVER DO seem to slow down! Life can just be full & busy both pre-kids & post-kids and every time frame in between! Our culture itself is simply driven by "busyness." We have to MAKE the time to do what we really want to do, get it on the calendar, set the date, and don't let anything interfere with that time! THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE CAN DO IN LIFE ARE PROBABLY ALWAYS THE MOST INCONVENIENT.

Excuse #2:
"We just can't afford it right now."
Reality Check:
Call me! We have so many money saving tips & ideas, believe me, we live this one out year by year! And here's the thing too...a get away doesn't have to be an expensive one, maybe you have a friend who has a little cabin somewhere, a place you could stay for just a night or two, or maybe, like us, you like the Hotwire deals you can find. We just found a great room ON the Riverwalk in a 4 star hotel for $79! And there's deals like that everywhere I know, we just have to be creative & LOOK for them! Oh, by the way, it costs about $30 to go pitch a tent in a state park somewhere, & I'm sure you'll have TONS of memories to bring home. And yes, we have done that!

Excuse #3:
"We just couldn't leave the kids anywhere overnight."
Reality Check:
Yes, you can. GO! They'll be fine for a night or 2, at Grandma's or a relative's house. Or maybe, like us, if you have more than a few kiddos, you might have to get a little creative & split them up among different friends or family. THEY WILL HAVE FUN, and so will you! Maybe you can even swap off a time frame with another friend, then you don't feel bad in asking, and your friends might enjoy a time away also!


If you don't remember anything else from this blog note, please, remember this...GO! Go for a get away, even if it's short, even if it's inexpensive, even if it seems rather inconvenient at the phase of life you're in...set aside prolonged times with one another to reconnect, to be alone.
We're already looking forward to our next time away! Anyone want to babysit? (: