In the last six months, Stephen and I both taken the 5 love languages test. We both had very high scores for quality time. Date nights happen often around here. We are not disciplined or intentional about them. Which is to say, we don't have to set a specific day every week or put a reminder on our to do list. We sort of have an internal timer that goes off and says, "We haven't been outside our house together without kids in too long." This timer goes off every week or two. Thankfully we have awesome family and friends who are up for watching our kids. They really use this time to not just make sure our kids stay alive, but to build relationships with them.
I have it in my mind that that I'm not asking too much of my family for Stephen and I to go away for a weekend each year. I'm not sure I could ask for a whole week, but I've been bold enough to ask for a weekend. So far they've graciously gone along with it. Keeping my fingers crossed that won't change. We've been able to go to Brown County, Rhode Island, Chicago, Madison IN, New York, and now San Francisco.
Here's a lesson we've learned traveling just the two of us. We are extroverts. We really like each other, but after twenty four hours together we could really use some PEOPLE. People to talk to, to eat with, to hang out with. About a week into our two week honeymoon we were slowly going crazy, desperately seeking out people on the train to converse with. On this trip, Stephen went out to San Francisco for work, and I met him there on Friday. We had the opportunity to hang out with a coworker and his girlfriend on Saturday. We got a chance to see their apartment, to see a movie, to go to their favorite Mexican restaurant, to window shop with them, to eat awesome chocolate with them. They even talked to us. It really enhanced our weekend. We still had plenty of time just to ourselves. I'm thinking we need to take our next weekend alone with another couple.
That might be a weird question, "Hey, do you guys want to take a romantic weekend away with Stephen and I?" Two couples could do this, right? Travel together, hang out half the time, and spend the other half just with your spouse.
The last time I was in San Francisco was June of 2007. We went with lots of friends and had a wonderful time. D'arcy, age two, and Julian, nine months, came along for the ride. I was totally not expecting for the memories of my sweet babies to come rolling in and make me cry. Truthfully, D'arcy and Julian getting older hasn't been bittersweet for me. I have two other little toddlers to take their place. That might seem awful, but it is what it is. It's been great to parent older kids. I've so enjoyed it. But the memories from that San Francisco trip where little D'arcy blew bubbles, Julian slept in a suitcase, and we painfully pushed them up Knob Hill each afternoon came flooding in and whacked me over the head. I came home with a little extra incentive to treasure each moment with my big kids.
So this little trip was sort of a ten year anniversary trip for us. We'll be celebrating our ten year anniversary in May. Stephen keeps asking, "Hey, what do you want to do for our anniversary?" My response, "Have a baby." IT will be arriving just in time to celebrate with us.
I showed up a few hours before work was done on Friday. I found the whole office drinking a beer from the keg that permanently resides in the break room.
My new favorite shirt. I paid $4.00 from Target's clearance. It's not maternity, but I paired it with a maternity tank to cover the bump properly.
One day, Stephen will own one of these cars, but today he'll just drool on this one.
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