Marriage retreat 2011

Just the word "retreat" makes me a little uneasy. 3 weeks after we were married in 2007 I thought it would be a grand idea to go on this women's retreat. You know, as if after 3 weeks of marriage I would be ready to get away and pick apart all of the ins and outs of marriage and my change in identity and my role as a wife and such. I was pretty much miserable. I broke every rule and not only turned on my cell phone as instructed not do but I skipped half of the planned activities to talk to my recent groom.

Last week I did not know what to think about 5 days away from the little boys. I didn't know, either, that I had forgotten how to really unwind but I had...completely. So after a full 48 hours of straightening our vacation home in Key Largo and trying desperately to suck down the best pina colada I had ever had just to maybe help the tension...I finally was able to let go and feel what it feels like to be only responsible for myself.

Thanks to the grandparents in our life we were able to hop a plane and a bus and a train and Marta and a golf cart (it took us 7 modes of transportation just to get to where we were going) we were on our way to what turned out to be a much needed marriage "retreat" for the two of us. We had the type of conversations that only happen B.K. because when you are W.K. (with kiddos) the conversation doesn't get farther than who's diaper was changed last. We rode the golf cart all over the island, took two hours to work out each day, stayed out for dinner past 7:30, and even sat and watched the stars over a bridge over the water each night.

The funny thing is that after two days of being wound so tight I couldn't even giggle, I finally let down, and then 48 hours later I was ready to come home....back to runny noses and bottles to clean because, honestly, I have come accustomed to the consistency of my life. I could certainly afford myself a little more personal time throughout the week but for two years (and the last 9 months especially) I have grown to enjoy the busyness of the day and the inability to think beyond the hour. I know I won't be like this forever - I don't think anyone could but for now, for some reason, I am a little addicted to the 90 mile pace and lack of time to "retreat." Plus, being away showed me just how infectious the giggles of little boys can be. When we left last week I said I didn't know if I would miss the voice of our two year old...constantly asking the same silly question over and over and over and over. I'll admit, the first two days I welcomed the quiet but after 48 hours I realized that I don't really like quiet right now. A quiet house will come again in many years and by that time I know I'll long for these sweet, toddler days again.

I guess that is what vacation is about though....realizing that life at home is pretty sweet!

We didn't get too many photos because we didn't take bags anywhere! I think this was half the fun - not having to carry 4 things just to go to dinner at night. But here are the very few that we took - obviously on self timer!
Window seat to Miami...what a pretty flight!
We did alot of this....nothing in the shade by the pools and ocean.
I seriously wet my pants laughing at the comedian of the bunch as we ran out of juice in the cart on our sunset cruise over the bridge.
Movie night on the island. We were the youngest of the crowd by 50 years.

This is about as good as you get with the wind, a broken camera, and no one in sight to snap a photo. I love how our memories these days are more about the actual memory and not about looking like superstars!
{Seriously needing to invest in a real camera before our good years are over!}