Last weekend Doug and I had the rare chance for a weekend alone together. It was fantastic! As one of the most gag-inducing things I've probably ever said... I got the chance to fall in love with my husband all over again.
When you have 4.5 kids and a full time job and a house to run and a family to take care of it's a flippin' miracle I ever got pregnant in the first place. "Time together" is that time of night between when the last kid finally goes to sleep and when I fall asleep watching whatever show we happen to have on. This was some much needed, real time together.
When Doug and I first started dating in 2006, and I'm talking like 3 weeks in, he took me to Orcas Island for the weekend just a few days before Christmas. We both will agree that is where we fell in love for the first time. It was a beautiful place and the best thing that could've happened. Doug says it was all in his Master Plan. Take me to a seasonally deserted island where I couldn't get away while he convinced me he was the best thing that could happen to me. Well, obviously it worked. Here we are four years and almost five Christmases later.
Because of all the traveling Doug does for work he earned a free night at a Best Western hotel that expired on December 24. When I realized there was one on San Juan Island and we could have a little bit of that "island magic" back I jumped on it.
We both felt lighter just leaving the house. Doug actually forwarded all of his calls and emails to someone else! Really? You mean no constant beeps from emails of questions that really need to wait until Monday? No phone calls because someone was just being stupid? Really really? Awesome!
For a couple days we actually laughed together again. We joked and flirted with each other. I got to see a real, light-from-within, smile from my husband. For two solid days I got MY Doug back. We went to an expensive dinner and had delicious food. We actually got dressed up like grown-ups. I put on a dress and heels! I could see some of the stress just roll off of Doug. I'm sure he could see the same with me.
I didn't yell at kids, or obsess over what needed to be cleaned/organized/sorted/fixed. I did not check on the kids at all! I left the girls in the very capable hands of my mother-in-law. She raised three kids of her own, she can handle three of mine for a night. OK, so I did leave three pages of "instructions" for the girls and threatened penalty of permanent grounding to the first child to so much as call me for anything less than imminent death. But hey, when you have kids certain concessions need to be made when you are away.
By Sunday afternoon we were ready to be home. Not that a winter holiday spent on a beach somewhere wouldn't be welcome, but it was time to go back to reality.
It was a beautiful time away and a fantastic reminder of how we got here in the first place.
I love you, Doug. For all of my tomorrows.
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