Spoiled

As recommended by several of our friends whom have children already, Matt and I were able to spend the weekend away for some time together before the baby comes. We were able to have a 3 night stay at the Eden Roc on Miami Beach. Now....the Eden Roc is not your typical hotel (that's a picture of our rooom overlooking Miami beach from the bed!)...this place was amazing and luxurious. Multiple pools and hot tubs, incredible views, impeccable service, crisp, comfortable linen, and amazing rooms with a jacuzzi tub that had windows that opened up through the room onto the balcony where we had an ocean front view. I have never been able to shower or soak in a jacuzzi tub and stare at the ocean while I did it. We even slept with the balcony doors open at night and listened to waves crash against the shore...it was the best white noise I'd ever been lulled to sleep with. One night on the pool deck there was a man playing his saxophone and the beautiful notes left his instrument with such a fluid sound. The notes then whimsically floated through the air and merged with the sounds of the sea to be met in perfect harmony in my ears as I laid awake in bed trying to soak it all in. The sights, the sounds, the smell, the incredible time with my husband....it was a much needed and greatly appreciated time away.

Due to Matt's occasional travel for work, he had once again earned us enough points to enjoy all of this for free. Here's the funny part....so here we are at this fancy resort/spa in an expensive, high-end town where a pool-side can of soda is $4. A sandwich and fries for 2 for lunch will set you back over $40. We knew this ahead of time and planned accordingly. Each afternoon Matt would head back to the room and make us some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bring down a bag of chips and some bottled waters that we brought, and we would dine away pool-side. Each morning we would eat muffins and bananas that we also picked up at the store on the way. We attempted to calculate how much money our efforts saved us (we both love stuff like that), but we never came to a figure. It had to be well over $200. Good thing we saved that way because we still ate out for dinner and it made it much easier to splurge and truly enjoy our time together in the evenings knowing we had done so well all day. (I'll post more pictures when I get a chance...the camera is still packed away and it will stay that way until I get back from my mom's wedding this week)

On the drive home I felt so refreshed, rejuvenated, recharged, and so close to Matt that it almost made me tear up. When we were packing up in the hotel room that "back to reality" feeling crept over me and I was immediately thankful for all we were able to do. One of the many things that intimidates us about having a baby is how things like that will change. Vacations will never be the same, not necessarily better or worse, just forever different and I think having this last little "get away" was our way of saying goodbye to the old us and embracing the new. I anticipate there will be days when we feel like we would do just about anything to have a weekend like that back again, but beyond a shadow of a doubt there is not one second either of us will question if it isn't all completely worth it....this I am sure of and confident in.

I am a HUGE marriage advocate or whatever you want to call it. Nothing excites me more than people who are excited about their marriage. I love that. It causes my heart to swell so big because we live in a world that has lost touch with the honor and blessing that being a wife or being a husband is. People who are intentional in the way they treat this critically important relationship and have the utmost confidence in their spouses and in their marriage as a whole....I just absolutely love it. I strive for it daily and although I make my share of mistakes, this is one area of my life that cannot be neglected and this weekend reminded me of that importance. With a new baby we will have to be much more aware and conscious of the efforts this will require...intentionality will become more important and date nights will have to be redesigned, but hold me accountable, support, and encourage me in this....(I've heard the emphasis and importance of this expressed over and over and I intend to listen) we will be husband and wife first.