Thursday, February 13, 2014

Yes, I Left Them



My husband and I in Cancun (Camp Coon as my kids called it) last week.

This year we will celebrate our 25 year wedding anniversary and we took an early celebration trip in the middle of this cold winter.  Yes, we left all 10 kids back here in the states and had a wonderful time!  It really was the best vacation we have ever had.  We were gone for 5 days and even though there was a ton of prep to do beforehand, not to mention a few panic attacks when I thought about leaving them, it was so worth it.
I would encourage all you married couples to never forget to invest in your marriage.  The kids will one day grow-up and leave the nest and it will just be the 2 of you once again.  A happy, healthy marriage is the greatest gift that you can give your children.  It doesn't matter if you practice attachment parenting, homeschool, take them to church, give them every luxury or extra-curricular activity, etc. if you do not have a strong marriage relationship then all the above is in vain. I think I've said this before, but if the nucleus of a cell is not healthy, than the whole cell is not healthy.
I know when the children are small it is harder to get away, but it still can be done.  If you have a child younger than 12 months that you are still nursing, then take them with you.  If they are older than that, they can be left.  Your child will never remember you even leaving them when they are younger than 3.
Below is a picture of the 11 pages of instructions I left for the kids and sitters before I left.  I started working on this about 5 days before our departure. 


 It's so nice too, with cell phones and internet that I was able to keep in touch with them but my husband wouldn't let me too much.  You know, you have detach some to really relax. 

My toes enjoying the Caribbean.....the weather was so very perfect. 

The resort we went to was a couple's only resort and all inclusive and away from all the main resorts of Cancun. 
We took a boat out to a coral reef and both went snorkeling for the first time.  It was so beautiful and we marveled at God's creation.


The view from our room.  Boy, with all the snow we've had this past week I am sure missing this.....maybe next year again : )

7 comments:

  1. What resort is this? Looks beautiful! We are planning a 10 year anniversary trip (and leaving our 3!) in the upcoming year.

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    1. Hi Katie, it was the Excellence Resort in Playa Majeres. I would highly recommend it. It was about a 25 min drive from the Cancun airport and away from all the other resorts. But it was large enough that you didn't need to leave it at all if you didn't want to (we didn't : )

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  2. What a blessing for the two of you. We have gone on similar trips over our 39 year marriage. The first time was the hardest to leave them. That was when we had nine kids and the youngest was about 1 1/2. Also, what you said about marriage is so true. Six of our kids are married now and so much is just in their bones because of our marriage. Bless you.

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  3. Hi good for you! Would just love some alone time with the hubby right now. :) I also remembered in another post that you like to Cosleep until one year old with a baby, but HOW do you get them out???? I have just paid a fortune to the baby sleep site to give me a sleep plan for my almost one year old and I've been dutiful for 6 weeks and I'm getting nowhere! I used to not have the confidence but now I see that hubby, other children really need me and the one year old is nursing down to sleep every evening for over an hour! While it's delightful it's not ideal as our family is growing! I would really appreciate any advice you could give on this topic please ( I'm also in new Zealand with no grandmas grandpas sisters or family to help!)

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    1. Hi there, it sounds like you do need a little time away : )
      Just to clarify, I'm not really a co-sleeper. I do have my babies in bed with me a good bit the first year because I nurse on demand. But I do get them used to their crib early on. I've found that my babies and myself sleep better when we are apart some. My babies get to the point where they like their own bed. For the next baby, I would have them in their bed pretty early. I will be praying that you will know what to do with this little one though. You may just have to let him cry it out a few nights now that he is older. Hugs to you!

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  4. We have been married for almost 29 years and next year will be doing a couple's only resort too. So excited!

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Thanks so much for your comments! I love them and they keep me writing. I really do read each one.