The best trip of our lives was our honeymoon, hands down! It was the first time we took a vacation alone away from everyone and everything we knew to one of the most romantic locations – the islands of Hawaii! We did a 2-week cruise while island hopping and boy, was it spectacular to say the least! Fast forward to one year after our honeymoon, we were prepping to welcome our first-born son. Six months after Caleb Beau was born, we found out we were pregnant again with our first baby girl. Six months after Olivia Joy was born this highly fertile mama conceived yet again and now we are expecting our 3rd baby in the next few weeks in under 3 years. Life has changed pretty darn quickly but it has been quite the wonderful adventure for us. Contrary to popular belief, babies have not been a burden to our marriage and have actually brought out the best in us as parents and as husband and wife. I am proud of the man and father my husband has become during this new stage in life and I guess I should give myself a pat on the back for uncovering a selfless love and patience I never knew existed within me. We adore our babies and consider ourselves extremely blessed to be their parents, with that being said, my husband and I have unofficially planned to get away once a year just the two of us.

Both of our primary love language is Quality time (thank goodness!). Thanks to this, we make sure to spend quality time every night once the babies are asleep. We talk as best friends, watch a favorite show, and simply enjoy each other’s company. Ever so often (bi-monthly) we put the babies to sleep a little earlier and hire a babysitter to go out for date night. Date night is always fun because it truly feels like we’re dating again!

In spite of it all, it is beneficial for a married couple to get away.

The 3 main factors to prepare for are:

1. Leaving the kids with someone you trust wholeheartedly
2. The means to get away
3. The emotional stress of leaving a chunk of your heart AKA your babies

We are fortunate to have the best grandparents in the world to stay with our babies without hesitation. Consider yourself blessed if you live close to loved ones that can stay with them while you’re away. Many couples opt for a best friend if they do not have close relatives nearby.

As far as having the means, planning a getaway does not have to be expensive. Our getaways have always been 3-4 days max. I don’t think we could be away from our babies longer than that! If you’re financial able to travel, do it, if not, a staycation is still an amazing getaway as long as it’s just the two of you. Honestly, your destination does not necessarily matter – what matters most is that you both are able to be together alone.

Oh the thought of leaving the babies for a day or more literally feels like someone is ripping a piece of your heart out! We left Caleb for the first time, 2 weeks before his 1st birthday and Olivia 1 month after her 1st birthday. The days building up to our mini-getaway were both heart wrenching! I cried just thinking about it and was about to tell my husband to forget about our trip on both occasions, but after some serious prayer and having my mom comfort me (Yes! I’m a mama’s girl – don’t judge,Haha!), I understood the importance of getting away with my husband.

4 reasons why a mini-getaway is a great idea (The 4 Rs)

1. Rest. Life with babies is the busiest we have ever been especially for me since I am a stay-at-home pregnant mom! This 3rd pregnancy has me feeling a bit tired now that I am well into my 3rd trimester and most of it is because I am constantly on the go in my home entertaining, chasing, teaching, and taking care of my 2 year old boy and 1 year old girl (raising low-tech children is quite time-consuming) all while making a daily home-cooked meal, attempting to have a clean home, making sure my husband is taken care of whenever he works from home, AND being a blogger and shop owner all at once. Obviously, being able to physically rest is our idea of a good getaway! Although our babies are excellent sleepers and nappers, their sleep time simply means I have a few more hours to get things done. A getaway helps you finally REST and actually sleep in without thinking about cleaning the house or making breakfast.
2. Reconnect mentally. Our life can be a routine. Don’t get me wrong, I am the biggest fan of routine when it comes to babies, but in a marriage, routine isn’t always fun. Because of our schedules, sometimes it may feel like we’re on autopilot. It’s important to be able to pause and reconnect mentally with your spouse. Even if we communicate and ask each other daily how we feel and how our day was, getting away helps with opening up completely and connecting mentally with your love. It’s a time to take advantage of and dream together, discuss the future, set new goals, and visualize them. It’s also a time to reestablish your friendship.
3. Rekindle the flame. I’ve heard people say that as the years pass, you have to continue to fan the flame. I’m happy to say my husband and I still feel like newlyweds even though we’re about to have our 3rd baby, but a getaway does help to remind us that we are still honeymooners and will be for the years to come God-willing!
4. Remember life before babies. You may have heard how difficult life can be for empty-nesters, because they revolved their marriage on only being parents. We must never forget that before we were parents, we were just us and the two are one! Your marriage cannot and should not revolve solely on the kids. That’s why it’s crucial to leave your comfort zone of the daily runaround and spend time with your spouse and behave like lovebirds. Remember who you fell in love with and why you said, “Yes” when he popped the question.

One of our favorite places to vacation is at my hometown, NY, because that’s where he got down on one knee 4 years ago and asked me the most magical question in the dreamiest city at the heart of Central Park. Every time we visit, we take a stroll through Bow Bridge, close to where he proposed.

Life with kids may be a bit overwhelming at times and can get awfully busy, but make it a goal this year to have a mini-getaway with your love whether it’s a weekend or a few days. DO IT! Having a happy, strong marriage is the best thing we can do for our children.

My husband surprised me on Christmas with tickets to NY for our 3rd “babymoon”! We had such a lovely and romantic time. Check out a some photos and video from our trip.