Kids change everything

Me and my honey at the Oregon coast. Note to self-when you lean back to take a self portrait with your phone you give yourself a double chin......

I have been married for 8 years now. I've been a mother for nearly 7. Yes-life came at us fast.

And in the 8 years we have been married, aside from our honeymoon, we have never gone away together, just the two of us. Never. Honestly.

The kids have slept over at grandma's house now and again giving us a night to ourselves. But it's not the same as really going away. Because at home even when the kids are away responsibility is always just around the corner. There is always something that I feel like I need to be doing because the kids will be home soon and everything is harder to get done when the kids are home.

So 4 weeks ago when my husband told me he had to travel to Oregon for work and I booked a flight to go with him it wasn't only exciting-it was monumental! 6 days and 5 nights without kids. Without the pressures of what need to get done around the house. Without church responsibilities or play dates. No dishes. No laundry. Just us.

Okay my husband has technically been working....but I have had no responsibility. :)

But you know what-everything we've done has been filled with "Oh, the kids would love this."

That's right-we have spent nearly all our time thinking about all the things the kids would be enjoying if they were with us.

Like on our drive to the coast there is a long tunnel we had to pass through. "Oh, the kids would love this."

On the beach we came across this:

Then we spent the next 10 minutes talking about how much our own little Zoey would have gotten such a great kick out of that. Being 5 it's likely she would've thought somebody had put it there just for her. Because childhood is magical like that.

When we were driving through the little coastal town trying to decide where to eat we ate here:

Yes, we ate the the Bliss Hot Rod Grill.

Not because we thought they would have the best food in the entire town. But because we thought the kids would love it.

And I was more than a little disappointed that another family was already sitting at the table inside the car....

Because wouldn't the kids just get the biggest kick out of that?!?!?!?!