Stay-Cation

This blog is long overdue. The weekend of Sept. 25, Luke and I went on our staycation. We took the long long 30 minute :) drive to Durham. We had a gift card and coupon for the new Ruth's Chris that had just recently opened. So we decided to make an event out of it and stay in a hotel one night. What fun! This is the only picture we got of the weekend. It was right after dinner. Isn't Luke so handsome?!?Ruth's Chris was AMAZING as always. That steak is so delicious! Over dinner, we talked about our marriage; how the past year has been and what we want the next year to look like. We have a book called "Beneath the Surface". It has a series of questions to ask each other. This has also become part of our anniversary traditions. They are really good questions and really help us talk things out and set good goals. I've decided to post them here on our blog so that they can be an encouragement to you as well.

Every husband should ask his wife:

• Do you know that I truly love you, and do I make it obvious? If not, what can I do to improve that?
• Do you feel that I express my love to you enough in front of the children so there's no question in their mind of my love for you? If not, how can I improve it?
• Am I treating you as the most important person on earth to me? What could increase that feeling in you?
• I promised to cherish you. Do you feel that way, and what could I do to strengthen that?
• What is your greatest concern about our family, and have you felt free to express it to me?If you've expressed it, have I listened?
• Do you feel that I'm helping you fulfill your God-given potential? How can I improve that?
• Am I doing anything that would ever lead you to be tempted to compromise in any area? If so, what could I do to change?
• Would you tell me your most significant dreams about the future?

Every wife should ask her husband:

• Am I doing enough to make you feel adequate in our relationship and assuring you that I see you that way?
• I know that it's important for you to feel honored and affirmed. Do I make you feel that way, and what can I do to improve?
• How can I help you best succeed at your work as you provide for the needs of our family?
• Do you feel that I know and understand what your greatest dreams are for the future?
• What could I do better to support your leadership in our family?
• Am I doing anything that would ever lead you to be tempted to compromise in any area? If so, what could I do to change?

Here are some questions to share together:

• How do you feel we're doing in expressing our won personal faith as a living reality in front of our kids?
• Are we sometimes allowing our children to play one of us against the other, and if so, what adjustments do we need to make to avoid that?
• Are we praying for our children's future and for the mates God is preparing for them?
• Do our children understand that our marriage relationship is the priority in our family?
• How are we each doing individually and together as a couple on building our spiritual lives?
• Is the atmosphere of our home one that is filled with joy and expectation? If not, what adjustments need to be made?
• What are we doing together to make sure that we are growing together, as opposed to growing apart?

These questions really allow us to be open and honest with one another about how we're feeling and in a safe atmosphere. After dinner we came back to the hotel room and continued in our anniversary traditions of singing our wedding hymns together and saying our vows to each other again. It's always so good for us to remind ourselves of the promises that we made to each other that day.

On Saturday, we walked all around downtown Durham in the warehouse district and the entertainment district. It was pretty cloudy and drizzly so no one was out but we still had a really great time. We also went to a craft fair which I think was more fun for me than for Luke but I told him that he spoke so much love to me by going and being interested in things I knew deep down he didn't care about :) Saturday night we came back home and got ready for church the next day. I'm sure you're all wondering, where was Isaac during all this. Well he spent the whole weekend with his Mutee. Friday night to Sunday afternoon we were childless and it was great. But by Sunday morning, we were really missing him and were excited to see him again.

What a fun weekend. Stay-cations may just be our new anniversary tradition. It'll be easier once our family gets bigger and you just can't beat the pr