3 Day Getaway

Shep and I had the amazing opportunity to get away for 3 days and 3 nights. So what is a couple to do who has been married almost 14 years with 3 kids?

We jumped at the chance.

My parents (and Linda) graciously offered to watch our children and we almost couldn't hit the door fast enough.

It isn't that we don't adore and cherish our children. But...we do love each other more. AND time alone is hard to come by...not to mention 3 days and 3 nights alone. We were like crazy kids! It was so much fun and so needed.

(Did you happen to see the necessities that went along with me? My electric blanket, flip-flops, boots, sweat pants, hooded sweatshirts, and brain candy fiction books....Christian, of course.:)
About the only thing that I left bare on the beach was my feet. It was COLD. Beautiful, but cold. On one day I even departed from my fashion know-how and desperately wore Shep's over sized camouflage coat...yes. I did. I had my cute outfit on and then that piece of apparel on top of it. It was such a shame but I would have nearly frozen without it.


I can't tell you how much we relished every moment we had together. Not one second was wasted. We shamelessly flirted as if the time was fleeting...because it was. We laughed a lot. We kept the conversation light and talked easily of the people and things we were so grateful to have in our lives.
Shep is so silly. I forget that sometimes. Life has a way to sucking the fun right out of us. Shep is always a great sport but, even he falls prey to losing that part of himself sometimes. It was like a lid was lifted and his silly self came bubbling out. At one point we were walking on the beach and the sand had formed a wall. Shep thought he would be cool and try to walk the edge of it...showing off for me. Of course you know what happened. He fell about 5 and a half feet down toward the freezing cold water. Then the water came toward him and he got a feel of just how cold it was. Then he started running and trying to scale the sand wall that he had just fallen from. Let's just say that he not-so-gracefully missed and fell again. I laughed hard and out loud. People were staring but I just couldn't help myself. It was hilarious. Those moments are rare for us now. But they didn't use to be. That was our normal. Lots of laughing and, often, at each other.
One of our majestic sunsets. Shep and I are beach bums to the core. We will almost always pick the beach as a get away. We both love the water...and the views, and the smells, and the breezes. God's creation has a way of speaking peace to our souls through all of it.
I told Shep at one point that I was having a wonderful time just being with him. Nothing else....just him. I appreciate and respect him so much. He replied with a typical "Shep-ism".

"Baby, I know what you mean. I enjoy your company too. It's kind of like we're foxhole friends. You stay huddled down in the foxhole with somebody for 14 years and you love and respect them immensely." (-if you know him at all...you can so picture him saying that)

Then we laughed about the foxhole analogy. 14 years....deaths, births, had plenty, been in want, dabbled in politics, striving, hoping, dodging, parenting, paying, protecting, learning, growing, trying, persevering, praying, and hoping. Trying to build a life together that glorifies Jesus ...
I have mentioned that our time was incredible but I haven't even touched on the food. We are very familiar with the area that we visited. We have been there numerous times. Lots of those times hold memories with some of our very best friends. We have learned where to go to get delicious grub. McGuires Irish Pub- the "boxtys" are out of this world. Louisiana Lagniappe- Shrimp Kevin...enough said. Pompano Joes- Coconut shrimp and grouper sandwiches...not to mention a fabulous beach front view. Yes~ we did them all and if the scale doesn't head upward by about 5 pounds I will be highly delighted and surprised.
I had to add this picture because this about sums up our drive home. We hated to leave. Oh, we couldn't wait to see our children again but we hated ending our time alone. So...we needed a little bit of liquid courage. Some folks would say that is alcohol but not always true. In this sense it was our 2nd trip to Tropical Smoothie. He got Acai berry and I opted for the stronger peanut butter cup. These little delights were delicious going down and seemed to help our moods a little bit for the long ride home.