I can't count the number of times I have been asked, "what are you guys doing for Valentines Day!?" Well...
We went on a weekend getaway.
We had no kids to tame, no diapers to change, and had absolutely no schedule.
We stayed in a nice hotel with an amazing view that looked out over the water.
We slept in and ordered breakfast in bed.
We took long walks on the beach, held hands, talked about life, and listened to the waves hit the shore.
At night, we watched the sunset and had quiet, romantic dinners by the fire.
Not Really.
In all honesty, we had a busy day of running errands, and a normal night of baths, pajamas, snacks, feeding babies, and bedtimes. I was in bed at 9:45pm, no joke.
With 5 small children, those "getaways" are not always practical. Instead, we spend time as a family. We eat chips & salsa and rent a movie after the kids go to bed. We currently like spending time together searching for our new home...when we can get a Sunday afternoon to do so. I have also noticed that our "date nights," have turned into "day dates." And truth be told, I don't mind.....I thought I would, but I don't.
I'm not going to lie, it's not easy to stand outside the "Social Norm." And to be brutally honest, as a mom, it's lonely sometimes. It can be tough to watch other couples with smaller families go on weekend trips, spend time alone, and have date nights. But would I trade it for anything? Never. And does God make mistakes? Definitely not. And is it possible that our Sovereign God chose this road to make us more Holy.....to make a stubborn, independent girl like me rely more on Him? Absolutely, there is no doubt in my mind. Praise The Lord for my 5 sweet girls...I don't feel like I could breathe without them. I've always been one to jump on board with the saying, "a baby will change your life," and I still do think that. But having 5 children in less than 4.5 years, has not only changed my life, it has changed who I am. I am not the same girl I was last year, or 6 months ago for that matter.
Now, due to all of the above, I'm OK without a super-charged, expensive, romantic, Hallmark Valentines Day. I really do love all the fun little holidays, they are always fun. Ours just may be a little different for awhile. I need to be remember everyday to love my husband with all I have, and we need to remember everyday to celebrate each other. With this many small children, we have to be thankful for any time we have alone, even if we're just running errands.
With all that said, I hope everyone had a fun, sweet Valentines Day! Anyone do something super fun? Any fantastic presents?? Do tell!
8 comments:
Great perspective, Kate! I know this year was WAY different than last year. Nugget decided to wake up and join us for our dinner. :) It is a very special different, though, that's for sure and will not last forever or very long.
AMEN!!!
That is such a wonderful way to look at it!! I can totally relate to what you said!! I couldn't have said it better myself!! V-Day was just like any other day around here and that was fine with me!
Hi, my sister Stacie told me about your blog recently. We have a somewhat similar life in that we have had six kids in six years. Four boys ages 6,3,1 and one who went to be with Jesus, and now twin girls born Nov 22 which completes our crazy crew. We have been married almost nine years and it has been an adventure! I enjoyed your article about how to get out with multiples or really, many small children.
No... nothing fun here! In fact, my Valentine was out of town for the big day. The kids and I did spend time with my family in Michigan which was nice. We've never done anything big for Valentine's day anyway, so it wasn't a big deal for him to be gone. You seriously had me going with the "vacation" you dreamed up. I thought, "How in the world did they pull that off?!"
I understand completely! We did get to go out to dinner... my parents double-teamed the four little ladies. Of course, eating dinner at 5pm (so we could be home before bedtime) is a bit different than life before all these little munchkins. But you gotta savor the moments, no matter what time!
Hi Kate, I'm Marisa's sister Jenn. We met at Marisa's baby shower for Lucas. I know it has been over 3 years ago, but I remember having such a wonderful conversation with you. This weekend Marisa told me about your blog. Of course I had to come check it out!
Loved your dreamed up get-away! We have never really done anything fancy for Valentines Day. This year I made a Dutch Apple Pie for my love and he grabbed me a box of chocolates leftover from the Christmas party at his work. That in itself is another story!
That's really sweet. With my line of work/ministry, it's incredibly refreshing to read about mothers so dedicated to their children!!
My Valentine's Day was full of the love of many small children, as usual! :-)
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