My husband and I have spent a LOT of time together lately….and we haven’t tried to kill each other! Which is quite impressive, considering we’ve spent our time together two very different ways.
Rewind almost two weeks, to Thursday afternoon, as I left work to go to my hair appointment. I had scheduled the appointment on that day because our five year anniversary was the next day, and I wanted to look snazzy! Since our anniversary falls so soon after Christmas, Brandon normally ends up doing a lot of the planning for it. I love him, and love celebrating our marriage; but my mind is kind of shot after the holidays.
With my trimmed up hair, feeling sexy and relaxed, I came home to find a letter and a picture from our wedding on the coffee station. Slightly confused, I let the dog out and started investigating the mystery display. As I read, I discovered that my husband had arranged for a weekend trip for our anniversary! Four nights at French Lick Resort.
And it was all organized. Ladies, as managers of our households and all the details that come with it, you will understand how amazing this was. All I had to do was pack a bag for me and dog (yes, she went with us!). He had arranged to have someone check on the house, scheduled my time off from work, managed to get someone to lead worship for me on Sunday, and even made a snack run for the hotel room.
But most impressive, he arranged the finances. We set financial goals together, but I manage the day to day details. We operate within the Dave Ramsey plan, so every two weeks, Brandon gets an “allowance” of cash. Because we operate this way, it would be super hard for him to syphon off money for a trip without me knowing about it.
But he did it. He saved and scrimped extra cash for about a year and financed our trip without denting our budget in any way. Another thing I didn’t have to worry about, able to spend money guilt-free.
So that afternoon, we headed out in the snow to detach from real life for a few days. And it was heaven. We slept in, watched TV, hung out at the pool, got a massage and a pedicure, and really just did whatever we felt like.
French Lick Resort did not disappoint. It was quiet as their off-season had begun. We found a local dive breakfast place with bomb biscuits and gravy, hashbrowns, and eggs. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area.
The spa was my new favorite place. From the orange water to the fluffy robes, it was the epitome of relaxation. (Brandon did inform me that dudes chilling the same room in bathrobes is more awkward than relaxing.) I went out on a limb tried a mud wrap for the first time. Nothing like getting slathered in mud and sweating out toxins!
But the best part of all was actually being able to relax. My brain spins a lot, especially when we travel. I always pack melatonin and laxatives. On our drive, Brandon told me that he had worked hard to make sure that I didn’t have to think about a thing. And I worked really hard to honor his efforts, and disconnect whenever I felt my mind wondering to all the crazy places it likes to run. I can’t thank him enough for the gift of relaxation. No laxatives or melatonin needed this weekend!
I rolled back into work the following Tuesday, refreshed, ready to tackle anything that had piled up. Life was returning to normal. Except at home, Brandon wasn’t feeling super great. And by Friday morning, he tested positive for COVID. We rearranged plans with the girls (who were supposed to come to our house) and for church Sunday morning (missing them after two weeks out!). I worked from home on Friday, and then we proceeded to sit for 4 days.
Thankfully, the virus bypassed me or hit me very mildly. Brandon had a rough two and a half days, though. Fever, back aches, stomach issues. There for a minute, he was so spaced out he couldn’t remember exactly what was happening.
So I worked to keep him comfortable, hydrated, and medicated. At one point, he asked for Sprite, but I suggested some Gatorade first. He responded like a dejected kid with a “I thought that’s what you’d say”.
We started to binge watch the Mission Impossible movies. MI2 took a few sittings….because someone kept falling asleep. It also happened to be Wild Card weekend for the NFL, so I got to catch my Chiefs trounce the Steelers Sunday night.
The sweetest development this weekend was with our little Lyla. She’s never been the cuddliest dog, kind of likes her own space. But she’s spent the majority of the last four days snuggled up with Brandon as he slept on the couch- most of the time sharing a pillow with him. It’s as if she knew he needed a little bit of love. I think he’s actually going to miss her as he goes back to work!
So this is our tale of two weekends. One romantic and relaxing, and one sick and puny. But it’s a reminder that marriage is both of these things. It’s fancy hotels and rose petals, but it’s also Lysol and sick foods. It’s loving each other when we’re dressed up and impressing each other, but also when we’re irritable and feverish. Both are very real, and both bring us closer together. And I’m truly thankful for both.
