Casey and I spent last week in an intense, 24-hours-a-day, life changing marriage counseling session last week and it was tough!! We struggled, we fought, we laughed, we learned new things about each other, and we firmly positioned our marriage on solid ground for the foreseeable future. Thanks to a few (or five) little changes in our lives, it has been nearly 5 years since we had submitted ourselves to such a grueling effort and it was long overdue. We needed a refresher, a kick in the seat, a jump start, and a reminder of just how important our relationship is to our lives and to our family’s health and if you haven’t done the same for your own marriage and family in awhile, I highly recommend that you do.

Alright so maybe I’m not being entirely forthcoming here. What we actually did was go on vacation…just the two of us…NO KIDS ALLOWED!! Taking nothing away from marriage counselors and those who have sat in their chairs hoping to repair, revive, and restore their relationships, I must say that a couples-only trip to somewhere, anywhere actually, can go a long way to achieving the same goals…….

Our chosen destination was Cabo San Lucas on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, the last strip of land that separates the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortes. We’ve been to Mexico a few times and absolutely loved it – the culture, the beaches, the diving, the people – everything about a Mexican beach vacation is incredible! But we have never been to Cabo, the most Americanized Mexican resort town, so we were a little wary of what we might find when we arrived. And I am happy to say that other than some overzealous timeshare/transportation providers at the airport who wanted us to defy the laws of economics, physics, and humanity in order to get to our resort, Cabo did not disappoint in any way!

We spent a day on an excursion to the famous arch and another day 60 feet underwater doing an open-water dive; we spent another day doing a whole lot of nothing and another on a fishing boat in the Pacific surrounded by porpoises as far as the eye could see. We went to the market, we went to the beach, and we went to the pool. We dined at the resort and we made our way to a few cantinas for some local flavor. I got pummeled by the massive waves, filling my shorts and my lungs with sand and saltwater, and I got stung by a jellyfish I never saw (on the face!), but neither fazed me a bit because the beaches were too grand, the sky was too clear, and the lady by my side was far too amazing!!!

All-in-all we just took the time to focus on each other without all of the distractions and responsibilities that all of you parents out there know all too well. It was fun, it was relaxing, it was refreshing and revitalizing, but most of all it was vitally necessary! All kidding about marriage counseling aside, I have to say that if you haven’t done something like this lately with your mate, you need to stop reading these words right now and start planning your getaway immediately!!

We have heard from so many people (most with far fewer children I might add) who say that they have never taken a parents-only vacation since their kids were born or that they can’t even find time for a date night or some other sort of thing like that. WHAT?!! Are you kidding me?? Sorry to be so blunt, but if you care about your marriage and you care about your kids then YOU MUST DO THIS!! Casey and I firmly believe that our marriage is the foundation on which this family survives and just as the foundation of any structure needs maintenance and occasional repair so does your marriage. And if you do not take the time to maintain your marriage then what are you teaching your kids about its importance? And what will be left of it when the kids are grown and gone??

Alright, I’ll get off of my soapbox now. And please don’t get me wrong – if you are one of those who hasn’t taken the time for a parents getaway, I’m not coming down on you. I know, it’s hard…it’s hard to plan, it’s hard to find the time and the money, it’s hard to be gone from the kids, and it’s hard to get things back in order when you get back. And it’s an easy thing to put aside when the daily demands of life deny you the right to relax…especially when your life is like ours – driven in the fast lane, your hands on the wheel of a car packed full of kids!! We just believe strongly that the marriage relationship has to be the first priority if any family is going to survive and thrive in this dastardly, devious, world of ours which is too often anti-marriage and anti-family. So in the words of Nike, the goddess of tennis shoes and other athletic apparel, “Just do it!”

Wait, one more thing…I can’t get out of here without a HUGE, GINORMOUS thank you to Nana, Summer, and Angel, Grandma, Grandpa, and all of the volunteers who chipped in to take care of the Six Pack while we were away!! We cannot thank you all enough for your love and support of our family!!

God bless,

Ethan