DIY Marriage Retreat

Last year, Andy and I attended our first marriage retreat. We really enjoyed it and made the decision to make it a yearly habit - in some form/fashion. This year, we planned out a kind of DIY (do it yourself for those of you not addicted to pinterest or home improvement shows) retreat, and we enjoyed it even more! Andy covered some of the highlights and details in his post here, so I won't repeat it. We decided in advance to both separately read through Tim Keller's The Meaning of Marriage, so we planned out four specific times throughout our weekend to discuss the book and our marriage.

I decided to take my camera along almost everywhere to take pictures. Other than our honeymoon pictures (from 9 1/2 years ago!), we have very few pictures of us doing things together (minus the kiddos). I thought when we're old(er) and gray(er), we'll appreciate them - haha. Here are a few of our "outings":

Getting some house ideas for this summer when we have a new place to decorate/live in (and eating some yummy cinnamon rolls, of course!)

Enjoying a beautiful park

Yummy meal at a favorite place 

First time at the Fox, and we definitely were not disappointed!! Amazing place - amazing performance!

Another favorite place to eat

Enjoyed a funny improv show 

Underwhelmed by Underground Atlanta, but we found one place worthy of going in!

I realize what a blessing it is to be married to my best friend, and I thank God every day for the marriage and family He has given to me. We both fully believe that any marriage - no matter how strong - needs work/time/attention. We also believe that marriages do not get strong/stay strong on their own. Just like any other relationship, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. Also, no matter how much I love my girls and how much I want to include them in everything we do, I know that the best gifts I can give them is parents who have a great marriage and an example that marriage should be a priority. It might take some extra effort, planning, sacrifices, etc., but the benefits far outweigh all of that.