I saw this print on Etsy last Friday: "Today, I have loved you for 1,424 days". Shawn
was sitting next to me, reading a book and keeping my feet warm with his. "I wonder
how many days it would be, if I add them all up, that I've loved you?" I wondered out loud.
was sitting next to me, reading a book and keeping my feet warm with his. "I wonder
how many days it would be, if I add them all up, that I've loved you?" I wondered out loud.
We did the math, smiling at each other when I announced proudly: "5045 days!!"
We've been loving each other, completely and hopelessly and imperfectly, for 5045
days. How blessed we truly are. And it was with the awe and wonder of that enormous
number that we set out this weekend on a rock'n'roll babymoon adventure. My lover and
best friend and companion for the last 5045 days and our unborn son and me.
days. How blessed we truly are. And it was with the awe and wonder of that enormous
number that we set out this weekend on a rock'n'roll babymoon adventure. My lover and
best friend and companion for the last 5045 days and our unborn son and me.
When I was pregnant for Belle, one of my coworkers asked if Shawn and I were going on
a "babymoon". I literally laughed out loud, it sounded so silly to me, just the name
alone. Looking back, I laugh out loud at myself and my clueless, childless 24 year old
attitude. Of course we didn't need a babymoon: everyday of our lives together was
a babymoon! All we had was each other, loving and living our lives completely immersed
in each other. Cut to our second pregnancy with Brees, less time together thanks to fast
paced careers, a busy 6 year old, and the growing list of responsibilities that accompanies
your early thirties. We embarked on a long weekend roadtrip, just the two of us, spent
some time at the beach, caught a Kings of Leon show, enjoyed a little quality time before
we would have to open our hearts and our lives to another little girl. We began to
understand the importance of a "babymoon", fully aware of how much time had been
taken from our marriage in order to care for our child, knowing that the time would
continue to be stacked against us once we added another. And so we grasped on to
our weekend away together and used the connection and strength we obtained from
that quality time to move us forward into the next phase of our journey together.
a "babymoon". I literally laughed out loud, it sounded so silly to me, just the name
alone. Looking back, I laugh out loud at myself and my clueless, childless 24 year old
attitude. Of course we didn't need a babymoon: everyday of our lives together was
a babymoon! All we had was each other, loving and living our lives completely immersed
in each other. Cut to our second pregnancy with Brees, less time together thanks to fast
paced careers, a busy 6 year old, and the growing list of responsibilities that accompanies
your early thirties. We embarked on a long weekend roadtrip, just the two of us, spent
some time at the beach, caught a Kings of Leon show, enjoyed a little quality time before
we would have to open our hearts and our lives to another little girl. We began to
understand the importance of a "babymoon", fully aware of how much time had been
taken from our marriage in order to care for our child, knowing that the time would
continue to be stacked against us once we added another. And so we grasped on to
our weekend away together and used the connection and strength we obtained from
that quality time to move us forward into the next phase of our journey together.
Needless to say, for this third time around, we REALLY get it. Alone time is a rarity these
days and, despite our best intentions, we do not always MAKE the time as we should. We
are guilty of not always putting our marriage first, focusing so much of our attention on
our girls, our home, and our careers that we rely on the unspoken strength of our love to
carry us through at times. But, this weekend, we took the time. We left the girls with my
dad and went away. We talked without being interrupted, slept in, ordered room service,
and fell back into each other's arms. We held hands at a Black Crowes show, singing along
to "Josephine" with tears in our eyes. We had dinner with some of our best friends. We
went to Jazz Fest and danced in the mud to "Lonely Boy". We took our time, threw out
the schedules, and enjoyed just being Shawn and Liv. It was our babymoom and, as cheesy as
I once thought that concept was, it was so needed and appreciated. 5045 days later and
that man still gives me butterflies, still makes me laugh like no other.
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days and, despite our best intentions, we do not always MAKE the time as we should. We
are guilty of not always putting our marriage first, focusing so much of our attention on
our girls, our home, and our careers that we rely on the unspoken strength of our love to
carry us through at times. But, this weekend, we took the time. We left the girls with my
dad and went away. We talked without being interrupted, slept in, ordered room service,
and fell back into each other's arms. We held hands at a Black Crowes show, singing along
to "Josephine" with tears in our eyes. We had dinner with some of our best friends. We
went to Jazz Fest and danced in the mud to "Lonely Boy". We took our time, threw out
the schedules, and enjoyed just being Shawn and Liv. It was our babymoom and, as cheesy as
I once thought that concept was, it was so needed and appreciated. 5045 days later and
that man still gives me butterflies, still makes me laugh like no other.
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Shawn decided to set out and gather some festival snacks to get us through the next band.
One of my favorite parts of Jazz Fest is the food and so I waited anxiously in my lawn chair
to see what delicious treat he would bring back. Would it be a shrimp po-boy? A gyro?
Maybe a bowl of red beans and rice? None of the above. He brought me chocolate
covered strawberries. I burst out laughing, what a random choice! But he rationalized
his decision in true Shawn fashion: "Babe, it's healthy and junk food all rolled into one!
Both you and the baby will be happy!". And so I sat under the beautiful Louisiana sky,
listened to The Metermen and ate my fresh, chocolate covered strawberries with the
biggest smile on my face. What a smart husband.
There's a verse from The Black Crowes' song, "Josephine", that Shawn and I sing to each
other all the time:
other all the time:
No waiting for redemption, no leaving love behind
You got to know where you wanna be, it gets cold outside
It's too late to play it safe so let's let it all ride
Yeah, let's let it all ride, let it all ride
You got to know where you wanna be, it gets cold outside
It's too late to play it safe so let's let it all ride
Yeah, let's let it all ride, let it all ride
Marriage, though at times full of romance and bliss, is a job that needs attention and great
care. It is a joining of two souls that requires constant vigilance. There is no leaving
love behind, love must always be front and center. And even though our lives get busy
and full, we must commit to setting aside that all important time for each other. Whether it's
in the form of a babymoon or a late night discussion in the bathroom, we need that time.
"You got to know where you wanna be" and, babe, I wanna be with you. Always.
care. It is a joining of two souls that requires constant vigilance. There is no leaving
love behind, love must always be front and center. And even though our lives get busy
and full, we must commit to setting aside that all important time for each other. Whether it's
in the form of a babymoon or a late night discussion in the bathroom, we need that time.
"You got to know where you wanna be" and, babe, I wanna be with you. Always.
2 comments:
Your story is a beautiful example dear Liv'. I do hope one day somebody will want as much as me to build a mariage and do everything to make it work.We will see. In the meantime I pray for your happiness and love.
xx
You WILL find that someday my friend, I just know it. You give so much love and encouragement to everyone around you, you will surely receive it back tenfold@!!!
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