Get Nourished...: A Weekend to Remember….

The hubs and I just returned from a relaxing weekend getaway. We had the privilege to attend the Family Life Weekend to Remember Conference in Carlsbad, Ca. We used this weekend as a time of refreshment, a time to put all distractions aside and focus on our relationship with the most important person on earth! Sappy, I know! It gets better, check this out…

You see, typically I make the hotel reservations (it takes me a month to read up on all the reviews before I settle on the one I like and the one we can afford!) and I like to make time to look up restaurants in the area, so we’re not driving around in circles for hours trying to decide where we should eat. I know it sounds crazy, but I struggle with being spontaneous. This time we made the hotel reservations together, but because I had my mind focused on making sure that all the school work was completed, getting the princesses packed, getting ourselves packed, getting my hair trimmed (very important task!), and making sure all the bills were paid and in the mail before we left, the hubs took it upon himself to make the “eating arrangements.” Not only did he google “healthy restaurants in Carlsbad,” but he also printed out directions how to get from our hotel to the restaurant and back to the conference! That in itself made it a “Weekend to Remember” for me! When all was said and done, I had a variety of restaurants to choose from that offered a variety of gluten free and vegetarian meals, which meant that I didn’t have to eat a salad at every meal! Here’s some of the places we enjoyed…

TinLeaf Fresh Kitchen

I ordered the “build your own salad” meal….fresh mixed greens, avocado, roasted almonds, cucumbers, carrots, and chickpeas topped with a basil balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

The hubs’ mouth was drooling over the backyard bbq sandwich, which had a hefty portion of tri-tip, caramelized onions, natural cheddar cheese, and bbq sauce served on an artisan roll with a side of Belgian-style fries (I swiped some of the fries and they were delish!)

With bellies full we headed up to the evening session of the conference where we learned that simply understanding the things that threaten our marriage can help us achieve oneness instead of drifting toward isolation. Some of the things that make us “drift toward isolation” in our marriages are following our culture’s pattern for marriage, failing to make necessary adjustments to move toward oneness, failure to grasp God’s perspective on difficulties and problems, escaping extramarital affairs (this is an escape from reality or a search for fulfillment outside of marriage, including activities, materialism, careers, family, and fantasies), and when husbands and wives are selfish. At this point my eyelids were beginning to droop, so off to the hotel we went (thanks to the hubs wonderful directions we didn’t get lost in the dark!). I was very happy with our accommodations….

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Reading materials for the weekend!

For Pastor Appreciation week we were blessed with an array of gift certificates and we put a few to good use. Saturday morning we visited this lovely coffee shop.

Peet’s Coffee and Tea

We visited Peet’s twice during our trip…the first time I ordered a small Marsala Chai Tea Latte and the hubs tried a Pumpkin Spice Latte

It was love at first sip! But even better was the second time around when we both enjoyed a Peppermint Hot Cocoa on the drive home!

After the morning session on Saturday we had a bit of a break and decided to head back to the hotel and get a little workout in before lunch. The hubs and I haven’t worked out together in a VERY LONG time and so we thoroughly enjoyed each others’ company! I don’t know how much working out we got accomplished, but we had fun!

My side of the workout room.

DSCN1657 I really did run and I really did realize that I miss having a treadmill at home.

The hubs’ side of the workout room. Although he was bummed the weights only went up to 50 lbs!

My “muscle-man!”

The evening session of the conference ended late afternoon on Saturday and we were given the rest of the day to spend as a “Date Night”. The hubs treated me to dinner at Las Olas for a fresh Mexican meal and shopping at the Carlsbad Outlet Mall (purchased a couple of Christmas gifts for the princesses and a sweater for myself!). Can you say “brownie points?” It was a fabulous evening!

The hubs had the “Taco and Enchilada” combo meal…and yes, it was full of meat!

I ordered the “Charbroiled Fish Taco” plate with black beans and rice. It was delish, but I only made it through one of the tacos!

I had to save room for some “froyo” at Xtreme Yogurt later. I had no problem (sweets are definitely my weakness!) devouring my dessert, so quickly that I forgot to take a picture. Just in case you really wanted to know, there was chocolate, peanut butter, and vanilla topped with roasted almonds and snickers! It was a great way to end a great day!

Thanks to the time change we enjoyed sleeping in a bit on Sunday morning. We enjoyed a light breakfast at the hotel before heading back over to the conference for the last two sessions. The hubs went to the “Man to Man” session, while I went to the “Woman to Woman” session where I learned some of the tools to help me become the kind of wife and mother God has designed me to be. One of the principles that really stood out for me in this session was this…”biblical priorities are at the heart of becoming the wife and mother God intends us to be.” My relationship with God comes first, followed by my support of my husband and the care of my children.

There was no doubt that we enjoyed our getaway in Carlsbad, we savored our time together, and we walked away with tools to help us become better spouses and parents. But I think the most memorable moment of our weekend was when we re-committed our vows to one another, reminding us of our marriage covenant the day we said “I do!”

Saying “good-bye” to Carlsbad…

And heading back home.

The hubs and I left with a sense of encouragement and hope, along with some practical tools that will help build our marriage and strengthen our legacy. It was surely a Weekend to Remember in more ways than one!

Oh! And the hubs also left hungry, so our last stop was here at Elevation Burger.

The hubs indulged in a grass-fed, organic beef cheeseburger. He said it reminded him of the ever popular “In-N-Out” burger, but fresher!

I enjoyed a veggie burger with pickles and elevation sauce (creamy, sweet sauce), all wrapped up in lettuce. Oh YUM!!

The princesses greeted us with open arms and lots of hugs and kisses! Oh, it was good to be home!

Nourishing Thought for Today:

A wise woman depends on God.
A strong woman demonstrates love for her husband by respecting and supporting him.
An effective mother lovingly teaches and trains her children.

Here’s a sneak peak at some of our new reading materials!