[status] married with kids.

almost 2 years ago, we got married.

may 3, 2012.

we had a small ceremony at city hall because our big wedding had to take a backseat until after gunner man was born (we were mid-planning when we found out about him).

then we got pregnant in 2013, three short months after gunner's birth.

once again, our wedding had to get postponed, this time, indefinitely.

we still plan to have that big wedding on the beaches of Lake Tahoe one day...

but life with 2 kids just doesn't allow that to happen right away.

which is totally fine with us,

because we have our "happily ever after" already.

Anywho... that's the back story.

I've realized lately that our "wedding bliss" has fallen to a backseat in our chaotic life of being full-time workers, full-time parents & just... full-time grown ups.

It's nobody's fault, it happens.

two babies in our first two years of marriage

I can't imagine how that wouldNOT have happened.

Just recently though we have decided it's time to put ourselves back in the front seat.

we are married with two kids...

we're not old & dead - we still got a lot of life to live

and a lot of adventures to take together.

Now that I am not pregnant (still so surreal!) there are no longer any reason we cannot go out together and have fun [[I am sure I still remember the term]]. 

-We have plenty of family that beggggg us to leave the kids for a bit so they can babysit (hint, we never leave them so we always have people begging us to be first in line when we do leave them for a moment or two).

This year we made our #1 goal to put our marriage & our relationship ahead of all else.

[[obviously the kids will always come first, this is 2nd to them of course]]

so that's my plan & my focus for this year to come.

So I ask you guys this - 

how do you balance kids & marriage?

what are fun ways you keep your marriage alive & still thriving?

what are fun dates you've discovered with your spouse?

We have set aside one day every month that we have a date night or outing together

-no kids, no phones, no excuses.

We did it already this month & it was 

A M A Z I N G.

I forgot how much fun adult time is! 

Just Rick & I having fun at the movies & the arcade, watching a movie without 202930932029 moments of pausing & rewinding - it was all so much fun!

& just so, refreshing to take a little breather from our normal routine to just

get out of the house & enjoy each others company again.

I loved it. I am already so looking forward to it again!

It's so important to keep focus on the marriage aspect of my life, and not just the parent aspect. I am a mommy first and I take that roll more serious than anything - but I also am a wife. It's so easy to lose track of priorities in life and put ourselves & our own relationship on the back burner - just because we're focusing on our life, our kids & our daily duties as adults.

But now that changes.

Now it's time to really be man&wife.

& this is the first time since our wedding that we have the ability to do just that! 

{2 babies in 2 years folks - it's hard to focus on anything but babies when that's the record that keeps playing during your first & only yaears of marriage thus far!}

Sorry for my random blabbing, this has just been on my mind a lot lately.

I am so excited for the fun 2014 brings - for our family & for my relationship with my husband.

SO many things are possible now that we are finally reaching some stability in our lives again (LOVE THAT WORD)

& it is so exciting to think of all things to come this year! 

Happy Saturday!