Camp Gaulke

Monday, January 26, 2009

Weekend in a Treehouse (Part 2)

Yes...we DID come back from vacation...although it was beyond tempting to stay...forever.

It was all that I had hoped for...

It was all that we NEEDED.

We switched back and forth between calling it our 2H.M. and our 8M.E.

2HM= Second Honeymoon

8ME= Eighth Month Evaluation

Evaluation of course meaning on our marriage

It was soo nice just to sit and ask each other tons of questions pertaining to this VERY important entity...

like: What am I doing well at? What do I suck at? (be gentle) Overall, are you happy? Has marriage been easier or harder than you expected? What do you wish I would do more of? What area of my life do you wish I was more vulnerable with you? When can we have kids? (ok that one was from left field and obviously I asked that one...)...etc.

We didn't like write any questions down or pick up a cheesy marriage book at B&N on our way...

We just made time to sit ...look at each other...and stir up some conversation to evaluate/improve our beloved unity.

I knew we needed some time away from the city..but I didn't realize how much we maybe simply needed a thought provoking convo...sometimes its hard to sit still enough to think about the good and the bad...sometimes the bad gets swept under the living room rug while we deal with the hustle and bustle of life...and honestly...dirt under a rug is disgusting....just cause you can't see it...doesn't mean it isn't filth!..and I'm not even a germaphobe...

So the results of this fabulous 8M.E...are: we are very encouraged with this little...who am I kidding...HUGE blessing we call 'marriage' and we decided to keep going...haha for all those who were at the edge of your seats..

Honestly, sometimes when older married couples ask me how Hunter and I are liking marriage..I always feel like their faces are ready for us to say "It's awful!"..or when our answer is not negative at all..their faces change to "Just wait"...that's just not right!! Are our views of marriage and our expectations so distorted??

I am 100% sure that it will not be peachy fuzzy warm and sweet for the next 50+ years...meaning...we will probably go through LIFE...the ups and downs...births...deaths..financial tension...who knows..maybe some spiritual tension...but for some reason..our first 8 months have been shockingly easier than we expected and flippin FUN!

That boy cracks me up...

Ok quick story...

We have kinda a tradition started that on Mondays...we go get a doughnut at Shipleys (YES! the one we go to is open til like 9pm!) and then we go to Starbucks to read...and check up on Carl (a middle age follower of Christ who works up at Starbucks and struck up a convo with me after seeing me read the Bible..)

So tonight I wasn't feelin like leaving the house (we got a new couch! I will post all bout it!)...so the novelty of the couch is still fresh and I wanted to stay here and sit on it and blog :).. So I told Hunter, when he inevitably asked if I wanted to go get a doughnut...that I wasn't feelin it...but that he was free to go by himself ..and he ..paused for just a second...(I literally saw a light bulb go off in his brain) and he, with all the 3yr old he had mustered up inside, said... "Does that mean I can have two doughnuts??!"

How flippin cute...

The 411 (Part One)

So...the details of the trip..

We stayed at a B&B (Bed and Breakfast) in Brenham...it was delightful...

It is basically a large piece of land with several cottage-like houses. Depending on how many people you need to sleep, is how big your cottage is.

With it just being Hunter and I...we opted for the wonderful "Treehouse" cottage....(ok maybe 'cottage' is too Great Britain for what these were...they were basically like really nice and modern cedar cabins...with cedar furniture..cedar floors ..everything woodsy..)
But the Treehouse was particularly quaint and beautiful...with a wrap around porch and awesome views...because it was basically a 2 story cabin with just the 2nd story being the 'cabin'.

The first story was open to the outside and had a small little deck with table and chairs.



We loved it!



The first night we got there...we planned to eat at the place called 'Ernie's' in downtown Brenham..(which... long story short...is where we were going to have our Wedding Rehearsal dinner when we were planning on getting married in Navasota...but 3 months before the wedding, everything went to poo so we changed it and had it in Bryan...moral of the story..we almost dropped a lot of money at this ritzy restaurant...) So we went there and the whole atmosphere and service and food was all in all not good...even their creme-brulee was not up to par...and I am wayyyyyyyy easy to please on that particular food item...

The next day, we topped off our weekend with a cool winery called Pleasant Hill...and tasted some REALLY good wines..I don't know if I am alone here but sometimes they're just unpleasant...especially red..(that is like blasphemy to my new family...Erin and Becca ..love you both) but I actually discovered what it was like to enjoy drinking wine..even RED!

So... basically we LOVED this vacay. We are fully aware that one day we won't be able to do stuff like this with the snap of our fingers ..but for now...we are already planning our next one...May 24th (1 yr anniversary ) is right around the corner!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

VACAY!

Ok the Gaulke house/apartment has been CRAZY lately.

So much to tell...

So much excitement and fun!

Such as ...I had dinner with Lance Berkman on Thursday night!...LANCE...my flippin FAV sports celeb EVER. that is actually an understatement. ...

I know you're like WHAT!? nuh uh!..

um...yes huh..

So anways...I can explain that later..

I am packing..

We are going on vacay....(vacation)

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

Honestly, we need this.... I am dying to go somewhere with my Hunter...

Somewhere...where I am not thinking for hours how I can decorate/clean/change....

and with all of the wedding/holidays....we have been around each other...but there has been a deficit in the amount of set aside 'us' time. Where we talk...indulge in each others lives....just able to connect and refill our spouse cup.

I can't wait!!

I will tell you every detail when we get back! We have soo many fun things planned...and lots of just chill time planned! woo woo!

Ok ...We are off..

Unavailable for the next 3 days...

We love you...don't call :) haha just kidding...no but really..

speakin of just kidding...watch this..