I am not going to lie, I hate the holiday season. Don’t get me wrong I love the Christmas movies on TV, the hustle and bustle of the shopping malls, and sweet smell of cinnamon in my house!
My hatred comes from the fact that the holiday season brings on long hours home alone with the kids. You see my husband is a manager at a major retailer and over the course of the holiday season; he is MIA from our home.
After putting in over 45 hours over the course of three days and with his first weekend off in over two months, I had hit my limit. It was ten o’clock on Friday morning and after a rough week (on him and me) I knew some thing had to change!
That was the moment I knew I had to kidnap my husband! I had to kidnap him, taking him away from the option of going into to work on his day off, the countless text messages and emails regarding work issues. We needed to be off the map. He needed some cuddles with his kids and reconnects with his wife. It was for the greater good for our marriage!
Within an hour I had thrown clothes in suitcases (with the help from the toddler), thrown Crock-pot freezer meals into a cooler, and had the car loaded. This was record time for me! The minute he walked in the door, I told him to jump in the car we were leaving.
He was confused to say the least. You see I am a queen planner; I have Easter dresses ordered before the Christmas tree is packed away. This was so unlike his wife to jump at the drop of a hat and leave town.
I knew I need to get him away from the stress and work related connection. The only place on earth I knew that he would be able to unwind and relax was at his childhood home over four hours away.
Now maybe this was the craziest part, taking our first car ride as a family of four (our youngest only being three months old), with our two dogs also in tow for a four-hour car ride in the back country of Minnesota. But we did it and survived.
Within an hour of our unscheduled visit my husband’s shoulders relaxed, a smile covered his face and I could see a dramatic difference in him.
Sometimes we just need to unplug and disconnect to be able to reconnect with our family! I could not believe how much turning off the cell phone and leaving the iPod behind helped my marriage. My husband was on the floor playing with his kids, not worrying about work or the holiday season.
Kidnapping my husband was the best gift I could have given my husband this Christmas. He was able to recharge his batteries, reconnect with his kids, and get caught up on sleep! It’s amazing how much an unplanned trip can make in ones marriage.