The Pressure!

Today is Friday for me; Sydney and I are headed "up north." We are going to our marriage retreat this weekend... should be alot of fun. This is our 8th year of getting together with friends and focusing on our marriage. When I tell some people that we are going on a "Marriage retreat", inevitably someone always asks: "What's wrong with your marriage?" Nothing is wrong with our marriage... It is actually pretty great. (Although it seems like every year I am challenged about how I can make more of an effort in certain areas... which I would argue is not a bad thing.) But I believe that our marriage has remained strong partly because we get to focus on issues before they are ignored and we get too far apart. Focusing on your marriage once a year tends to keep you centered and helps you to focus on what you can do to improve your relationship. At least it has for us. We actually rent cabins up at Breezy Point Resort and we hire our own speakers to come in and teach us something... normaly, it has a Christain message/focus as Sydney and I think that it is important to have Christ as the foundation of our marriage... (not that I am arguing that all Christian marriages are great or that marriages that are not founded on Christ are not healthy... look at Ed and Sue...) But for Sydney and I, we feel it is important. Anyway, should be a nice romantic weekend. We have about 15 couples that we hang out with throughout the year and we all chip in about $75 dollars for the weekend and each plan a meal and bring snacks... it is always a great time. Last year we had our first annual talent show... Sydney and I still need to figure out a talent for this year... Our talent last year consited of blowing pieces of popcorn into each other's mouths from halfway across the room... needless to say, we got a standing ovation. Now we have pressure to top last year's performance... not sure what we are going to do... The Pressure! Any Ideas?

Anyway, Bug Bug seems to be doing alright... she is no longer throwing up with the stomach flu and Jake and Micker Mackers seem fine... (they haven't gotten sick at least... however being the optimistic person that I am, I am sure that one of them will get sick when we are walking out the door as we leave them at Grandpa and Grandma's place.) Bug Bug is still a little lethargic... so Sydney is taking her in for a checkup this morning just to make sure that the influenza A virus that she had did not turn into a secondary infection such as an ear infection or that it moved to her lungs. We want to make sure she has a clean bill of health before we leave her at Grandpa and Grandma's place because they are really funny that way... not that I am arguing that their love is conditional... but they would rather not have their sick Grand Kids "spewing germs" all over the place getting them sick. (Okay maybe their love is slightly conditional.) lol. Anyway, we will see what happens... looks like there is a snow storm coming through as well... So, we may be leaving tomorrow morning rather than tonight...

Have a good weekend all!

Ben