Fort Worth Staycation

Credit: Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau

I got some good advice a few months ago from a sweet friend, a mother of four who lives with her family in Kyiv, Ukraine. She told me that as she and her husband were awaiting the arrival of their first child, they made a conscious effort to fill up "the love tank," spending lots of quality time together and just being especially loving. Those stores of tenderness and affection carried them through sleepless nights and other challenges that accompany becoming first-time parents, and she encouraged me to be very intentional in my time with Brad so that we can give each other an extra measure of grace and patience when we may not feel like it after Baby G arrives.

That has really stuck with me. Fortunately, Brad has made it very easy to be kind and loving -- he has pretty much been a saint this entire pregnancy -- but I have been consciously trying make these days when our family is "two" count, affirming him, serving him, and doing fun things together, and he's been doing the same in return.

We decided to head to Fort Worth for the weekend to spend more time just having fun and investing in each other and in our marriage. We had a blast! Brad got us a good rate at the Omni on Hotwire, and since they knew this was our "babymoon," they had sparkling grape juice (Martinelli's!) and chocolate covered strawberries waiting for us in our room. We swam, talked to an awesome, older, black couple about civil rights in Dallas in the 1950s and 1960s (the woman had met JFK on the morning he was assassinated!), ate at some very yummy restaurants, walked around Sundance Square, visited the stockyards, peeked in shops, watched movies... We even had a celebrity sighting -- Chef Marcus Samuelsson visited Tim Love's Lonesome Dove while Brad and I were the only diners there! I couldn't believe it.

I loved turning the AC wayyyy down in our hotel room and not worrying about the electricity bill, snacking on macaroons from Central Market, watching HBO, people-watching, and just taking in all that the hotel and our neighbor city had to offer. Not to mention, Brad and I had a great time TOGETHER!