Babymoon

If I'm being honest, I've never been drawn to the idea of a babymoon. It seems like just another excuse to get away and spend money that you may or may not have while preparing for a major, and expensive, life change. It didn't occur to me that I'd ever take one. For the last little while, the hubs and I have been stockpiling our frequent flier miles (his, really) so that we could go to Hawaii once he passes his comprehensive exams. I lived in Hawaii as a kid but haven't been back since I was 5 and have been counting down the months until this trip would be upon us. We tentatively scheduled it for this coming January, and then boom! I got pregnant.

{Somewhere around 1979 outside our house in Hawaii}

Needless to say the idea of taking off to Hawaii with a week old baby was not terribly exciting, so we scrapped the idea. The hubs decided he wanted to go do something before the baby came and I reluctantly agreed. In truth I was a little disappointed at the idea of using up our free fares to the islands on something that we I may not like quite as much. We'd only have a long weekend to donate to the cause which significantly limited our choices. While I leaned toward San Francisco, he leaned toward Alaska, as it seemed silly to use up our miles on a destination we could feasibly drive to. He arranged child care (since we left the second day of school and my mama guilt would have prevented me from figuring it out) and off we went.

I cannot say how amazing it was. My mind has forever been changed about babymoons.

Not only did we see breathtaking scenery:

{Denali}

{Random view from the side of the road headed south from Denali}

{Matanuska Glacier}

{Kenai Fjords}

And gorgeous animal life:

{One of the Orca pods that swam along our boat}

{Grizzly Bear}

{One of the prettiest sled dogs I've ever seen - Denali National Park}

{A sea otter who gave us a great show until he was scared away by someone's flash}

Most significantly we were able to reconnect with each other; which I suppose is the entire point. 

{A random stop along a highway, somewhere in Alaska}

{We jumped in our wedding photos too}

I haven't been too worried about what life will be like once the baby comes. I know it will be busy, and crowded, and I'll be tired. I know the hubs will still have to study for his comps and work very long hours in the lab. I know our girls will each have rough adjustments to make (one is also getting a new sibling a month later from the other parent, the other has a new step-parent entering the picture) and that none of us can really anticipate what becoming a yours/mine/ours family will really be like. 

What I learned on this quick trip is that I seriously adore my husband. 

There was a point this weekend where I realized that we won't always be parents. Despite my early worries, I had not stressed about the kids once during the entire trip (an answer to a prayer for sure). It hit me that life as an empty nester has the potential to be really fun. I truly enjoy my husband's company, and I'm not sure daily life lets me remember that as well as being far from home having common adventures does. It's too easy to focus on the dirty clothes next to the bed, that we each own too much stuff, that one of us didn't do x, y, or z the same way the other would, etc. It was remarkable, and not just because of where we went, but rather because of the way it helped us reconnect and make sure we are completely unified before the roller coaster of life takes off once again. 

So I'm sold. Babymoons rock. Do I have to be pregnant to get another one?