Enter the Awesomeness of the Summer Wedding

Before starting a family, Bill and I used to spend our summers playing tennis, watching movies, reading books and eating out. We were all about soaking up as much relaxation, and air conditioning, as possible.

In the last few years, our summers have changed pretty dramatically. Our laid-back summer vacation has been replaced by a routine that includes, but is not limited to: theme parks, boardwalks, water parks, playgrounds, county fairs, beaches, animated movies, pools, and lots of ice cream shops. While Bill is at work, I'll take the kids solo. When he's home, we go as a family. And while all of these events are packed with 'family fun', they are mainly geared towards providing our kids with some great and memorable summer experiences. Unfortunately, such an action-packed summer often leaves us exhausted and passed out on the couch no more than twenty minutes after the kids have gone to bed.

Enter the awesomeness of the summer wedding.

The summer wedding is awesome on so many levels. Let me explain. One: it is generally an 'adults only' affair. Which leads to two: five hours of a blissfully open bar. Which leads to three: a hotel room. Which leads to four: an overnight babysitter for the kids.

Now these, of course, are just the obvious advantages. In addition, we have some related awesomeness: a new dress and shoes, slow dancing with the huz, good food (and lots of it), adult conversation and downtime, and really, really, really good sex.

As much as I love changing a fantastic poop diaper or cleaning ravioli out of a onesie, it's nice to get a little break. And as much as I like being bumped awake from a really sound sleep by someone asking me if I'm 'in the mood', it's nice to do things a little more consciously (if you don't count the four Long Island Iced Teas) and romantically.

This past weekend, The Gods smiled upon us and the week of our eight year anniversary coincided with a family wedding in the northern part of the state. I'm tremendously pleased to say we enjoyed all of the advantages described above.

Empire waist and leopard print high heels

as per Stacy and Clinton.

I'm also pleased to say that another one of Bill's cousins is getting married next summer. And because Bill seems to have something like a hundred cousins, we could actually keep this up for a while.