As I sit at my computer tonight, with a sleeping baby upstairs and a calm house, I can’t help but think about my frazzled state just a week ago. Just as I adapting to my husband being gone, Jackson began going through a phase that nearly sent me over the edge. I lovingly referred to it as a screech-fest. Friends, I am not joking when I tell you I was counting the few seconds between outrageous screeches. (If you follow me on Twitter, you heard the desperation in my tweets:)
So God blessed me with a wonderful retreat in Myrtle Beach to find a little peace. There were several workshops on marriage that provided amazing tools to keeping your marriage strong, even through deployments. The most surprising outcome of the weekend was the terrific chance to bond with Jackson. A couple days of beach and sand will do wonders for mom and baby!
Here are some of the best memories from the weekend:
Early morning sunrise from my balcony.
Jackson LOVED the aquarium!
Hardly a screech from this happy fellow!
Outside the hotel:
Along the beach…
I sit here with a soothed spirit and a grateful heart for the delicious weekend! What a great way to spend a couple days! Stay tuned because this week I’ll be revealing some exciting news!
© 2010, Amy. All rights reserved.
{ 7 comments }
That looks like so much fun!
Amy, it looks like you were blessed with a truly remarkable and peaceful weekend. How wonderful for you and Jackson. Your pictures are a beautiful testament to the miracles that can happen at these types of retreats. Thank you so much for sharing them.
I’m really interested in learning more about the Strong Bonds workshops you sat through. Where the presentations you attended mostly lecture in format? Did you practice any of the techniques offered during the event(s)? Thank you in advance for any insight you might be able to provide on this!
Rob
Hi Rob,
Thanks so much for your kind post. As you can see from my description, I had a wonderful time! Let me break down the way our agenda was designed.
On Friday evening, we had a catered dinner, then we went to a large conference room for introductions and a one hour workshop. The first workshop dealt with marriage and the differences between men and women. There was a husband and wife pastoral team that led the workshops throughout the weekend. They were primarily lecture style, and we were taking notes and asking questions. They also showed several movie clips throughout the workshops.
On Saturday, there were two “tracks” of workshops. One concentrated on marriage and the other on parenting. We were free to choose which one we wanted to attend. They ran from 9-12, with a break every hour. After noon, we were free to eat lunch (provided) and spend the rest of the day doing whatever we wanted with our family. They provided childcare that evening so couples could go out. (They even let us ladies with deployed spouses go out too!!)
On Sunday morning, we had breakfast and one final workshop on marriage. It was a great balance of workshops/socialization/free time. The accommodations were outstanding–a large 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo on the beach. Yes! It was a treat!!
It is run by the company chaplain, so there is definitely a religious, Biblical perspective on all the issues, which I expected and really enjoyed.
Please let me know if you have any questions!
Warmly,
Amy
I’m so glad you got some good time away! Jackson is so precious!!
Thanks so much Mandy!! I can’t wait to sign up for another!
Those are so beautiful! You made me all teary! The Army is lucky to have you!
Wow…those are beautiful picture…I’m so glad you guys got a chance to get away and get renewed. Love ya Amy!!
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