Saturday, February 22, 2014

A Vacation with my Hubby!

My name is Tricia Braunersrither.
  I have been friends with Nora since High school.  
Becky Beck is my sister and Jill Carey is my sister in law, they too are participating in this project.  Jill Carey, Julie Doherty, Nora, Kelly Olsen and I are all friends from high school, and contributors to the project.

I am married to Dale, and we are proud parents to six kids ranging from 4-19.  
I've been a stay at home mom for the past 19 years and love my life being a wife, mom, and a homemaker.  We live in Texas, have been here 16 years and love it.  


My goal this month was to take a week vacation with just my husband.  The biggest part of this goal is not the actual cruise that we went on but was preparing my home and kids to be left for a week.  We have 5 kids at home, my oldest daughter is serving a LDS mission in Paraguay.   So preparing a manual for the sitter for 5 kids with 5 schedules is a big job!  So many details had to be remembered and written down.  You don't realize how many details you attend to every day until you have to write them down for someone else to follow.  My iMac shutting down and having to be taken to be fixed in the middle of my preparation did not help matters either.  I had every day mapped out and almost done when the iMac started having problems.  Ugh, we got it back the day before we were leaving and I got the manual finished.  


We had a great cruise and my kids had a great week with a really great couple who stayed with them.  




Our cruise was pretty great too....



It was a great way to celebrate our 21st Wedding Anniversary.   

If you have never had time away with your husband with no kids I highly recommend it!  
The first time we did it we had been married 17 years.  
Now we try to do it once a year!






11 comments:

utdaisy said...

I've been trying to get my hubby to take me on a real vacation too...but it is so daunting preparing somebody to tackle it... Maybe Hawaii for our 20th next year:)

Becky said...

Totally worth it! :)

Nora Mair said...

Yea, I love that you call it a manual, because honestly, that's what it's like. We were married 7 years before we went away and we're convinced it's a marriage must. My mother would disagree, although when we were older she left us with fridge charts and cash and went to Lake Powell with my dad and some friends. Although with the numbers I have now, I don't know how I'd do more than an over nighter without my sister taking all of them. We call it cousin week and it really works. Week of heaven for a week of... and she's even agreed to take the baby, isn't she amazing?
Tricia, you look great and after looking at these photos, what I really need is a cowboy beach hat... I really do. Thanks for doing the project even though I kinda made you...you're great!

Jennifer said...

I haven't gone on a vacation with my husband since our honeymoon 20 years ago, so this definitely inspires me! That manual looks impressive. I hope you keep it -- what a neat record of your family's daily life.

Jillian said...

I love your manual! It makes me feel more important when I write down all of the things I need to do. :)

amylouwhosews said...

I went on a cruise with mine last year and it was divine! Love time away to reconnect!

Kass said...

What a darling family! Getting away with just your hubby is sooo much work (wow-the binder you made!) and worth every minute. I'm glad you had a great time! I've never cruised but we're going next month.

Anonymous said...

I keep thinking my hubby and I need a getaway, all by ourselves. I have 5 children too, and the thought of preparation to leave makes me tired!

Meg said...

I love the manual! Mom's really do soooo much for their families. I'm impressed that you guys were able to get away though, something I would love to do someday!

I wrote this on your sister's post too, but our parents are in the same ward. You have a great family! I went to school with your sister Kim... small world ;).

Unknown said...

You are a hot mama! Love your beach look and I love that we went on the same snorkeling excursion in Belize in the same boats-- so awesome. Was there a guide named Carlos? He took my then 7 year old Gracie out snorkeling while hubby and I tried to help Liza. She fell in love with him. Nevermind he was 25 years old. :-) I totally get the crashing iMac thing. Mine always crashes right before a big production like a video that I am putting together for a Ward 50th Jubilee or something like that. Steve Jobs is my nemesis and my hero all in one. Love you!

Unknown said...

Ah, I need a vaca! Looks like fun.