Remember the early days in your marriage, when you cherished each moment together? I believe you can hold onto that! My husband and I have been married for 26 years. We have definitely had our ups and downs, but we have WORKED to stay close. One way that we accomplish this is “running away together”. Sometimes it is a spontaneous trip, but most of the time it is something I plan. It doesn’t have to be elaborate! Sometimes we just go camping for a couple of days without the kids. Sometimes we go on a 3 day cruise. Sometimes we go to a cabin in the Smokey Mountains. The important thing is to get away together! There are so many distractions in life and we need to take time to cherish each other. We haven’t always been financially able to do this, but even in our early days we would just go for a drive or hike to get away for a few hours together. Go on an adventure together- be silly and spontaneous and laugh and love each other the way God intended! The most important investment you can make for your family is in your relationship with each other.
Last summer we visited Jeckyll Island, Georgia. I’ll never understand why I have never been to this wonderful place! We stayed at Villas By the Sea for under $110 per night. It is a nice resort with condos ranging from a studio (like the one we stayed in) to 3 bedroom units. It is located in close proximity to Driftwood Beach which was the primary reason I wanted to visit this place. It was amazing! Although we had lots of rain, we ventured out on our bikes to explore the island via the bike trail that borders the entire island. I love to ride bikes. Usually I get bummed by rain but this time we just rode in the rain- we were caught in a torrential downpour at one point! It was so refreshing to just seize the day!
Drenched! 
Horseback Riding on the beach 
Driftwood Beach
We did drive to St. Mary’s, GA to take the ferry to Cumberland Island National Park where you can visit the ruins of an old plantation and see wild horses that live on the island. This is a place I have wanted to visit for several years. I love history, beaches and wildlife so when I read about it I knew we had to go! We took our bikes and a picnic lunch to spend the day on the island. August is probably not the best time to go, since it was extremely hot and muggy. We took the trail to the beach first. We rode our bikes down the beach and along most of the trails on the island. I can’t imagine walking instead of riding, as it was a long way. We visited the plantation ruins and read about the history, we saw the beautiful, wild horses. We picnicked and laughed. It was a wonderful day!
Cumberland Island, GA 
Biking on the beach 
Jeckyll Island has a wonderful historic district. I loved riding our bikes through the streets, looking at the historic home, shops, and restaurants. The old oak trees are thick with moss, their branches reaching to the ground in beautiful arches. I’m really not sure which area on the island was more lovely. Between Driftwood Beach, the gorgeous marsh, the historic district and the beachfront- it was all a wonder to behold!
On our last night, we decided to try the Wharf. It’s a local restaurant on the marsh side of the island and located in the historic district. We rode our bikes 5 1/2 miles to eat dinner, planning our time to insure we would be riding back before dark. Much to our surprise, we were seated in a reasonable time. The sunset was remarkable!
The Wharf did not disappoint in their cuisine. We enjoyed a delicious dinner! Much to our dismay, it took so long to get our food that our plan to bike back to the condo before dark disappeared like the setting sun. So on our last night, we embarked on one last bike adventure. We didn’t have a bike headlight. And in case you didn’t know, street lights are very uncommon on coastal islands. The lights interfere with nesting sea turtles so we had to find our way in the dark with our cell phone lighting the way. We found a shorter route to get back as quickly as possible. I wouldn’t change a thing! Living this adventure called life with my best friend by my side is truly a blessing I cherish. I challenge you to plan a getaway with your spouse and cherish each other always!
26 Years and Counting on more! 
- Ephesians 5:25 (NIV)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
- Ephesians 5:33 (NIV)However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
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