My Marriage retreat

So, anniversaries are never soon enough! So Rachel and I decided after shooting friends weddings this 4th weekend, that we would take a few days off to concentrate on each other, reading, and being a more unified team. Call it a retreat. Whatever it is, its needed, and more than once a year. I love just re-learning what my wife loves that I do to bless her. We love to camp, hike, fish, cook, play guitar around a fire, and playing "nertz" and "speed" under a lantern till all hours. Rachel is my best friend and I LOVE hanging out with her. we planned our new 08 budget, set some goals, and talked about how we can be better spouses and better friends to our friends. Its so essential. We are both so blessed, on our way home we stopped by and hung out with my buddy Mike Schweene and his new fiance Monica. Mike owns West Coast Wakeboard Camps. He's been doing it for 6 years and is the biggest on the nation. I'm proud of what he's done, but also, stoked about his amazing relationship with Mon. They are a sweet couple and we hung out and talked while eating fajitas under the HOT summer night (it was about 95 at 9pm).

So here are some of the photos from our cheap disposable camera from our camping trip.

Ok, so get out there and block out some time for you and your spouse. Its healthy, fun, good, and is like putting money in the bank. My buddy Jim used to explain this to me. Your relationships are like little banks, you either pour into, or take from. We need to be pouring into our spouses, and not running them down with complaints, criticism, but building up and encouraging, and that comes down to spending time and focusing on what they want to do, and how you can serve them. Other times when we require crazy amounts of time, or in some way deplete them, if we have put in time (not as a chore, but out of gratitude and a serving heart) we build up not only each other, but ourselves. I feel that just being apart from my phone, email and life, I was able to listen to my wife better, everyone knows how pulled in many directions I get, and if I am in front of a TV, I zone out 100%. I know this, and its why I chose to not have cable TV at my house, personally, I have a personal weakness and I know I want to put my wife above that. The coolest part is I am learning and have more ways to continue to look forward to improving. I can't wait until our next retreat somewhere. But our anniversaries, we get to surprise each other somewhere in the country with a trip. big or small, its one way to keep things fresh and fun.

Coolest Friends - Birthday surprise

Yesterday, my friends surprised me with a camping trip to the beach this weekend for my birthday. I have been traveling SO much lately and its SO nice to spend some time around the Central Coast of California. It was warm, with offshore winds and the sweet smell of fall was in the air. We hung out and (unfortunately no surf!) but we did play a huge game of Frisbee golf which lasted a few hours, then bbq’d some great food and had a campfire. Later, Bryan broke out the guitars and he and I played till late. It is such a blessing to have such great friends who can get away. Life is so busy and I get so caught up myself in the 'business' and daily task list. It is so refreshing to get away, I ALWAYS forget how simple life is when there are no computers, cell phones and chores waiting around the house. Camping is so organic and for me at least, it brings me back to nature, and cleanses me from any stress.