A Friendly Friday with Jennifer Slattery

Where would we be without friends? Friends are so very important and every now and then I'll introduce you to a friend of mine on Friendly Fridays.

One of the ladies I've met while working with Clash of the Titles is Jen Slattery. Jen quickly turned into a special prayer friend and today she's sharing a bit of her marriage with us...


Last year for our anniversary my husband and I packed our suitcases and got away…to downtown Kansas City. Quite honestly, I felt a bit silly when we checked into our hotel.

“Where are you from?”

“Kansas City.” The guy’s face scrunched in confusion so I quickly added, “Up north.” Like a whole twenty minutes north.

True, we could have spent the weekend at the Plaza without getting a hotel, but there’s something about getting away that makes the evening special. It’s like it puts your brain in romance mode. There’s no dishes to think about. No television to distract you. No phone calls to ignore. It’s just you and your spouse.

It was a wonderful evening. I’m a jeans and sweater kind of gal, but this time I dressed up and…(gasp) wore heels.  For about ten minutes. My husband booked a hotel room in the heart of downtown, walking distance to the shops and restaurants. That night, we strolled hand in hand, me talking a mile a minute while my husband offered that strong-silent-type-loving-smile. (Although halfway down a major sloping hill I turned around and changed shoes.)

We didn’t really do anything exciting. Mostly we just walked, hand in hand, which is my favorite thing to do. Then, after dinner, we went for ice-cream and watched a magician from the ice-cream store window. It was a time to laugh, to relax, and to forget about paying bills, raising children, job stressers, or housework. And it’s something we do once a year, without fail, regardless of our schedule or budget.

Initially, this was hard. Our daughter was a toddler the first time we got away. It was near the Easter holiday and the hotel we stayed at hosted an Easter egg hunt for its guests. I literally felt ill as I stood on our balcony watching little girls flitter across the lawn, floral bonnets tied around their heads, baskets in hand. It was a tug and pull kind of thing. My heart was drawn to my husband, and I cherished the one-on-one time with him, yet I missed our little girl terribly.

At lunch on the first day, as my husband and I sat across from one another in a quaint San Diego restaurant, soft music playing in the background, I realized how crucial that weekend was. The way my husband looked at me, the way his eyes centered on mine as if I was the only person in the restaurant, electrified my heart. Suddenly we were dating again.

Jennifer Slattery is a novelist and freelance writer living in the midwest with her husband and their thirteen year old daughter, Ashley Slattery. She writes for Christ to the World Ministries, The Christian Pulse, and Samie Sisters and is the marketing manager for the literary website Clash of the Titles. Visit her devotional blog, Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud to find out more about her and her writing.

Jennifer Slattery
Broken Lives Saturated by Grace
Facebook
JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com
ClashOfThetitles

6 comments:

  1. What a cool way to meet new peeps, Peej :) Love what Jen had to say about the importance of getting away. Maybe I should forward the link to my hubby?? Huh, huh??

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  2. Oh, Diana, what a fun idea! Then you two could plan a trip together. Even if you only go for a day. When we lived in So CA, we got a sitter, hooked our bikes to our van and spent the day at the beach riding, stopping at a restaurant for lunch, then locking our bikes up and strolling alng the beach holding hands. Whether for the week, weekend, or a day, it's always great to sprinkle the romance in your marriage. :-)

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  3. What a great idea, Patty, Friendly Friday--I love it!
    Hi, Jennifer! Even now that our children are grown, stealing away to a hotel and just spending time together is wonderful. Strong marriages create strong families. Fantastic post!

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  4. Getting away IS special. Marc and I haven't in a LONG time - but we're definitely looking forward to the first week in August, when BOTH our kids will be at sleepover camp at the same time. Sounds WONderful.

    And Jen IS an amazing lady. And I love her even more knowing she isn't a "heels" fan. I become even more clumsy than I already am when I have to wear them (and that's the ONLY time I wear them - when I have to!).

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  5. Rita, you are so right! Whatever stage of marriage we're in is the BEST time to keep the flame alive!

    And Joanne, you are such an encourager! And your comment on heels made me laugh. (Because I relate, of course.)

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  6. I'm with Di; what a great way to meet new peeps. Love the shirt and jeans, no heels comment, but was most drawn into the 20-minute jaunt to your overnight rendezvous. SO romantic!

    Hubby and I haven't had an outing alone as of late. He is unable to do to health issues, BUT we are looking forward to our preteen "One Way" camp with church. The house will be EMPTY and conversation will be UNinterrupted. Hurray!!

    Now about those heels . . . I wore lacy slippers to my wedding because my new husband was an inch shorter. Later, I tried the heels to fit in with a classier set of women. NOT a good idea with this double-left-footed-girl. I'm doing good if I manage to slip into a pair of flats and skirt long enough to hide the fact that I dread those awful, strangling panty hose. lol.

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