3Rd Anniversary

My sister recently did two weeks of LOVE for her hubby, where every day she openly showed him her love in unique ways. One day she filled his car with balloons and love messages were hidden in some of them, then one day she wrote love messages on sticky notes all around the house, then another day she found out ways to say I Love You in 30 languages and wrote them on notes around the bed, then one day she assembled every teddy bear in the house together and put his favorite candy in the lap of one of them. She sent him on a scavenger hunt another day to special places they shared together. The kids loved it too. It was good for the whole family.

Love is not about money or things. It may be very special to give the gift of time together. Imagine being able to spend a whole day together, without the baby. You can stay at home, have a bath, make love and tell him what he means to you. My husband and I, married 10 years, have moved beyond the material to an appreciation of the incalculable value of time and words. He writes me a letter on each anniversary that tells me what is in his heart. It is more valuable than any "thing".
Hope this helps,
Ana A.

My husband and I went to Hershey and stayed at the Hotel Hershey and indulged in a couples massage. It was oh, so romantic and not too expensive. We did it after our twin daughters' first birthday. It was the first time we were away alone since before they were born. You have to book way in advance, though, because everything fills up fast. So, don't feel like you're planning too far ahead because it will be here before you know it.

*Harper's Ferry, WVa is really nice.

*There are a number of good B&B's in the Lancaster, PA area

*A boat trip with dinner and dancing in the evening on the Potomac River (I THINK the ship is called "The Dandy", but don't hold me to that!)

*Art galleries, museums, places that would normally be a bit difficult with kids in tow -- and then a meal at a cafe or restaurant -- or if it's not too hot, a picnic somewhere in DC.

*Check the Kennedy Center website for their free nightly programs on the Millenium Stage -- you might find that something interesting is going on around that time....

Hope some of those help!

A. -

I'm not sure were you are located but here are a couple of places in the Virginia Beach area. Try your local MWR office they should have some suggestions too!

Operation Oasis at Sandy Cove: Providing a Safe Haven for
Military Families to Reconnect When Loved Ones Return Home

http://www.capehenryinn.com/

http://www.nsa-norva.navy.mil/Cheatham%0Annex/reservation...

A., You would love Cape Henery Inn in Va Beach! They have hotel rooms and also Cabins off the beach that are amazing for the lost cost. If you are looking to further lower your cost of the get away their cabins have kitchens which can help lower the cost when it comes to eating out. We took our family there for 4 days last summer and loved the beach and pools. My husband and I also loved the romantic sunsets walking along the beach and also from our balcony. There are also some nice Military lodges around Williams Burg! There are tons of things to do there!

Good luck!

It may not sound that exciting, but just staying a night or 2 in a hotel w/a hot tub or the honeymoon suite is nice. Even if you don't leave town! Maybe even a hotel that offers a couples massage or just get that done somewhere is cool, too! good luck! Happy Anniversary!

When my husband returned from his last IA, I surprised him with a couple's massage at the Fuller Massage School on Rosemont and then to a night away at Beach Spa Bed & Breakfast close to the beach. I wholeheartedly recommend it! They can do massages there as well, but being a military family on a budget, I had to go with Fuller. Anyway, the room was really nice, the bathroom was absolutely fantastic, and the breakfast made by the owner the following morning was to die for! (They have a gorgeous hot tub too, but I forgot to pack suits.) I have no qualms at all recommending this Bed and Breakfast. www.beachspabednbreakfast.com Happy planning!

A.,
I know that you have received alot of responses to this, but wanted to add mine as well. I fully beleive in leaving the baby behind with family and taking off!! I don't know if you want to have a nice, quiet, romantic weekend or have some fun without having to remember if you brought enough diapers, or baby food, formula, extra outfits whatever your daughter needs. When my family watches my son (granted I have to wait to visit Pensacola), we take off to a place on the beach, usually a Holiday Inn, enjoy a nice dinner out on Friday night, then the next day take off for some outlet shopping, a nice lunch, usually a Hard Rock, and a round of goofy golf. It's a great opportunity to just get out and have some fun, rediscover why you fell in love in the first place.

1. Washington D.C. - It's not that far away from here, is such a nice place to visit, the museums are fantastic, and the Smithsonian Museums are FREE! The Holocaust museum requires a ticket, it is FREE, but only a limited number of tickets are available per day, there is actually a link on their site on how to get tickets if you are interested. The drawback - all the museums are only open until 5:00 or 5:30.

Also, being military, you can stay at the Navy Lodge at Bethesda Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. It is not that far away from D.C, and the train station is right across from Hospital. All you will need to purchase here is a ticket for the train, you can buy per day or for the weekend. (Believe me, you DO NOT want to drive around D.C.) Also, depending on your husband's paygrade, you can pay as little as $55.00 a night at the lodge.

2. Have you ever been to Myrtle Beach, S.C? Also a great place to vist and have some fun. Granted this would be more expensive and further away than D.C. You would need a hotel and drive everywhere. There is a great Ripley's Beleive It or Not complex with an aquarium, 4-D theater, Haunted adventure, and a regular Museum, but all of these cost money. I've only been to the Aquaruim and it is about 17.00 for an adult. The Hard Rock Cafe is right across from the Ripley's Complex.

Also, I used to work for Expedia.com, while there, I recieved many complaints from customers whose ESR (Expedia Special Rate) Hotels were not confirmed. They do have regualr hotel bookings on the site, but I personally would rather book from hotels.com or the hotel's website directly.

Also, I noticed that no one has mentioned this, but it is very important. If you will be leaving your daughter with someone and going anywhere other than back to your house, make sure you leave the Guardians a Medical Power of Attorney for Minor Child. I had to get one of these for my mother and step-father when I took a trip up the coast with my husband. It will allow the selected Guardians to get medical attention for daughter should anything happen to her while you are away. You can get one from LawDepot.com or use the link.

http://www.lawdepot.com/contracts/medicalconsent/?ad=from...

Simply fill in the blanks and print. Also if you have an account at Navy Federal, they will notarize it for free. As well as the POA make sure to include a copy of your daughter's medical insurance card and a copy of the front of your's or your husbands military ID. You can place these in a sealed envelope and include it in your daughter's suitcase. These documents can be easily shredded upon your return.

If you live near Occoquan, VA, you could 'paint the town red'. There is a place called Harbor River Cruises. Its a flat bottom party style boat that take hour line runs up the river and back. It can be rented for private parties, or you can just go aboard with a group of people. I think the cost is like $10. a person that way. We went on it a few years ago. Turned out that we were the only ones to show up. We ended up getting private tour for just $20. Very romantic at sunset! Also, there was a wedding going on on the river bank. The captain blew his horn in spirit and we got cheers from the guests. It was great!. There are also a couple of restaurants down there that aren't too expensive to top of the evening.
I don't think that there are any hotels there, but its just a few miles from Potomac Mills where there are a few really nice hotels right off the exit as well as some good restaurants.

Good luck!

Any chance you are living in the same town you met in?? Or dated in?? Or got married in?? If you are, it would be fun to put together a scavenger hunt to places you used to frequent or meaningful spots (a park, restaurant, a store at the mall, any place that you or he has a particular memory of)... You could fashion it after The Amazing Race. This would be a fun way to take a walk down memory lane...plus it could be inexpensive.

I do not know exactly where you live, but there some great B & Bs in the area.....Even a little trip to the beach could be nice.

Hi A.,

What about fixing a nice meal at home. Get a pretty lace table cloth and some candle holders from the local thrift store and buy some candles and some flowers.

Buy some silk sheets and make up the bed really nice and have some scented candles for the bedroom.

Make a home made card and tell him what he has done that makes you love him.

Hope this helps. Happy Anniversary. D.

Look at the Fairfax County Parktakes Magazine (you can get it onlne through the FFCo. Parks and Recreation Center). They have inexpensive daytrip tours - the Mountains, NY, etc. We're actually doing a NY one for our 10 year anniversary (3 kids killed the entertainment budget :) ). A picnic and hiking the Billy Goat Trail in Great Falls in the spring is beautiful. Catching an event at the Kennedy Center is always fun, but a little pricey. Going on a Virginia Wine Tour is fun - you can even purchase a limo package that drives you between some of the wineries (google Virginia Winery Association). If you like history, going to Harper's Ferry is lovely - there are a lot of history stops along the way. Taking a daytrip to Baltimore and going to the aquarium - WITHOUT KIDS - is actually fun and they have a lot of nice places to eat nearby. Heck, walking through the DC zoo WITHOUT KIDS is even a lot of fun for a change - can you imagine not having to wonder where one of them ran off to? :) My husband and I can't just do the dinner thing because we end up only talking about the kids. It's nice to go somewhere and talk about that...and then us. Congrats on your anniversary and I hope you have a wonderful day together!

You can actually turn your bathroom and bedroom into a cozy love nest with candles and a new cozy blanket, some take out and music. If you are interested I will tell you what I do.
J.

A., anything you do for hubby and you go get some time alone will be great. it doesn't matter where you go.
heck, i just ahd my 5 yr anniversary and we did nothing. we have never done anything for our anniversaries as it is all about the kids now :)
no seriously, use nana to help out for a night or two and get a hotel room
:)

Here are 2 ideas.....Try Spring LAke, New Jersey. Charming romantic Bed & Breakfast places right on the beach. Near great restaurants, every kind of shopping, museums, etc. Or St. Augustine, Florida, a bit hot in August, but it is the oldest city in the U.S. and fabulous (cheaper rates in Aug.!)Closest airport is JAcksonville, FLA.

Suggest going to Miss Molly's Bed & Breakfast Inn on Chincoteague Island. It isn't very far from the Hampton Roads area. Just cross over the Cheasapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and head north. This place is excellent for R&R and a bike ride around the island, canoe inland waters, watch the pony roundup, or just sitting and enjoying the ocean waves on Assateague Island. http://www.missmollys-inn.com/
The owners are very friendly and prepare excellent meals.
Good Luck! L.

From personal experience - my husband and I LOVE spa "getaways" and or spa or a bed and breakfast. We enjoy "couples massages". Most places do them in the same room with 2 massage therapists some have a "hot tub/jacuzzi room that you can have "alone relaxing time together. We live in Westminster, MD and there are a few places around that are awesome. A Bed and Breakfast is a nice 1-2 night stays - they are usually very quaint and it will allow very intimate time to spend together. We have 2 children and we value these times together. We relax, talk, and enjoy reconnecting and spending undisturbed time together. Just a thought -- good luck with things.

Personally I go for romance. Camping is a definitive one on one time without e-mail, TV etc. It is also inexpensive and can be as simple as tents, rent a cabin(that's something that needs very early planning) or rent an RV. You can plan a romanitc meal, build a fire and snuggle up. You can play your favorite game or mine-Let's build a fantasy trip. Get reconnected-babies change both of you. Kate

My husband surprised me with a hot air balloon ride for our anniversary. We had like 6 other people in our balloon, so it wasnt quie as romantic as I had envisioned, but the experiebnce and resulting pictires were incredible. If you decide to go somewhere you could always add to the surprise with a hot air balloon ride. Even ask if it can just be the two of you. IF you are looking to start saving now, I think it ran around 3-400 dollars. Not cheap, but a once in a lifetime treat.

So this past September we wanted to go away, but leaving our son was making it hard for us to commit, plus we didn't have a ton of money to spend. We decided to go to Va beach, which isn't far away at all, so if there was a problem or emergency we could be home ASAP (there was none)!! Also, we rented a room for 2 nights and left after nap on one day and came back first thing on Sunday morning, which may not seem long, but it was so wonderful, we slept in (and all night) we went to a nice restaurant, walked on the beach after bed time, it was wonderful. It may be an idea, especially if you're budget is a little tight. We had grandma and papa come to our house, so the baby was most comfortable!! Book the room early, you can get a better deal, we used expedia I think. Have fun and congrats on 3-yrs!