Easy Rider by Peggy Bogaard-Lapp

My husband and I are riding our Harley down to Taos, New Mexico this weekend. It’s the first time we have taken a long trip on the bike, and away from our 9 year old daughter. It fells a bit naughty, just the two of us, doing the “easy rider” while my mother-in-law and Erica will be at home, watching the grass grow. But we all know that Grandma will make the weekend fun.

But then again, it’s time we got out, just the two of us, like when we were first married. The most time we have spent away has been an overnight trip, not even a full 24 hours on a few occasions. This is long overdue.

Mark and I were together seven years (married for four) before I even thought of wanting to have a baby. We vacationed in Mexico and Hawaii, spending our hard earned money on ourselves, buying things on a whim. We enjoyed just the two of us. And then one day, my friend Tracy got pregnant. We worked together, so I watched every day as she changed, as her belly grew, as her focus became on the baby growing inside her. This was new to me – I had never really been around someone who was pregnant, at least on a daily basis. She talked about all the fun things, like decorating the nursery, and picking out baby clothes. We ate lunch together, and I saw her interesting food cravings. She even had cute maternity clothes! Each day as I drove home from work I would ponder having a baby of my own. I was 34. Not long after Tracy’s daughter Katie was born, I set my sights on having a baby.

So since those days when trying to get pregnant was the major focus of our lives, through the past eleven years, Mark and I have rarely had down time. Kids just don’t fit into the picture of something so extravagant! I have been okay with that. My daughter is the focus of my life. But for about 60 hours this weekend, my focus is going to be the wind in my face and the excitement of being with my husband.

Tags: motorcyles, pregnancy, vacation