Days after our first son Levy was born I was already thinking about the time when he'd be out of the house.

Heartless, I know.

The reality is, I was struck by the (God-given) weight of responsibility and the journey Daniela and I had just embarked on. Parenting.

I wanted to embrace it. My mind was filled with all things past, present and future.

The 'waiting' period before he arrived.

Diapers.

Hugs & kisses.

Smelling his tiny feet.

Bills.

More diapers.

Family trips. Family devotionals. Family movie's.

​And more bills.

I wanted to be all there for our son.

I knew our time together would be too short and the day would soon come when he's on his own (i.e. Entrusted into the Sovereign hands of our loving God!).  

Women, mothers specifically, don't really give much thought to life-after-children. They have the tendency, better said, an innate capacity, to keep their 'chicks' close. They hug, they hover, they hear, they hope, they help...even when the 'children' are not children anymore. Fathers, in general, have no problem thinking ahead to a time and place when it's just him and his bride. Even while the kiddos are still in grade school they're making plans for that trip around the world when it'll be just him and his best friend.

For all you married couples, this is not a mandatory checklist of things to do before your children are gone. It's simply a practical guide for you to think about and implement while they're still at home. With that said, I can't imagine there's any couple out there who wouldn't want to do these things or find them important in some way or another. For us, it's a work in progress.

Here's how we're preparing for a time when it will be just the two of us...