Whenever I prepare to go to the the beach, I always try on my swimsuit in the mirror before I leave. I gasp! and ugh! at my flaws, but since I am such a beach lover, I go anyway. Then, I am always surprised to find someone there who always is a little heaver, dimply-er, and rounder than I am. They seem happy and content. They are enjoying life. Then I think to myself - why did I worry so much about how I looked?
S., enjoy yourself, honey. Your husband wants you to be sexy! Relish in that! That's a gift! Don't just wear a bikini, put one on and flaunt your beautiful body! Don't shy away from the attention you might get from other men; a little attention is a great turn on for a man. While you're at it, pick up a couple of sexy dresses, too. When the teens are away doing something else on vacation, and it's just you and your husband, wear something that you would NEVER wear, something NOT meant for church on Sundays! Hey, it's vacation! A little fire is great for a marriage. It keeps life exciting, and it shows that you care enough about your husbands feelings to come out of your shell a little.
Forget about what your kids will think - you are a great mom, and that is enough. You have a right to live your live and enjoy a simple pleasure like a bikini. If they are a little embarrassed, so what! Think of it as payback for all the times they embarrassed YOU when they were babies - when they tantrummed in the middle of the supermarket, causing everyone to stop and stare at the "bad mommy", when they pulled their diaper off in public, when they farted or made inappropriate comments at your in-laws, and so on.
