A Weekend Away

For my birthday this year, TJ wanted to take me to his favorite place in the world, Colorado. His original plan was to come home from work the day before my birthday and surprise me with... pack your bags honey, were going to Colorado tomorrow! But after some thought, he decided there was no way to pull that off. The thought of driving eight hours ANYWHERE with children just absolutely makes me shiver. Its everything from gas station bathrooms, to eating fast food in Sherman, to no one wanting to stay in a seat belt, to changing diapers in Sherman, to hats, coats, gloves times four, to climbing back and forth over the seats, to packing up our entire household just for one weekend, and their blankets being dragged across hotel floors and then snuggling their faces in them. I am not a good traveller, period. BUT, I was excited nonetheless when TJ mentioned a ski trip.

Having decided that packing up the family was a bit too much right now, we were content with not going. UNTIL....

My dear friend Lindsay offered to watch all of our children so we could go ALONE. I should say, she didn't offer, she insisted. When we told her that we would even take George and Evie with us she said, We're watching all of them, or none of them. She wanted us to go alone that badly. She and John have the most generous hearts. They were willing and wanting to spend four days with our combined ten children. We have NEVER left all four of them with anyone for a weekend. Four days actually. The thought of leaving them was really hard for me, but then the thought of being alone with TJ for four days was really exciting. The Vaceks offered to help us on Thursay with Thomas and Annie and we knew all the kids would have fun, so we left them with the Boevers and away we drove.

We drove to Colorado for our honeymoon nearly ten years ago. This felt like a second honeymoon. Our favorite bar to eat at is called the Dam Brewery in Dillon. That was our first stop.
Just to warn you, I took A LOT of pictures of food. Hey, when I don't have kids around to snap shots of, I turn to food. Plus, it's easier. Food sits still and always looks pretty.

Our mornings were so lovely. I woke up and went to the treadmill to run inside. To sweat. It felt great. Then I came back to our room to find coffee and this little treat...TJ is a great cook. We just sat there together. SAT. It was a weird feeling not to have to help with this or that, or to wipe this or that. I almost found myself wiping TJ's face for him....you know, out of habit. I felt the urge to clean someone.

I was a little anxious and nervous to ski seeing as it has been five years since I'd last done it. It was fun getting all dressed and bundled up together. And weird, not having to help anyone get their things on.

The first morning we were up and ready to go when the lifts opened at 8:30. They were closed until 9:30 because of the snow and wind. So, we sat in Starbucks together, drinking coffee, watching people, and looking out the window and the snow falling and wind blowing. TJ was pumped, while I panicked. We decided that I would wait to ski until noon when the snow was supposed to stop. But until the lifts opened we just enjoyed sitting together.

TJ even showed me how to use his phone. I sat there in Starbucks for two hours by myself while he skiied, reading a book and looking at blogs. It was so much fun.

Skiing was awesome. I forgot how much fun it is to fly down a mountain. And I did a pretty good job for a, ahem....thirty four year old.

He was such a big kid. I loved watching him be so happy to be there.

On Friday night we tried a restaurant in the village. It was the BEST meal we had ever eaten. Seriously. We were in heaven, as the yummy sounds kept flying out our mouths. So the next night we went back. Back to the same restaurant to order the very same meal we both had the night before. We were chuckling as we hoped we weren't going to have the same waitress.

This was the best gift I have yet to receive, other than our children of course. Time alone with TJ. Time to just be together, eat together, watch movies together, talk together. I love you TJ. I love that we got to go on our first weekend away together. I had the best time.

Thank you John and Lindsay. Thank you John for sleeping on the floor in the kids room all three nights. Thank you for making sure the thermostat was at 73 degrees so that I wouldn't worry that they were cold at night. Thank you for taking ten children to mass on Sunday. Thank you for bundling them all up one thousand times so they could play in the snow. Thank you for telling me every little detail of what Evie and George did all day. Thank you for loving them and protecting them so that we could enjoy ourselves and not worry.

Hello, sun.

Good by, Colorado.