Just about 22 hours of heaven....

Wow....getting away was...incredible. Isn't it amazing how you don't realize how much you NEED to get away until it happens. Sometimes it seems like too much effort/money/production/etc., but it's so worth it, and necessary. I feel like I need to step back at times from my role as mommy, teacher, house cleaner, and all of the tasks that go along with each of these roles, and just....be.

Tommy and I left one sick kiddo, and one, hmmmmm...."extra-energetic" kiddo with my parents on Thursday...well, actually, with Tommy's parents at first, they were then picked up by my mom later that afternoon--gotta love having two sets of grandparents near by! ;) We drove about an hour until we reached our gorgeous destination. Nestled into the hills and trees, among 120 acres of incredible landscape, we checked into the charming Scottish Inn. There is something about the feeling of not having to rush to do anything, be anywhere, or tend to someone else's needs that allows one to completely relax. We arrived at 3:00pm, and the cocktail hour before dinner wasn't until 6:30. My first thought was to take a nap (of course), but instead we decided to take advantage of the beautiful setting and get outside.




One of the foundations of Tommy and my relationship is exploring the terrain together--doing physical things, and being outside. In the summer, we love to go for long walks together. When we vacation on the beach, one of our most favorite things to do is walk the beach all day long. Some of the things we used to do all of the time are no longer regular occurrances due to the kiddos. Don't get me wrong--we do get outside together as a family quite a bit. But to be together, just the two of us, amidst the most beautiful backdrop I have witnessed in quite some time was divine. Ahhhhhhhhh.......I felt like I was myself. Just me....a glimpse of who I used to be in my earlier years! ;) And together, we felt so young and carefree!!! It was invigorating and romantic just the same! It made me realize just how important it is to take time out in your marriage to do the things you adore doing as a couple. So often we do things by ourselves, or with the kids, or with our respective friends....but neglect to do things as a couple. This was so good for us, and made us appreciate each other so much!




Can you believe the size of the icicles in the gorge? Amazing!





Here's Tommy hanging out next to them, for reference of their size!



Remember when I posted about getting new boots? My old UGGS have had it, and it's time for some new ones. Well....still never got them. Soooo, it was a little treacherous, hiking through the snowy trails in boots with no traction what-so-ever. I did slip and fall quite a few times. So, when Tommy decided to go down into the gorge, I stayed at the top and looked on. He disappeared down at the bottom, exploring and galavanting through the caves. I enjoyed the quiet. It was breath-taking. Sooooo quiet you could hear a pin drop. The only sounds were that of my breath, and the occassional rustle of the wind through the trees causing a gentle mist of snow to cascade from their sheilding branches. God's creation at it's finest. Glorious.


After hiking, it was nice to return to our cozy room, turn on the fire, and get ready for dinner. Six courses. Divine. Dinner was served by candlelight, and as we ate, we watched the flicker of the candle reflect in the window next to our table, illuminating the dripping icicles hanging along the roof line. The main course was filet mignon...usually one of our favorites. Unfortunately, the chef prepared it in a soy sauce making it a little too salty for our liking, but it was still amazing, and we were soooo full from the previous four courses, that it didn't really matter, anyway.



We were able to get out and hike again the next morning after a delightful breakfast, which consisted of the most wonderful homescones and Scottish oatmeal I've ever tasted.

So refreshing, renewing, and nice to be together. 22 hours of heaven...that's what it was!