A Grown-up Getaway!

OH, GLORIOUS UTAH!





*ahem*





Sorry, I couldn't help myself.





SO, Thursday afternoon JC and I find ourselves descending into Salt Lake City, ready to jump in our rental car and head up to Logan, Utah, for his cousin's wedding. The kids are at home with my mom having a blast, I'm sure (though she is, no doubt, breaking a sweat - - thanks mom!!!!) and I'm fully intent on having a nice, relaxing trip, enjoying some time together and time celebrating with family, etc. I walk off the plane and through the tunnel thingie that takes you to stable ground and when my feet hit said stable ground, I am absolutely entranced. On either side of me, there are huge windows and for one of the first times in my life, my breath is actually taken away. WHAT IS THIS GLORY? I ask, WHAT IS THIS GRANDEUR? (and then, in the back of my mind, I also hear Bambi's little voice saying "What's all that white stuff?") Mountains! Green, gorgeous mountains covered in snow!!! I tell you what, I lived in Provo for a good, solid four months and adored every bit of it (except for the hellish stairs that one must take to get to and from any kind of P.E. or dance class on the BYU campus...seriously, must they put those by THAT building? Like we're not already dying once we leave class, we then have to climb the Stairs of Horror?) Anyway, I am getting off the point here...my point is, it is GORGEOUS up there right now! So gorgeous, in fact, I find myself talking about something other than my kids for the first time ever on this blog. Hmm, ground breaking. So, I am completely mystified by the gorgeous lush landscape that I stare out the window with my tongue hanging out like an unintelligent dog the whole way from Salt Lake to Logan. (Half the time my tongue was hanging out from watching the scenery and the other half because JC's mom was with us and we talked a lot on the way up, probably to JC's relief - - enough noise to keep him awake while he's driving, but nothing he's obligated to listen to and comment on.) We dropped Teri off at her sister's house (mother of the groom) and spent a little while visiting (and drooling at the view from their house) before heading to our quaint little getaway bed and breakfast. Oh my goodness...if you ever are in Logan, Utah, (I also hear they have one in Salt Lake) and want a fantastic hotel experience...The Anniversary Inn. To DIE for. I could describe forever and post a ton of pictures but I will, instead, leave the link in an effort to talk less (this is the point at which JC would shake his head, laugh and give me the look of "you're already a bit past that point"). So, here it is:





http://www.anniversaryinn.com/locations.php?loc=3





That is the home page of the location we were at. Apparently, from looking at it just now, there are several locations. Anyway, fantastic. We were in the Lake Powell Room and it was every bit as enchanting (albeit, smaller) as the pictures make it out to be! One of a kind place; so fun. It didn't hurt that, when standing on the front porch of our room, you could see the Logan Temple GLOWING practically right over your head. I'm sorry, I think I am madly in love with Logan, Utah. I really never thought I would hear myself say that. And I would have laughed at anyone else who said anything like that. Go ahead, laugh away. I am delirious with love and I can't wait to go back someday...someone else will have to live there and get married or something though because, there really isn't much to do there unless you have a specific event!
We did take some pictures and I will post some now. Then I will go sit and wallow about the fact that I, for one reason or another, love Gilbert Arizona as well and could probably never bring myself to leave it. I couldn't even begin to tell you why, after seeing Glorious Utah (as it will now be known in my home), but I love it here and not even lush mountains with snow on them could pull me away! Well, at least not for more than another visit! Here are some evidences of our time away...

The mountains behind JC's aunt and uncle's house. I mean, RIGHT behind. Did you know that people live right near, or even on, mountains? My mind is still reeling... :)

The valley in front of their home...
A view from the front door of our room, looking up at the bedroom loft area. You can't really tell, but the ceiling is covered in tiny little lights that twinkle like stars. It was really neat.
Looking down into the dining/tub/shower area...sounds strange, I know. But the concept worked.
The fish tank which is actually in the shower/tub. I could get used to a fish tank in my shower.
Interesting little details everywhere!
This is what trips me out...this is what our room looks like from the outside. The whole Bed and Breakfast is like, several old houses renovated on the inside and turned into a few themed rooms. From the outside, totally normal looking! On the inside...cavern walls and fish in your shower!

The main house/front desk. So cute. There were milk and cookies out on a cozy little coffee table when we checked in.

The view from our porch. The Logan Temple. Illuminating! I think I am being kind of silly here, partly because it was a much-needed vacation and left me a bit giddy (thanks again, mom! Oh, and Danny and Melanie for getting married...) and also because I am still feeling a bit jet-lagged. (only an hour, and only for two days but it somehow threw me). But, all silliness aside, this view absolutely almost made me cry. It was just so commanding and elegant I could have stood and looked at it forever. But...well, it's cold in Utah so I went back inside after taking some pictures.

Danny and Melanie. So sweet!
The boys, laughing it up. Aren't they cute?

And here's us, at the luncheon.


We had a great time - - time away for parents is SO necessary. We are so lucky to have family who allow us to take that kind of time. I missed the kids, for sure, and thought about them a lot. JC had to steer me away from several babies and young children during our stay there because I just can't help but hold and cuddle them...not always a good idea when they belong to strangers. JC learned to appreciate my love for little ones, though, on the plane ride home because there happened to be a 9 month old across the aisle from our seats which allowed him to have the window seat for the second time in our flying that week. (in order for me to have proper peek-a-boo access) Anyway, we are now home to our own little ones who did have a blast with Grandma. Ben, who did not cry about us being gone the whole two days, took one look at me when we got home and proceeded to go into a hysterical cry unlike any I had seen from him before which he refused to be consoled from for a good five minutes. I guess all the emotion just kind of caught up with him! Haha, but we are all fine and dandy now...and I think I will go sit next to my husband on the couch so we can catch up on the episode of "The Office" that we missed and I can read a bit of my new book I bought at the airport...a really really silly, semi-pointless and fun book...the first book not about parenting, organizing, marriage or doctrine I have read in about four years. I think that could account for my giddiness too...oh, and the fact that I finally saw "The Devil Wears Prada" (which can be described in the exact same way I described the book - - hence, watching it on vacation makes me feel less guilty about spending two hours in front of it) The only damper on the whole weekend would be that, in a trade for "The Devil Wears Prada" I also watched "War of the Worlds." Yes, fantastic performance by the little Dakota girl, Steven Spielberg at his finest, etc. Blah, blah, blah. Stressfull as ALL heck to watch. Still recovering. I need to end this now because, besides this being seemingly endless and becoming more and more worthy of the description used for the book and movie, this blog entry has ended up with me using the word "heck" and, having just visited Utah, am afraid I will get carried away and use it in all kinds of strange and inappropriate ways.