So the last few weeks have just been a blur. Someone explained motherhood to me this way, "the days are an eternity but the weeks fly by." It's so true. I've been completely surprised and excited by the fun things we've done as a family lately.
First my sister came into town to watch the kids while Nathan gave me my "birthday wish." He had asked me what I wanted for my birthday awhile ago and I told him just a date night but get to stay up really late and sleep in if I want to- which of course I do! I wanted to stay the night in a local hotel so it would feel more special to sleep in...than just wake up in my bedroom that needs to be dusted and seriously picked up. I was thinking a step up from Motel 6 but not anything like a Marriott.........which would be?? I don't know we never go anywhere!
Nathan wrapped a huge box with my birthday gift in it...and after I got through all the layers there was a letter that had reservations for a one night stay at the Hyatt Regency at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale. Yikes! What a sweetheart! We had a great time- it was very relaxing and romantic. We ate outside and had the house special dessert which was a gondolier boat "swimming" in sea of creme brule...drizzled with chocolate. Are you kidding me? It was amazing. I'd never had creme brule before! Then Nathan told me he had arranged for a private gondolier ride on the lake at the resort.
I'm not 100% sure but I think gondolas are special boats made in Italy exclusively. They are kinda of shaped like a canoe- but huge!! And they are more intricate and pretty. A gondolier is the man in the back that "steers" the boat by pushing a long stick through the water. To be a gondolier you have to be able to sing- I think even some formal training. Our guy was great. It was very dark and we could see the stars as he sang songs in Italian. I felt like we were in Phantom of the Opera! I thought it would be cheesy-but it wasn't at all- it was romantic and unforgettable.
The very last minute he asked us how long we'd been married, "Seven years."
"Wow! Well you know what they say- you'll get the seven year itch, but that's ok as long as you do each others' scratching."
Nice.
I'm probably going way too into this.....but the brief stay at the resort was so different from anything in my normal life! They had these gorgeous pools everywhere, with waterfalls, and grottoes. It was breathtaking. So the photos in the slide at top are my favorite photos from our stay at Gainey Ranch. Poor Nathan, he can't take 2 steps forward without me stopping and taking a photograph. "Oh wow." click click "Oh look at that." click click "On no, just a second." click click.
Anyway, thank you so much Honey! You are the best- thank you for such a romantic birthday wish!!
May brought Aunt Mimi to our house! Mimi is the nickname we gave my older sister when Sienna couldn't say Marissa- the real name of my sister who lives in L.A. She is such a great aunt! A couple times a year we bribe her to come and stay with us. So she packs her bags to come and play "nanny" for a few days.
Aunt Mimi came this month to hang with me and also to watch the kids for a night so Nathan and I could stay at a resort in Scottsdale-a birthday gift Nathan had arranged for me. My two favorite things I did with my sister was going see the movie "Baby Mama"-which we loved, and taking her to the Craft store Mecca- also known as Hobby Lobby. We had a blast shopping together!
So here are some pictures of things we did;
We went to a place in Chandler called Makutus. It's a 20,000 square foot, indoor play house. The pictures don't do it justice, but it's basically a massive tree with slides, a zip line, fire pole, holes to hide in, and secret passage ways. There are several play areas with different themes...but this tree one was my favorite. It was so much fun. We absolutely loved it!! It was a tough call who enjoyed it more, Sienna or Nathan. They were like two peas in a pod- running around together, playing hide and seek, racing each other and going on slides together.
Here is a picture of one of the crazy slides we went on. And I had to laugh at Wesley inspecting this fish that looks a lot like him. As far as Sienna goes, I am notorious for telling her, "If you want us to bring you back here you'd better smile!!!" Or any other variation of the same idea- so I do get forced smiles a lot....here are just a few.
Aunt Mimi really had her hands full watching two VERY active children. But she was up to the challenge. She fed the kids dinner, put them to bed, woke-up early with them, fed them breakfast, and sent Sienna off to school and put Wesley down for a nap.
We had so much fun with her. She will be missed. We love you Aunt Mimi! Come back soon!!
