Happy Anniversary to Me!

Spring Break was, well...eventful. Here's a rundown of the vacation...it's highs and it's lows:

MONDAY - We set out driving at around 7:00am with luggage and kids in tow. As usual, we did not tell the Babe where we were going; however, she did enjoy the portable DVD player showing Nemo and all his adventures as we traveled down the long highway (if we'd only had this when I was growing up, my parents would have been spared the hours of fighting between me and my sister). We stopped in Orem, Utah first and had breakfast at McDonald's...not our first choice, but the kids were happy. If only they could get our order right the first time. After going up to the counter 5 times (no exaggeration), we finally had the food we ordered. Back on the road, we traveled as far as Beaver before stopping for gas. It's so sad to see the prices going up so quickly. When oh when will my hydrogen car be ready?

We arrived in St. George around 2:00pm and had lunch, then journeyed to our resort to check-in. Our room, as always, was lovely and decorated tastefully. The babe was too excited when she saw that our back porch looked over the pool and spa. We spent the evening relaxing and planning for the next day's events.

TUESDAY - We awoke, dressed and got back on the highway...headed now to Vegas. We've been lots of times and it's one of the Babe's favorite cities. This time, however, once we hit the strip...she still had no idea where we were (had it been night time, I think she would have known without a shadow of a doubt). We parked in the Circus Circus lot and walked across the street to purchase some water at the local Walgreen's. We had planned to go to the Mirage to see the tigers, but as we walked, we realized we were running of time quickly (we wanted to leave Vegas before their rush hour, so that meant heading out at around 2:30 or 3:00, at the latest). By 11:00, we had made it as far as the Treasure Island and decided to look for food. Hubby and I began to argue and his cheap side was coming through, even though he said he wanted to eat somewhere in the hotel. Finally, we settled on their buffet and had a marvelous meal (always get to a buffet before they transition...you can get the best of both worlds). Breakfast was marvelous, but lunch was divine.

After eating, we turned back around and headed back to Circus Circus. We went upstairs to try and catch the acts, but ended up playing tons of games instead. The babe found the races and Skee ball the most enjoyable and won a plethora of stuffed animals. She was quite pleased with herself. We left Vegas at around three and headed back to St. George just as the craziness was setting in. Unbelievably, we didn't stock up on booze this time (although I did buy enough hair to start my own shop). Hubby and I realized that Vegas has grown so much, it's somewhat claustrophobic. Our fix has left us less than eager to return to the bright lights anytime soon.

We got in the pool briefly upon our return, but the cool night air had set in and I didn't want to bring home sick children from Spring Break. We decided to try again another day.

WEDNESDAY - On the road again, this time headed north to Zion's National Park. Beautiful! I will post some of the pictures I took soon. It was a hot day and our tempers flared a bit, but despite that, we still had a good time. Zion is nestled far away from the hectic pace of the world...truly, a piece of heaven. I understand now why people travel from all over the world just to see it's majestic mountains, cliffs and natural towers. We spent the better part of the day wandering the trails and talking to people from everywhere. The Babe got tired, but Indy was the lucky one who fell asleep in her stroller. Many a parent walked by us with their weary children, wishing out loud that they'd thought to do what we had. Strollers are awesome!

Zion is adjacent to the small community of Springdale, which boosted many a bed & breakfast, quaint cafes and an elementary school that appeared to house less than fifty students. A picturesque community that, I'm sure, houses many a retired rat racer. I envied their quiet lifestyle but not the remoteness from everyday society. I guess I'll always be a city girl.

THURSDAY - We spent in St.George with the kids. Hubby and I got into it, which made for a not-so-fun day. By the evening, we were pretty well decided that we should separate and end our marriage. Seriously. It was that bad. While he went to work out and burn off some steam, I took the girls swimming and they loved every bit of it. Too bad I couldn't enjoy it as much as they did. I was too worried about the state of my marriage. By evening, we had everything packed up, all the laundry done and everything ready for the ride home. The girls ate and went to bed on time for the first time during our entire vacation. Hubby went for a drive and I went to bed. I missed him already.

FRIDAY - "The Uncomfortable Drive Home". I didn't say much and turned down every offer of food he made, when we would stop for gas, a drink or a diaper change. Towards the last part of our journey, he told me how much he loved and respected me (which I already knew) but that we were in some sort of strange hard patch and the time apart would do us good). I didn't say much at all. When we got home, he kept telling me that he would move some stuff downstairs and stay there, until we could figure some things out. He made this claim several times, but it never happened. That night, we lay in bed and had a hard time not holding hands or each other. This was not going to work.

SATURDAY - My girls went with their uncle to an Easter egg hunt and I had the entire morning to myself (hubby had to work). I shopped for food items, got my nails done, picked up some lunch and watched a movie. Nice. I also had a lot of time to think. Hubby called twice, and even though he didn't say much, I could tell he'd been thinking too. We spent the evening at my mother's for dinner and took our dogs walking at the lake. Later on, hubby an I had a serious heart-to-heart about our communication issues, having patience with each other and not letting our tempers get the best of us anymore. We ended our discussion with vocal passion downstairs away from the kids, again in the morning and later that afternoon. What have I said about making up?

SUNDAY - All of us in our Sunday best (the girls in their cuter than cute white Easter dresses), we went to church and then to breakfast afterwards. We spent the day shopping and laughing a lot. It was a good day and went by entirely too fast. Hubby wished me early happy anniversary several times and said he had plans for the day (I can't wait to see what those are). More delicious making up and promises to do better, we spent the evening in each other's arms.

Today is my nine year anniversary. It hasn't been perfect, or easy, or bliss each moment of the day; however, I have no regrets and I still believe I'm with the man that's perfect for me. Spring Break was fun, stressful, crazy and enlightening. If I learned anything from the last few days it's that life is unpredictable and loopy and sometimes you just have to sit back and see where the ride takes you.