"Surprise" 30th Trip

You may remember two years ago when Jono turned the big 3-0. I pulled off the biggest surprise of my lifetime. It involved waking him at 3am for our 5am flight to Oakland - and eventually three nights in Yosemite with friends. And he had no idea it was coming.

Let's just be honest. There is no way in the civilized world to surprise me like that. I have way too much control over our schedule - and as the mama, it will kill me to leave my kids behind after zero/no preparation. So my husband is a smart man. He gave me warning. In early January he told me some dates (March 5-8) and said we were going somewhere together for my 30th.

Despite being a bit hesitant to leave the kids (mostly Caleb, whom we'd never left), I was beyond excited. We had not been on a trip together just the two of us (without a baby - a real one or an en utero one) since Australia. That was five years ago. And that is just too long, folks.

So on Tuesday March 5th, we boarded our plane to Denver, Colorado for a four day/three night adventure, just the two of us.

We were without diapers, binkies, or crayons. It was amazing.

Our first stop in town was the the historic Patterson Inn near our old neighborhood. We checked in with enough time to relax for a bit and get ready for dinner. We met our friends Ed & Hayley (who were also experiencing a first - leaving their 3 month old son also named Caleb - with her sister for a date night out) at one of our very favorite Denver restaurants. It was restaurant week in Denver and they were offering an amazing three course meal special. It doesn't get much better than legit family-style Italian.

The worst picture on the planet, but you get the idea

The four of us

Wednesday morning we woke way too early (I am sad to say we were both wide awake each morning around 6am, even on vacation -we are old and lame, I guess) and went for a run around capitol hill. Let me tell you, just waking up with the opportunity of taking a run together without packing seventy pounds along in the jogging stroller was a gift. Then we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at the Inn before hitting the road. Here are some pictures of our bed & breakfast. It was awesome (nice work, Jono!)...

Where exactly did we head from there, you wonder? Santa Fe, New Mexico. It's true. A six hour-ish drive south from Denver, it's a perfect hub of beauty meets history meets food meets art meets weather meets far from home. And it was the perfect combination for us this weekend.

We basically spent two days eating well, hiking, exploring the town, and doing exactly what we wanted to do, right when we wanted to do it. Like rolling over in bed for an extra few minutes of sleep, taking long showers and losing track of all time and schedule. It was glorious.

But the best part, by far, was being together. As much as I love being a mom and watching Jonathan be a dad, it was so great to take a break from the parenting role and just enjoy being the two of us. I'm pretty sure we laughed more, had more random conversation, and just enjoyed more quiet than we have in the past few months/years combined. It's not like I really forget, but it's great to be reminded so overwhelmingly that we have a pretty good thing going.

Here is our time together, in and around Santa Fe:

Some cool old buildings near the plaza

Adobe reins supreme in Santa Fe

St. Francis Cathedral

La Casa de Amy & Jono for two nights

Delicious "New Mexican" food (it tastes just
like Mexican food). Go figure!

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks hike...here we go

Amazing slot canyons

All this beauty calls for some posed PT Associates shots, of course

My hot hiking buddy

More poses. "If It's Physical, It's Therapy", folks. :)

More delicious New Mexican cuisine

And a finale historical landmark: San Francisco Asis Mission

It was a lovely trip, as you can see. I am so thankful that I have a husband who would plan such a fun getaway and I want to remember that it is always worth it to make time together a priority (not just Colorado/New Mexican trips but the little things, of course). Even when we miss our kids - and they miss us - I hope they always know that mom and dad love spending time together. And in the end, it's a triple win, right? Win for the both of us and a win for them.

And just in case you're wondering, it's true, "dreams come true, yes they do in Santa Fe". If you have no idea what I'm talking about (and missed Christian Bale in all his seventeen year old glory), I'm sorry. Google Newsies. ;)