Taken in 2005 - XC skiing trip getaway for Valentine's Day
It was about 2 months before Karleigh passed away. (we are not counting our house hunting trips that we usually go on every couple years with the kids. Those really aren't a vacation because they are stressful and full of chaos!) So, after 5 1/2 years...we were due for a trip! Lucky for us, we had some free hotel nights and another gift card to use for food! Yippee!!Brittany, John and Abby were fabulous and wonderful to offer to keep our kids while we were away! How wonderful it was to know that our kids were in good hands and having a good time with their relatives. We sure are going to miss them when they move!! They got to go swimming and watch movies and just play, play, play!! Thank you, Brittany and John for everything!!! Can I just add a little blip about my cute sister-in-law, Brittany? She really is one of the sweetest girls I know. I think she was about 12 or 13 when I first met her while Chris and I were dating. She shared her room with me when I came to the Stimpson's house to meet the fam and I have adored her ever since! She is very soft-spoken and is always kind to everyone she meets. She is beautiful and darling and a fabulous mother! I love watching how gentle she is with her sweet Abby. I love her!
We left on Friday afternoon and drove down to the Boston Temple to do a session. That was a great way to start off our weekend! It is a beautiful temple, inside and out! But really, aren't they all?!
The next day (Saturday) we caught a cab to take us to Long Wharf where we caught our boat to go whale watching!! So fun!! Neither of us have ever been out on a boat in the ocean, plus to get to see some huge massive animals...we were excited! While we were riding the boat for an hour to get out to the whale feeding grounds, we both agreed that we would love to someday do all kinds of outdoor-sy trips. Ya know - like go on a safari, visit the Amazon, Austrailia and many more places were listed! It's ok to have dreams, right!
(Note to self: do not spend a lot of time curling your hair when it is just going to get whipped around crazily by the wind on the boat!! Uh, yeah, not smart!! It was straight after the boat ride!)
The whale watching trip, although crowded with people trying to catch that awesome glimpse of the whales, was actually even a bit romantic! Just the thought of being on a boat in the ocean with the man I love... Well, anyway... we followed a group of about 3 whales. They didn't give us too many tail fin shows, but it was still fun to watch them blow the air high above the surface and to just watch how gracefully they move. Beautiful, magnificant animals! Seeing these huge animals just gave us an even greater appreciation for all the beautiful creations on this earth. Amazing! 
Looking at Boston from the boat as we headed back to the wharf.
After getting back from whale watching, we found a little outdoor restaraunt there on the wharf and split a small yummy pizza. We sat and chatted and laughed and laughed. It was super relaxing and many fun memories were shared. After lunch, we went to the IMAX theatre and watched a couple 3-D movies. We then decided to walk around the north side (or the Italian section of town) and window shop and look around. It was packed with people, but still so fun to just be in a big city, holding hands and being together! It was fun to be with Chris in that big, BIG city! We found a cute tiny little Italian restaraunt to eat dinner at. We enjoyed the intimate, quite setting - but mostly, enjoyed each other's company!
I thought this clock tower was really neat, but I couldn't get a good picture of it. So, being the nice guy he is, Chris spent forever trying to get a good picture. With all the lights everywhere, it was hard to get the camera to focus right where we wanted it.
Outside our hotel was the Paramount theatre. We needed one last snapshot of us before heading home on Sunday.
I am so grateful we were able to build the memories we have from our 12th anniversary getaway in Boston! It really made me stop and think about how easy it is to go about our daily lives and just get into the hum-drum of daily living. I miss spending one on one time with Chris - more than just an hour here and there. But if that's all that life with kids, church callings, work and life will allot, then I will gladly take it. It is so important to step out of the norm every once in a while and spend time reconnecting with the one you fell in love with. But it doesn't have to be on a trip, either. It can be in the little things you do every day for each other. The kind note left in his lunch, the ironed shirts, the flowers for "just because I love you", the phone call just to check to see how the other is doing, the backrub after a long day at work (even mommy work!), nice long love letters (one of my favorite!), snuggling up on the couch for a chat and laugh, reminising of fun memories, and the list could go on. I have realized that I do not do enough little things for Chris. I know that I try, but oftentimes I fall short. I have made a goal to do better at letting him know in tiny little ways that I love him. And I have also made a goal to try to notice all the tiny little things he does to show his love for me - because there is a lot, and I often am to sidetracked to notice. I am grateful for the man I fell in love with 12 1/2 years ago. I am grateful for the memories we have. I am grateful for the lessons we have learned and where we are today. I am grateful that we have weathered many storms together. I have a good husband. He is a good man. He is a talented man. He is extremely intellegent and very good at anything he sets his mind to. He loves his family and is the best dad anyone could ask for. He adores our darling children and that in turn, makes me adore him even more! We are far from the perfect couple. Those storms, well, they have knocked us down many, many times. But I am thankful that we have been able to brush ourselves off and keep on pushing. I am grateful for the man that I get to call MINE! He is wonderful and I don't tell him that enough.
I am looking forward to the next getaway trip! I don't know when it will be, but I sure as heck hope it doesn't have to be in another 5 1/2 years!!!
I love you, Chris! Thank you for the fun trip and then even funner memories!!!
