Mini Vacay

The girls and I just got back a few days ago from a little mini vacation in Orange Park. My Grandma - or "Grandma Gus" - was down from Maryland for another visit; her second in less than six months! We were so excited to see her again so soon. I was pretty stressed, though, for the few weeks leading up to our trip because I was unsure of how it was all going to go down -- things have been pretty tense since all of the holiday drama at the end of last year and we haven't been to my parents' house at all since Christmas...

But it went really, really well. We enjoyed each other's company, spent lots of time in the pool, the girls and I slept in everyday (oh, the cuddles!), they took their naps and got along really well, I put a good dent in my new book, there was very little whining, and hardly any temper tantrums. For 12 whole days. It was glorious! I was actually relieved that I had to stay a few days longer to wait for Alex to get paid so that I could put gas in the car to get home.

:-)

Hotlanta!

Last year, Alex and I traveled to Atlanta to see one of our favorite comedians, Louis C.K., perform at the Fox Theater. It was an early Valentine's Day gift to each other and a much-needed weekend getaway for mommy and daddy - our first trip without the kids!

Don't get me wrong, I missed the little boogers, but the freedom... was glorious.

Our first night there, we went to a trendy burger joint called The Vortex. Sooo many delicious gourmet burgers to choose from, an impressive booze menu, and... TATER TOT NACHOS. Like bar food, only better. Much better. *Wipes drool.* Afterwards, we ventured over to the Laughing Skull Lounge for a few giggles from the local comedy scene before heading back to the hotel to hit the sack. We were waking up bright and early the next day to visit the Georgia Aquarium!

It was such a beautiful experience; my first trip ever to an aquarium. The Beluga Whales were my favorite by far (bottom center) - so peaceful and elegant... I bought a Christmas ornament from the gift shop to bring home. We grabbed a quick bite at The [famous] Varsity on our way back to the hotel to relax a little before getting ready for our big night with Louis.

"If you're divorced, or middle-aged, or afraid to talk to women, or overwhelmed by parenthood, or otherwise quietly desperate... he is laughing with you and at you." Joel Lovell described Louis perfectly in an article in GQ that I randomly picked up at a recent trip to the doctor's office. His raw sense of humor has you nodding in agreement and clutching your sides the entire time from laughing so much. The show did not disappoint!

Before heading home the following morning, we stopped by West Egg Cafe for brunch. I had some sort of egg-and-potato-dish that was nothing to write home about, but the coffee... Ohhh, the coffee was the best coffee that a coffee lover could ever dream of.

Lavender. White. Mocha. Mmmmm, I bought another for the road on our way out.

It was a really great weekend. Three whole days of uninterrupted quality time with the Mr., waking up on our own accord, hanging up the diaper bag for a real purse, dressing up, letting my hair down... I think we're overdue for another weekend getaway, Mr. Murphy!

Let's reminisce about the last trip you took... pictures please!