a weekend of aahhhh

so, guess where allan took me for our anniversary? suncadia resort in cle elum! i had the best weekend EVER and could not believe that allan took so much time and effort to plan such a special trip for us. he coordinated everything, including childcare and even going to the library to borrow a book for me to read and relax to during our trip. the best part was that he kept all of it a surprise from me. i loved it! i have to confess (boast?) that i'm not easy to surprise. i can be very discerning and can pick up on even the slightest of slip-ups. (but if you ask allan, he'll roll his eyes.) okay, so here's how our weekend went down. my awesome sister came over bright and early (7:30a) saturday morning so that we could get an early start to our getaway. we loaded ourselves into the truck and waved goodbye to the kids. we were on the road for almost 2 hours and it wasn't until we drove up to a sign that said "Suncadia Resort" that i knew where our destination was to be! i was so excited at that point! it was beautiful there. i kept oohing and aahing on our drive up to the lodge. the lodge was gorgeous and already decorated for the holidays, which made it even more cozy and amazing to experience. our room was to die for! it had a beautiful hardwood entry, stone fireplace, a private deck, and our very own HOT TUB! needless to say, i didn't want to leave our room. but, alas, there was much to see outside of it so we ventured out after a little relaxation. we walked around the lodge and saw breathtaking views of the mountains and trees. when i look at the majestic mountains and forests, there is no doubt in my mind that God exists. no doubt. after exploring the lodge, we decided to head out and check out downtown cle elum. on our way out, we saw some deer! they were so pretty and so close to us that i wanted to reach out and touch them. allan didn't think it was safe (i agreed) so we just watched them for a little while and then continued on our way. later that evening, we had a very romantic dinner back at the lodge. over dinner, we looked back at the last eight years of our marriage and talked about goals we each had for our future. it was so great to be able to focus on each other and talk without any interruptions. one of the best parts of our meal was the creme brulee! it's one of my favorite desserts and this particular one was scrumptious. yum. our night ended with more rest and relaxation and plain enjoyment of our alone time with each other. the next morning, we had the most delicious breakfast i've ever tasted (seriously) as we watched the snow fall. i could have sat in front of that view all day long. but, we had three little munchkins waiting for our return so we finished up and headed home. what a great way to celebrate and reflect on the eight wonderful years of love, friendship, fun, joy, excitement, and challenges we've shared in our marriage to one another. can't wait to do it again soon!