My Birthday Getaway

06 December 2011

On Sunday, I turned 26. It made me a little sad, at first, to think that I was yet another year older, but after the wonderful weekend that I spent alone with my hubby, I'd have to say that things are starting off well for my 27th year of life!

As always, Craig planned an amazing weekend for us. He's been working himself to the bone over the past month, and he deserved this weekend just as much, if not more, than me.

On Sunday morning, Craig took the boys up to his parents house for a fun weekend with Grandma and the aunts. When he got home we enjoyed some breakfast burritos in the comfort of our freezing cold garage, and then got to work on the boys' Christmas present – a play kitchen! Neither one of us really have a lot of experience or knowledge about wood working, but it turned out pretty well. We got the sink and oven constructed in about an hour and a half. And it wasn't until the last half hour or so that it started to snow! There's still a lot of work to be done, but we got a good start!

After working on the play kitchen we headed back to our apartment to warm up with some hot cocoa, a blanket, and a couple of episodes of Game of Thrones before we had to pack up and head out to Midway.

In Midway, we checked into our room at the Homestead Resort, and then grabbed our swimsuits and headed out to the crater. Our free voucher was technically only for a half an hour swim, but it was pretty slow, and the guy didn't say anything to us. We swam for about an hour, and even got to snorkel around for a bit and watch some guys practice their scuba diving skills.

After our soak in the crater we headed back to our room, showered, and got ready for dinner. I had gotten us reservations earlier in the day for the Troll Hallen Restaurant at the Stein Eriksen Lodge in Park City, or so I thought. When we got there we found the restaurant and checked in at the waiter's desk. They had our table all ready. What neither of us had realized was that rather than making reservations for the Troll Hallen (which you don't need reservations for), I had accidentally made reservation for the Glitretind restaurant, which is the one of the nicest, most acclaimed restaurants in all of Utah! Whoops! Well, rather than saying anything, we sat and dined! Craig and I are not rookies when it comes to spending money on fine cuisine. We don't do it often, but when we do, we both enjoy ourselves immensely. This was one of the best meals that either one of us has ever had, and the most expensive, by far. The restaurant even has their own chocolatier. Before leaving the restaurant we bought a dozen handmade truffles, selected by the chocolatier herself. They are the most gorgeous truffles I've ever seen!

Their amazing bakery team even made this amazing life size gingerbread house. All the candies were hand made, and the gingerbread house was constructed on site. It really was a site to behold! These gummy bears were literally the size of my hand! It was really amazing!

(This year's Stein Eriksen Lodge gingerbread house is made from edible products produced by our pastry team. It contains over 450 pounds of gingerbread and 300 pounds of royal icing. Hundreds of pounds of sugar have gone into our giant candies and candy canes. It is built on a wooden frame to provide structure. The pastry team has put over 200 man hours into this year's holiday masterpiece. Pastry items are produced in a kitchen that contains nuts.)

After dinner we went back to the resort and slept.

The next day we headed back up to Park City. We spent the morning and early afternoon walking up and down Main street, and checking out all their fun little stores and boutiques. Some of our favorites were...

• Olive and Tweed – a boutique that sells gorgeous women's apparel, jewelry, and baby clothing/accessories
• Mountain Town Olive Oil – offers a variety of olive oils and balsamic vinegarettes from all over the world.
• It's F'n Hot – a store that sells a million different kinds of hot sauces, with a million vulgar sayings and brand names!
• Atticus Coffee, Books, & Teahouse – this place had an impressive selection of teas, and a fun atmosphere for relaxing and hiding from the cold.

After our time at Park city, we headed to Salt Lake. We did some Christmas pajama shopping at Target, ate dinner at the African Market & Restaurant (delicious Ethiopian food, btw), had some dessert at the Sweet Tooth Fairy (you should try their Cupshakes and cake bites, they're to die for!), and then finally we went and saw the 20th anniversary performance of The Forgotten Carols. Neither Craig or I had ever seen it.

Well, that was our weekend getaway! It was a busy two days, but it was so much fun! Thanks so much Craig for always planning such wonderful dates, and for making me feel so special! It was perfect! :)