For Christmas, B wrapped up a journal we keep for each other, with a piece of twine and had a little note in it about packing my bags for an overnight stay. After cooking breakfast Monday morning (more pancakes...my biggest craving these days), making his lunch, and questioning him several times on why he wasn't in his work clothes yet ("I just want to look sexy for breakfast"), he finally said, "You should go get ready." He then explained that he had the next two days cleared off for the both of us, found a substitute teacher for me, and had a short, but sweet list of things we could go do in SLC.
I think I cried three times before leaving the house. I was so thankful for my husband who, after a few rotten days of watching bme be self absorbed, was being so nice to me. So yes, I cried three times. :)
Anyways, I was sufficiently *cherished* by my husband on Monday and Tuesday. I probably even cried some more on the way to SLC. I'm going to blame it on all the pregnancy hormones. I cannot believe the wave of emotions that has come over me in the last few months and caused me to lay my head on the dinner table and just sob, usually for no specific reason at all.
In case anyone out there is wondering where two breakfast, book, coffee loving nerds like to hang out in the city here's out list of stops:
The Salt Lake City Public Library : Had to hit up Salt Lake City Roasting Co. on the way in to find a comfy seat to hunker down in for a few. My pregnant drink and food of choice was a white chocolate steamer and a cheese stick. Ha!
Anyways, after much reading and writing, I decided to meander down to the adorable shops in the library, and lost my keys somewhere along the way (the only set of Volvo keys we had...oh well).
The Armstrong Mansion: This was our main destination for the evening. We've stayed here once before and really loved it. Each room is theme decorated after all the months in the year. My sweet, sweet B got us the February, complete with a spiral staircase that leads up to a jetted tub overlooking the city.
Everyone is going to think we're pretty lame, but we really read in bed and looked at blogs for the next three hours, waiting for our tummies to get hungry enough to head out in the cold again. But with an awesome staircase like that, who would want to leave the room?
On a side note, their breakfasts at this place are delicious! B and I seriously are breakfast lovers. I think we spent most of our honeymoon breakfasting. Almond cinnamon rolls, homemade granola, and cream cheese stuffed French toast are just a few of our favs that they serve here.
The Bayou: We hit up my first ever bar!! Haha Being pregnant and barely 21 means I drank a few sweet teas and ate some wings while watching my hubby enjoy a snobby beer.
Bruges: Gourmet waffles stuffed with pearl sugar and topped with buttery cream? Yes, you will most likely find us hanging out around this place!
The Rose Est.: Besides Starbucks, this is really one of the only coffee shops in the city we loved hanging out at all day, and believe me, we've searched and searched for coffee shops to hang around in the city. We spent the better part of Tuesday morning sipping americanos and, you guessed it, reading!
The Beehive Tea Room: You better believe we didn't leave SLC without stopping at my all time favorite tea room. Lilac tea, spinach and artichoke crescent sandwiches, and wild rice soup are both of our usuals. We sipped and nibbled between the turning of pages. :)
All this considered, I was prompted to write a somewhat somber note in my Commonplae after returning home from our mini vacation. Here it is:
1/9: "It's amazing to me how often Solomon's words ring true from Ecclesiastes. This week on our getaway, even with a spiral staircase leading up to a hot tub in a room that cost a few hundred dollars for the night, after an intimate day with my husband, after a full tummy and treats to indulge in, being warm, provided for, and in a comfy bed, my thoughts in the middle of that luxurious night still turned to, 'Is this really all these is to life?' Endless coffee shops, meals, and lounging around still resulted in, 'All is vanity!' Having 'my hearts desires' on this earth was and is vanity!"
Some may think that note depressing, or maybe even insulting to my husband who planned this lovely suprise. But rest assured, I shared my feelings with him on the drive home and he agreed. It shouldn't be so shocking that he agreed. Our hearts desires cannot be sated in earthly things. It's not that either of us were ungrateful for one last desired getaway before baby arrives, but we just don't put our full hope in those things. I'm grateful for reality checkes like this, and the hope I have in Christ that moves me out of panic and confusion when the fleetingness of life is realized, and into trust and hope in truth.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:2+3
Needless to say, we were both very happy to be home in our little dollhouse. And now thanks to the snowstorm it looks like we will be happy and homebound for a few more days.
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