On a Different Note

I would feel so very selfish if I didn't share with each of you the joy that I was able to feel when I spent two nights and three days in Park City with my sister at the Digital Scrapbooking Memories Retreat. So just endulge me for a moment and read along as though you are truly interested in me reliving that memorable weekend.

Thursday evening my sister Suzy (who most know as Karen) picked my up in her sporty little car that Connor so loving calls "Lightening McQueen" because it is red and looks fast. Just the two of us. Ahhhhhhhh. We stopped at a gas station and loaded up on our favorite junk food snacks: Funyuns, Cherry Heads, Reese's Pieces and our indivdual caffeinated beverage of choice.

The whole ride up we visited and she filled me in on all the gushy details of her life and I filled her in on how many diapers I had changed in that day, how many meltdowns I averted and how many times I thanked Todd for taking over the motherly duties for this much needed weekend.

Todd has been so kind and supportive in letting me go to this little retreat always reminding me that I deserved it and that he knew how much fun I would have.

The first night was super basic, but it was great. The time there allowed me to discover that the external hard drive that I had brought up with me was not compatible with Todd's laptop that he had loaned me (that in itself was a miracle...Todd letting me touch his coveted MacBook). I had spent many hours organizing and selecting pictures for the various projects we had planned for the weekend. Oh well, it didn't turn out to be a complete let-down. This is one of the layouts we completed that night:


That night I thought I would try out a page from Connor's sleeping book and lay on the big bed sprawled out with a foot in each corner and an arm in each upper corner. Boy, does that kid know how to sleep comfortably! Too bad I couldn't sleep. Force of habit had me waking up every few hours. I should have taken Angie's recommendation and taken some Ambien each night before bed to really get me rested up. This is what I look like in the morning. The stuff on my chin, the final stages of shingles (yeah, I get those sometimes and they are always on my face).

Suzy and I had ordered room service for breakfast. Can I just say YUCK!!!! It sure looks pretty but it had almost no flavor. I suppose it is because I ordered the low-fat, low-cal french toast. Why is it that everything low-fat/low-cal has law-flav? I loved the Vanilla Coke though. Nothing like a Coke for breakfast. Just the zip I needed to keep me going.

The classes that morning were great and I learned some great new shortcuts. However, the highlight of Friday had to be the shopping trip to the outlets.

What I loved the most:
-Not having to push a stroller
-Being able to slowly and methodically peruse through the clothes racks
-Not stopping at every cool thing for a moment of play
-Trying on every article I thought I liked and looking at myself in the mirror to make sure it was going to be a good purchase
-Not having to stop and change a diaper every half hour
-Visiting with my sister and having fun adult conversations
-Not dealing with a crying child (or three)
-Making it through every single store and not being rushed!
-My fabulous and affordable purchases...nothing like a good sale!

What I missed the most:
-That stroller sure does make toting bags around easier...my arms were tired by the end of the trip
-The kids...I got a whiff of Lavender in the Body Shop and almost started crying. Carly always smells like lavender.
-My mom and the other Spencer/Goodliffe girls

After the shopping expedition it was back to the retreat. More quick classes and then a late bedtime. But there was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to take a very long hot bath. I soaked and read up on the latest in training for 5k's (any tips?). It was marvelous. Then I hit the sack and that night I was out like a rock.

Saturday was busy and fast paced. I wish we could have gone home with more completed projects. I have a hard time completing projects of a personal nature when I am at home. I have too many beautiful little distractions. However, since I have returned home I have used some of the fantastic tips taught at the retreat and here is a small sampling of what I have come up with (they are all cards of some sort meant to be printed on an 8.5x11 piece of cardstock):

This one has two cards on one paper, cut it out and then fold in half

This one is to be folded into fourths

Just fold this bad-boy in half and there you go!

I was so very anxious though to get home and hug my sweet Toddy for allowing me a brief moment of freedom and squish my fat little babies. I missed them all. They were all doing great and Todd had done a phenomenal job with them while I was gone.