Girls Getaway 2012 Wrap-Up

By the time Barb's van had pulled in front of my house, I'd already showered the kids with lots of good-bye hugs and kisses.  However, just as I turned to close the door behind me, Natalie suddenly reached out her arm to hold it open.

"Wait!  I want to give you one of my stuffed animals to take with you so that you don't forget me!" said Natalie.

She returned a moment later with her beloved night time pal, Twinkle.

"But, she's your favorite.  Are you sure you want me to take her?" I asked.

"Yes! You can even sleep with her," replied Natalie.

Twinkle turned out to be a great traveling partner..even if she consumed most of my Nutella during our weekend retreat.

Twinkle enjoying breakfast on the deck.

We waited for the rain to clear before heading out to the outlet mall.
Twinkle was a little possessive with the remote.
Thankfully, "There's Something About Mary" was something we could all agree on watching. 

 Paint Box Cafe is now our new favorite lunch spot.
It has become a pinning sensation for it's recipes and decor.

The cafe offers half a dozen little nooks to nosh in.

An old door and silverware are re-purposed into a cool mug rack. 

Blake's Choice Sandwich
Panini with turkey, Monterey Jack & Cheddar
& "Paint Box bacon"
A house specialty featuring pecans pressed into the pork.

After lunch we headed to the outlets.  

Twinkle tried to be helpful, but since she only sees in black and white she often chose
some crazy outfits for us to try on.

Our little companion turned out to be a shopping good luck charm. 

Twinkle offered to help me with my digital scrapbooking, but
her little claws kept getting stuck between the keys. 

No cooking is our #1 rule while away.  We enjoyed a quiet evening in
with some yummy, thin crust pizza from JJ Twiggs.

Turns out Twinkle is a bit of a lush.

Here's how we found her the next morning.
What a lightweight.

In the 6 years Barb and I have made this trip - this is the first time
I thought to take a photo of us together.
It will be fun to look back on when we're 80.

I'm back home now...and have finally caught up with the laundry.  The kids had lots of adventures with their Dad, but seemed happy to have me back...especially my "Big Kid" aka husband. After the kids went to bed, he told me he was going out to fill up our cars for the week.  But, when he returned, he presented me with a cherry stolen and my favorite tea to enjoy in the morning.  He also bought me a bag of Godiva chocolate, as he had noticed my stash had been depleted.

I may go out of town once a year...but I'll always return home.  I promise.