Valentine's Weekend

Trenton and I usually try to make an effort to get away each year the weekend before Valentine's Day, but this year's circumstances didn't allow for us to leave our kids at home.  And I'm so glad we didn't.  Honestly, I had gotten so used to my kids in the context of our home- with its endless chores, messes, and errand running.  Being away with them reminded me of how funny, and sweet, and downright awesome these three babies are.

One of the perks of living on a tight budget is that our kids get excited about little things.  We're talking, really excited.  After booking the hotel, I called them down to share the news that we'd be spending the night in Denver and you would have thought I had surprised them with a trip to Disney World.  The week before was spent researching what we'd like to do, counting down the days, and I found myself frequently answering the question, "How many more sleeps, Mommy?"

Since Trenton works in the DTC, we figured we'd just meet him up there, so we reserved a room at the Denver Tech Embassy Suites. We had a little time before he finished up with work, so I took the cuties to IKEA, where they enjoyed playing in the child area, while I relished some shopping in kid-free bliss.  Once my hour of freedom was up, we cozied up on a couch and enjoyed some lunch.  How many stores do you know that have leather seating in their cafeteria?  Emma and Ben were so excited to be having lunch on real china with glass cups!  See?  I told you- they get excited about little stuff.

We also spent some time at our favorite mall in Denver, had a fun and restful night at the Embassy Suites, and enjoyed an afternoon with Tad and Linsey at the Museum of Natural History.