Birthday Getaway

Of all the paths you take in life make sure a few of them are dirt. 

~ John Muir 

Each year we like to do a mini getaway to celebrate mine and Joe's birthdays and this year, after some procrastination and very last minute planning, we rented a cabin up in Pinecrest. A weekend with our toes in the water, the sun in our hair, and dirt pretty much everywhere else was just what we needed. We were completely unplugged and present and in awe of the beauty that surrounded us.

Ez immediately turned into a little fish at the sight of the lake and was dog paddling all over the place without a care to how cold the water was. Declan took a little more convincing. As soon as he dipped a toe in the water he immediately started his exaggerated shivering that he does any time he's the slightest bit cold. Once he discovered the joy of throwing rocks in the water he was as content as could be.

A few hours of swimming and picnicking later both babies were struggling to keep their eyes open so we headed to our cabin. We actually caught Ez swaying back and forth on his feet with his eyes closed about to fall over and when we picked him up he protested for half a second then promptly fell asleep on Joe's shoulder mid sentence. Declan fell asleep in his backpack carrier and they both stayed asleep through diaper changes, being buckled into their car seats, and being transferred to beds at the cabin. I have a feeling bedtime would be a lot smoother if we had daily access to a lake.

Joe and I took advantage of naptime to make an early dinner, pop open a bottle of wine, and sit out on the balcony enjoying the trees and the sound of the river rushing down below. 

We eventually woke the boys up and they immediately took over the place, exploring every inch, opening every cupboard, and making the balcony their own private playground. We spent our evening searching for rocks and pine cones to toss in the river, playing chase on the balcony, and watching Finding Nemo while eating all the snack food we could get our hands on.

I would've loved to stay at least a week, but we had to pack up and head back to civilization on Sunday. We capped off our trip with a hearty breakfast at a nearby diner followed by a three mile hike rock collecting walk. Then we all piled in the car and both boys promptly fell asleep for the next two hours. I'm already dreaming of a longer trip back in the near future. 

Monday was my actual birthday but Joe had to work and we were pretty beat so we stuck close to home doing a whole lot of nothing followed by some burritos for dinner, strawberry cake for dessert, and the Bachelorette for entertainment. #teamluke

Just like that I'm a whole year older. In case you youngsters are wondering, 33 feels exactly the same as 32. And 31. And even 30... ;) 

"Life is too short to be lived counting the years." ~ unknown