TWOGIRLS Getaway 2022

It’s becoming and annual tradition. Last year, we started with just a quick jaunt over to the Doubletree and Fleming’s for a girl’s night/dinner/sleep. This year, I promised a bit more! Oh, the pressure. I researched and researched and eventually, came upon a deal! Fairmont Princess is super pricey, but I called, and guess what? Calling was the answer. They gave me a great deal on a room with $150 in resort credits, a kid’s package, and they donate to a kid philanthropy. ALL WINS! Plus, they have SIX pools with one having a water slide. That will elate the Tot.

I knew dinner would be pricey, so that $150 would be very welcomed. I also researched to see if we could get ice cream when we arrived before we swam. NO problem!

The day was set. We’d leave around noon on Wednesday, and try for an early check in. They had our room ready early, so we headed over! Here we are, bags packed. Swim gear..CHECK. Dress for tonight..CHECK! The TOT…CHECK! Coopy? Sorry Buddy…you’re staying. He’s pouting.

We get there and IT IS H.U.G.E!!!

You truly feel like a princess when you arrive. They take such good care of you.

We checked in, and they handed Tot a hat for her day and some kid activities for us to partake.

Her first activity? Pet the Lobby Doggy. Her favorite thing to do.

Off we go to our room. Plan: Plop down our stuff, tour the room amenities, grab our map since the property is the size of a city, and find our way to activities! Swimming later.

First stop: Kid arcade. She brought $7 of quarters. She was smart this time, but when we got there, everything was F.R.E.E!! My kind of fun! (save those quarters, TOT!)
WHAT!? Life sized PACMAN> Oh memory lane.

We played together. I had to remember how to play!

Then B-Ball, pool, air hockey…and we had the whole place to ourselves.

Now, it’s time to scope out the grounds. I got turned around so many times, and Tot was wearing her uncomfy flops, so guess how her feet felt after about 20 minutes (not to mention us going the wrong way once we hit the ballroom.) Blistery and bleedy.

Ugh….where is that store!? Lobby? La Hacienda with the ice cream??? Luckily there were plenty of Princess helpers to show us!

I need a moment, Mommy! (It was super humid out plus like 110!)

Ok, me too.

We found our destinations, and ALAS….La Hacienda closed until dinner. BUT OUR ICE CREAM??? Sadness. Disappointment. We just headed to the little “general” store where a bottle of water is $6, and we bought some goodie treats. Tot of course found many over-priced items to buy.

We headed back to our room to eat our treats and change. On the way, so many fountains. (Ours is the most pretty since Daddy made ours!)

Alright, the reason we came was for the pools and water slide. We headed over there, and I noticed it was pretty empty. Weird. They informed us that the pools are ALL closed due to a bit of lightning. HUH? Where? There were maybe three clouds in the sky and lightning? It sure was undetected by the human eye. Tot started to cry on the way back to our room. The lady said to check back in 15, so we went back to our rooms DEJECTED and DEPRESSED> NOOOOOOOO!!!! We prayed and asked for Favor!

When we went back in 15, the clouds seemed to disperse, and guess what! The slide was open! AND.. there was a bit of a cloud cover so it was cool. GOD IS GOOD!

Tot ran…I mean SPRINTED….up the ladder to the top and here she comes…….

BEST DAY EVER! She commented.

She ran up and slid down about 1000 times.

I even went up with her and OH BOY…it was soooo fun!

We stayed out for a couple hours, and she made some friends and played. It really was perfect.

When we got back to the room, we had to get ready for dinner. She put on her dress, and guess what? The dress she brought was too small! She hadn’t worn it in 2 years, and …well…we needed a plan B, because all she brought was shorts and t’s. I suggested she wear my black wrap over her GCU shirt. PERFECT! It dressed it up a bit and we thought outside the box.

We waited for our shuttle…they took us to TORO in their shuttle; this was one of their six restaurants. (one of them, Bourbon Steak, is the most expensive restaurant in the state. Well, Toro will be an adventure, and we look pretty cute!

Shuttle is here!

Here we are!
SO PRETTY! Right by the golf course.

We have our $150, so we are going to enjoy ourselves! They gave us a lovely window seat.

The menu was quite eclectic. Sashimi, sushi, some latin type of cuisine. Very southwestern/asian?

We opted for some sparkling water. For me, limes and for her, cherries.

We ordered some ceviche with mango and tuna. It was SOOOO spicy, we both couldn’t eat it, so they took it back. I wasn’t going to give her a kid’s meal because seriously…hamburger, chicken nuggets, Mac and cheese? NO, you are having real food.

So we both ordered the salmon. It was covered with a bacon fig jam atop parsnips, carrots, and mushrooms. It had this red sauce on the side. DELICIOUS!

Oh, and they served some banana chips with it. YUMMMMM

Dessert? OF COURSE!
Tot ordered some ice cream. She never had had dulce de leche, so here we go! There were two scoops, and she ate every bit. The tummy ache was worth it.

Well, when it was all said and done, just the salmon, waters, and ice cream, the bill was $101 plus I gave a $25 tip. Not bad! We have enough for tomorrow brekkie. (sort of)

We took the shuttle back, read some books, relaxed and fell asleep at 9:30pm. PERFECT!
At 6:30am, we woke up, I made some NESPRESSO (HOORAY…this stuff is sooooo good), and we headed to the pool for a final goodbye swim. It was overcast, cool, and the pool was empty. It couldn’t have been better.

Then, we headed to the “generally expensive” store, and she got a donut, turkey stick, and sparkling water. I got some espresso. We spent exactly $20. That $6 donut better be good.

She was in food heaven, and I was elated about how much money we were credited.

This was such a highlight. I had an amazing time with you, TOT> Look how we overcame all the disappointments. We always can make lemonade out of lemons, and with you, that is the best because you have such a positive attitude. Thank you for making this so memorable. We’ll be back, Princess!

Appreciation Dinner and Losing Teeth!

Two teeth in one week! Honestly they were just hanging there for so long!

And the TOOTH angel has gifted her now with two 5’s!

It’s the same day as our appreciation dinner. I love these nights, 4th Monday of the month, because we get to focus on how and why we appreciate each other.

Tot went first.

I love what she says about quality time. It’s all about what she loves…spending time, hugs and kisses.

Then Daddy’s turn!
Wow. He makes us feel so special.

I treasure this list. My goodness; how blessed.

Now, ME!

Coopy, you are SOOOO appreciated too. I WANT UP, Mommy!

GCU: Loving my job, getting published again, and “loping” on Tatum!

Yes, I do. I love what I do, teaching classes for GCU. However, I have been enjoying my role as a speaker for them. They call me an “expert.” HA! ME? OK, well, apparently I am to them. SO…. I appreciate it fully. In July, I’ll be speaking for EdKey to a group of teachers about the Gifted and teaching to them and also Writing Across the Curriculum (My passion).

On Saturday, I enjoyed meeting with the other “Experts.”

I received a shirt, and made sure to get one for the Tot. She hasn’t taken it off in three days.

You see, I’m grooming her to become a LOPE herself. (GCU Antelopes)

I also have been writing more lately with two other ladies. Dr. Marjaneh Gilpatrick and Dr. Tracy Vasquez. Surprisingly, I received our article in the mail as it was in the Principal magazine!

Kinda cool!

Thank you, GCU for the opportunities. So grateful.

Swimming EVERY DAY!

Tot and I don’t ever miss a day.

Even when the clouds hover….

I treasure this time with her.

As you can see, the umbrellas are down today because they just topple over when the storm haunts!

We LOVE to greet on Sundays!

And we love to match. It give us such joy to invest in others every week. We have gotten to know so many lovely people as we just stand there, smile, and greet. Often, they stop and we converse about them and how they are doing. Jan and Jerry and their health issues, Deb and Jeff and their pickle ball games, Lynne and her tummy issues and her trips to Mexico, Tommy/Tricia/Tina and their love of horses….It’s so fun each week to check in with so many and ask how we can pray. Honestly, you forget your own problems when you are focused on others. Also, we get to pray for them! Holy Spirit has such a way to remind us through the week to the needs.

What a joy to do this with my girl.

Austin and the Kitties

The joy of being responsible for another life. It changes us. Case in point: Austin. He adopted these adorable little kitties, and he is filled with so much joy. Hard? Yes. But it’s a good hard. It’s a responsibility that we need in life and it fills us with PURPOSE>

It’s a great step for him! The Tot got to meet the little kits this weekend.

She fell in love and asked to take one home. OH, Coopy. He’d have none of it!

Now we will just have to visit them at Austin’s. She sure enjoyed spending time with her big brother!

Snowbell and Snowball and TWINS!

Sunday, we bought a new fishy! And guess what? Tot wanted Snowball to have a friend even thought Betta fish are loner fish.. SO….she still wanted a female friend.

Enter, Snowbell! i. e. BELLA!

Now they peak through the barrier wondering what is on the other side. We are no different as humans…what is on other side? Is it greener? It’s not better, BTW….bloom where you are planted, right?

She is introducing her babies to the new fishies.