9s X 17hr

9s X 17hrs = ?

What do you get with this equation?

I get hours of bliss, but not too many.

I get time with my wonderful husband. Solo.

I get yummy, sustainable dinner and breakfast in bed.

I get a fluffy down comforter to sleep under and a room with a beautiful view.

I get quiet, uninterrupted sleep until 7:30 AM. 

I get a touch of romance and a bit of relax that rounds out nicely into a whole lot of rejuvenation.

We got an anniversary stay-cation!

Uncle Jay was kind (and wonderful) enough to come and stay with out 4 kids! while John and I took a night away. We had 17 hours on our own! Not too much, just right. Our kids were happy and well when we returned. I am not sure the baby even realized we were gone until he woke up and come into the light this morning at 7AM and actually saw the face if the man who had been taking care of him in the dark of the night. That man looks much like his dad, but isn't. He looks enough like him and smells like him enough that he will do int he dark, but in the light....that's a different story. Uncle Jay is not dad, but he is amazing. We now know that he is a great care giver. This is a great discovery for us...maybe not so much for him!

We stayed at the NINES in downtown Portland. We had a view of Pioneer Courthouse Square. We had reservations at 7Pm at The Urban Farmer (in house restaurant)  for a scrumptious dinner, at which we were very well taken care of! We had special treats made especially for us with no milk and no dairy, just sitting in our room when we got there and then again sitting on our night tables after dinner. There were more wheat and dairy free treats in the club where we took our evening coffee (hoping to keep our old parental unit selves awake a little longer into the evening). We were pampered! We even sat in our footy PJs this morning as we were served breakfast in bed! And it too was delish! 

Relaxing and delicious...that is the essence of our night away. I might say romantic and fun too. We pretty much encompass that at home though. The romance and the fun is not all that hard to come by (though it is easier to pull off without a hitch when we are on adult time). It's the relaxation that we need to leave the house for. The uninterrupted night of sleep was pretty amazing. Not getting up at 6 AM when someone else decides that it's time. We slept in until 7:30 when our internal alarm clocks wouldn't let us hit snooze anymore and we  were just awake. Still, that's a pretty sweet sleep-in compared to the usual 6AM. Oh yes, and we were even greeted by a beautiful and vibrant rainbow just outside our window. Goooood Mornin!

The night away was short and sweet and made us realize that we need more. More time away in our own wonderful city. We love Portland and would enjoy exploring it more. We love each other and would enjoy exploring us more. It is always nice to venture not-too-far away from home, without our children, knowing that they are well taken care of. Relaxing and enjoying time together, just the two of us. 

Jay, you are pretty wonderful! Thank you little brother! Should we do it again? We're thinking...monthly? I kid. I kid. Thank you thank you thank you!