"Pack Your Bags"

Friday morning Pat called early from work.  He had forgotten to pack some clothes and wanted to know if I could bring them to him.  Since I was finishing cleaning the house for possible showings, I thought getting the kids out for a trip in the car was a great idea.

Late that morning when we met up with Pat, he dropped a bomb on me.  After handing him his clothes, he said, "Go home and pack a bag.  We're going to Chattanooga this weekend."  I looked at him incredulously, ready to object.  But then he told me his parents were already flying out and would be there in a few hours to watch the kids.  

It would be completely accurate to say that I was freaking out a bit as I drove home.  I was in disbelief.  I have hardly ever left the boys overnight (except for hospital stays, medical tests that were out of state, and for a military ball or two.)  I was extremely worried how the boys would do, especially since I'll have another overnight trip away coming up in just a couple weeks when the new baby comes.  While it would have been easy for me to be irritated at Pat for dropping this on me, I knew that if he had asked, I would have said no.  The only way for him to do it was to surprise me, and he sure did that.  Even though I was nervous about leaving the boys, part of me was really excited at the prospect of some adult time and dates with my husband.  

We were checked into the hotel in Chattanooga at almost 10 p.m. because of the time change.  I was extremely exhausted from what had been a long and busy day.  After arriving I really wanted to curl up in the bed, but we hadn't had dinner and I knew Pat was hungry.  We went to dinner at one of Pat's favorites, Fridays.  It was so relaxing to be at a restaurant without kids.  After dinner we went back to the hotel to sleep peacefully without interruption.

The next morning we woke up around 8:30, which is late for me, ate breakfast, and headed out to the TN Aquarium.  We've been there before with the kids, but this time we could leisurely explore the exhibits.  I will admit though that at 9 months pregnant, it began to feel like death by walking to me.  The ligaments/tendons (whatever they are) connecting my legs to my body felt like they were on fire with each step.  And I am not exaggerating when I say I was literally waddling around.

After the aquarium we enjoyed lunch on the patio of a local restaurant.  It was a beautiful afternoon and a nice romantic date.  I was also glad to be sitting down for a while.  When lunch was finished we went to the imax movie that was combined with the aquarium.  I had never been to any imax movie, so it was a great experience for me.  We ended the afternoon with a nap.  I guess all the fun had tired both of us out.

That night Pat had already planned a dinner boat cruise for us.  It was a casual affair, but something so different from anything we can usually do and rather romantic.  The food was delicious.  I cleaned my entire plate.  After dinner we watched the sun set on the Tennessee River.  It kind of reminded us of our honeymoon.  When the cruise was finished we weren't quite ready to go back to the room.  We stopped by Ben and Jerry's for some ice cream.  (Can you say expensive?!?  A small cup is the same price as a pint at the grocery store!).  While it would have been nice to continue the date after that, it was already after 10 p.m., and I was exhausted.  We are now old folks I guess, but that is okay.

After breakfast on Sunday morning we headed back home.  I was so excited to see the boys.  They survived just fine, and I almost think it was good for them to experience us going away for a short while.  My in-laws were amazing to travel down here, watch the kids, and help out so much.   I am so thankful for my wonderful husband and his big plans for us.  I definitely needed a little getaway, and it was such a good reminder that I need to put our relationship as a priority in our life too.  This trip was probably one of the most romantic things Pat's done for me, and I will not soon forget it.