Celebrating Us

First, some disclaimers.

1) If you don't want to read a long, detailed account of a married couple's romantic weekend getaway, stop reading now.
2) If you will be negatively affected by reading about us spending alot of money NOT on a social cause or you, stop reading now.
3) If you just want to find out about my 100th blog contest, tune in next time!


I'll set this up for you. This year has been awesome, but busy and emotionally weighty for John and I so far. We got a dog. We had a newborn with us for a month, then as that was coming to an end, John had his Reserve annual tour for two weeks in Germany, then the day he came home, his cousins' family came and stayed a week. These were all great things, but our quality time alone together was minimal.

There have also been some prayers answered, some things going back to our childhood, that have come to pass in the last few weeks.

We were due for some celebration and reconnecting time!

We had this restaurant picked out as a place we would go when these certain things happened. The Inn at Little Washington  was opened in 1978 by Chef Patrick O'Connell, a self-trained cook. He started then with $9 burgers and today it is the only establishment with both a 5-star and 5-diamond rating (for hotel and restaurant).

So, when our calendar cleared, we made a reservation for dinner and then I took it on to plan the rest of the weekend as a surprise for him. Let it be known that I am not a good surprise girl. I am not good at giving or receiving surprises. My husband has surprised me exactly 3 times and my reaction hasn't been worth the effort, so other than gifts, he knows better than to try. And my hyper-communicative self is surprise-keeping averse, though I can do it if I really try. John loves surprises, though, so I did my best.

Friday afternoon started with a scenic drive through some of Virginia's most beautiful countryside. Rolling hills, green pastures, white fences, spacious mansions had the Blue Ridge mountains as a backdrop. This wasn't really part of my plan, just the route we had to take to get to the B&B where we stayed.

We're driving past all these horse pastures and John says, "Sure are alot of horses out here." Me, "Yep, alot of cows too." (trying not to giggle. I'm really bad at this.) John, "I can't remember the last time I rode a horse, sure has been a while." Me, "Hmmm, interesting. We'll have to go sometime." (I know I'm busted.)

So I might have told him to bring his cowboy boots and jeans. But there are alot of things you can do in that attire!

Then we pull up to the Marriott Ranch, which I thought was just a property owned by Marriott. Turns out it was the actual Marriott's ranch. Like the one they bought way back when and lived on and raised horses on. And it's got this long Virginia history before the Marriotts owned it. Now it's the only B&B Marriott operates. It's beautiful!

(top photo mine, bottom photo courtesy of Marriott.com)

We were greeted with a cheese and wine plate.

Our room was blue and huge!

I know you're eager to hear about dinner and what else we did, and I'm just as eager to tell you, but I have to tell you some funny stuff first. It'll be worth it once we get there.

So, for this special occasion, I had decided to get my hair cut. Nothing radical, it was just frumpy and in between a short cut and whatever I'm gonna do next, so it was time. My hairdresser, Fahima, who is normally fabulous, must have been in a hurry because when I was straightening it on Friday night, I noticed it was really uneven. Lopsided in the back and noticeably different lengths of layering on each side. Curly hair is pretty forgiving, straight hair- not so much.

John tried to assure me that the other patrons of The Inn wouldn't even notice, but I knew they would. Thankfully by switching my part and with massive amounts of hairspray, I was able to make it look presentable.

Then I put on the new blouse I bought for this date and notice that in combination with the skirt I brought, I look like a fancy French maid. Well, whatever. Nothing I could do about it.

As John ushers me out the door so we won't be late, I decide to put my earrings and lipstick on in the car. Which is all well and good until I realize that one of my earrings is missing a back and my lipstick is in my purse, which is in the room. And from a recent purse purging, I also know that I have an extra earring back in the aforementioned abandoned purse. Useless!

We finally get to the famous restaurant and the valet asks us our name, then ushers us into the lobby and introduces us. We have a tiny wait, so I ask the hostess if she has a pencil I could have the eraser from to use for an earring back. She did and gave it to me with no hesitation or condemnation. I knew I would love this place!

Just as I'm fastening it on, we are shown our table. I'll fast forward through dinner, because my food critic vocabulary is limited. Here are the highlights:
-Served by no fewer than 10 people, all who know our names. Many of them have worked here for more than 5 years and still love it.
-Personalized menus (that we got to keep of course)
-They have a wine team. Not just a sommelier, a whole team. The "team leader" helped us pair wine to each course. It was so freeing to just say "yes" to everything he recommended.
-After the first bite of the first course, we both decided we never needed to eat again. It was that good. Good just doesn't cover it, but neither does amazing, awesome, spectacular, outstanding, delicious. Our server came to check on us and I asked her to give us a moment because we needed to cry.
-Each plate was perfectly portioned, so we could eat everything on it and still have room for the next one. And the next one. And then desert!

John followed the advice of a coworker and requested a tour of the kitchen. Now, we could've eaten in the kitchen if we wanted to pay an extra $250 just for the table, but we settled for a free tour. After our dinner, a gentleman came to take us on our tour and gave us a little history of the place as well. I was just as excited to be in that kitchen as a kid at Disney World (or Disneyland for you west coasters). It was beautiful and gleaming, and busy but so efficient. Much of the hardware (ovens and such) was designed and created by the chef, so it really is a one-of-a-kind kitchen.

Then. Oh, and then.

The chef, Patrick O'Connell himself, came over to meet us.

Now, if you've been reading this blog for about a month, you know how I get around celebrities. This does not bode well, because by now after the world's best meal and wine, and reading all the articles on the wall on the way to the bathroom, I am totally star struck.

Chef O'Connell was chosen to cook for Queen Elizabeth when she came to America a few years ago. She was only going to be at the event for 15 minutes, so he had to create a whole meal that could be consumed and appreciated in that much time. Apparently he did it, because Laura Bush asked for a doggy bag to take home to W.

Surprising even myself, I keep my comments to "Wow, it was amazing, thank you so much!" He chatted with us, asked us questions, said he was so glad we could come and then said he would love to see us back there any time. I mean, I know he is supposed to say that stuff, but this guy cooked for the queen!! I'm sure compliments from a lopsided hair-doed fancy maid with an eraser earring back couldn't mean too much after that, but I did what I could!

But wait. I couldn't get out of there without saying at least one un-cool thing. I asked our guide, Pierre, I think, if Chef O'Connell had ever been on the Food Network, like Iron Chef or anything. He gave me a look and I got my answer. I answered myself saying that something like that was way below someone of Chef O'Connell's status, and he gave me a more approving look. I am so glad I didn't ask the Chef that!!

The next morning, the Marriott Ranch fed us a three-course breakfast before we started the rest of the "surprise."

I had signed up for a package called "Chaps and Chardonnay," which said it was a 90-minute horseback ride and a visit to three wineries. I pictured us riding the horses up to the wineries, doing wine tastings and then riding on to the next one. Nope. First one, then the other. Okay, that does make more sense.

Even though it was a trail ride, where we had to stay in single file with our group and just walk the horses, it was still cool. I got a horse named Harley! John's horse, Gus, apparently was a picky guy and had to be at the back, so we got a chance to talk to one of the wranglers who is also a social worker looking for a job.

(trying to take a picture one-handed)

After the ride, we went back to the ranch for a gourmet picnic lunch. We even got to keep the picnic basket!

The next part of the package was wine-tasting at three local vineyards. Virginia wine has been around since Thomas Jefferson, but in the last 20 years, it is really taking off and winning some major awards. We even have our own grape, the Norton. I love doing wine-tastings as I always learn a little bit and feel more confident in ordering wine at restaurants that don't have wine teams.

After just one we were ready to call it a day and headed slowly back to our real lives. I love Virginia. That I can go from the most powerful city in the world full of marble and tension and drive 90 minutes into a peaceful retreat of vintage countryside. Just knowing it's out there helps us relax when traffic jams and busy schedules get us tightly wound.

(photo courtesy of ranhar2)

Thanks for letting me share our weekend with you. How do you like to relax? What was the best mini-vacation you have ever taken?

Tuesday is for Thirty, Three and Taxes

I'm a liar.

I told you that I'd tell you Monday all about the secret get-away I planned for my husband this past weekend. And it's now Tuesday and I haven't told you and I'm still not gonna.

The best excuse I have is that it won't be a very good blog without pictures and since brilliant me brought the camera but left the SD card in the reader, we had only our phones to take pictures with and I still haven't gotten John's off of his.

So, I'm hoping to write about it tomorrow. Here's a teaser.

For dinner Friday night we went to what Travel and Leisure magazine called the "Best Restaurant in the World" in 2009. In our best estimation, it's still true for 2010!

Ok, so on to today.

For the past 30 years of my life, this date has been all about my little sister, Martha.

I remember getting to hold her for the first time, being carefully positioned on the couch with plenty of cushions. This picture shows how I must have graduated to being able to hold her on the floor.

Eventually, as most babies do, she grew from being a delicate doll to a suitable playmate.

I remember feeling a special bond with her, since we were the girls often having to face off against older and bigger brothers. We are also 2 1/2 years apart rather than the 23 months between both of the boys and me, so I felt a big responsibility to take care of her since she was sooo much younger. Over the years, we became good buddies.

(had to show off my handsome brothers, too!)

She was a willing audience perched on the top bunk for my fantastical story telling at night. Sometimes she even helped when I drew blanks on further adventures for our princesses and their flying horses. 

At some point, though, I think we became annoyed with each other (as siblings do sometimes) or just were in survival mode from being teenagers, that I don't really remember having a good relationship with her through the second decade of our lives.

I went off to college while she was starting high school. We lived in two very different worlds and we didn't have make that much time for each other.

Before I knew it she was going to prom, then marrying the guy she went to prom with, then having my first nephew and then a few more, and somewhere in the midst of that we became friends again. 

Really. Good. Friends. 

Best friends, even.

I admire her so much, and even though I'm the older one, I look up to her as a wife (of 10+ years) and a mother (of 5 amazing kids). I'm so proud of her for pursuing her education while supporting her husband through his. 

Martha always had the spring to herself, as the other three of us had fall/winter birthdays. That is until three years ago.

That's when my brother, Tim, made the best decision of his entire life to marry Victoria. It's her 30th birthday today, too, so we've got alot to celebrate!

Even though I haven't known her very long, I'm incredibly blessed by her friendship. She is somehow one of the strongest and sweetest women I know. She defines beauty inside and out. She loves my brother like he was made to need, and she puts up with the rest of our crazy family, too. She has been a vessel of grace, forgiveness and healing to almost everyone who gets to know her. She is also an amazing mother and step-mother, and I hope we can have little girls around the same time someday!

So today, I'm sitting in a pile of gratefulness for these two women (and their moms for giving them life). 

(Here with each other's youngest child!)

I also did my taxes, and I'm rather grateful for the repayment of the interest-free loan we gave the government this year.

How was your Tuesday?

Memories on the verge

John and I are in Florida this weekend to celebrate two pretty big
deals. The first and biggest is our 4th Anniversary, which is the
14th. The second is John being awarded the Honor Graduate of the Year
from the school we went to Georgia for last year (more on this Tuesday).

Since Disney is free for military this year, we are taking fully
advantage of it and the discounts they are offering to their hotels
and restaurants. I'm almost, but not quite, equally excited about our
anniversary dinner at Seasons 52, which is my favorite restaurant so
far.

So, on this anniversary eve, I thought I'd share what we did instead
of a rehearsal dinner four years ago. We had a rehearsal prayer
breakfast. We did this for a few reasons.

1) We got married outside and the weather in Oklahoma in August is
terrible, so I wanted to do something in the morning when there was a
chance of it being cooler.

2) I love breakfast. I could eat it for every meal, and sometimes do.
Plus, breakfast food is far cheaper to cater than dinner!

3) We have an incredibly spiritual family and group of friends and
couldn't think of anything we'd rather do than be commissioned into
marriage with praise and worship and being prayed over.

It was an amazing time, almost more special than the ceremony the next
day (but that was pretty great too). My only regret is that we didn't
record it, except with a few pictures. It's sealed pretty tightly in
our memories, though. We have seen many of the prayers answered and
the words spoken over us come to pass.

I'm on the road now and only have my iPhone to blog with, so I will
post some pics of that day once we are home.

Thanks for joining me on this little trip down memory lane. Join me
tomorrow for a little reminiscing about the day I married my best
friend. (or interesting things I've seen at Disney World)