Weekend get-away with my hubby!

Friday the 11th

We had planned on stopping at Gardner Village (a cute shopping center--for crafts and quilts and food, etc.) on our way down to Salt Lake.  So, my mom and dad came with us and then Charee and Andy came later when Charee was finished with her classes.  I just really wanted to stop at my favorite store, Pine Needles.  Pine Needles is a quilting store with embroidery and other sewing supplies.  It is such a fun store!  I've only ever been to Gardner Village in the summer, and my mom says that every October they decorate the whole place with these life size, cute witches.  So I really wanted to go and see those.  

 These are some of the witches that were there

 When we got there, we also found out that it was Witch's Night Out--which is a pretty big deal.  Everyone that comes likes to dress up as Witch's.  They have all sorts of fun activities, I guess.  It was crowded!  It was so crowded that it was over an hours wait to get into the big restaurant there that we always eat at (Archibald's).  So, we ended up eating soup and sandwiches at a little deli there.  

After eating, we headed to Salt Lake to check into our hotel.

We stayed at the Little America Hotel and we got a room that was newly renovated.  It was really nice.  

 These were actually taken the next day, which is why its a little messy.  

The view from our window

Since we had some time to kill before the concert, we walked down to the Church History Museum, since neither one of us had been there before.  It was pretty cool.  I'd like to take my kids there one day so they can see it.  

 We had to get a picture by the handcart--thanks to our trekking days

 A replica of the pulpit at the conference center.  Just call him Elder J. Garrett McKibben.  :)

 Angel Moroni

 Trying to get a picture of us near the temple, but it wasn't working with the lighting.  We were in shadows and the sun was shining on the temple.  

 Someone came along and had something to attach to his camera that he let us use that would help take pictures.  I can't even think of what he called it, but it worked!

The beautiful Salt Lake Temple.

Back to the hotel to change and then out to dinner.  We had seen a P.F. Chang's that we passed on the way to the church museum and wanted to eat there for dinner.  But, when we got there, they said it was an hour's wait and we didn't have that much time before the concert started.  So, we walked a couple of blocks and found a Macaroni Grill and went there.  It wasn't very good.  I just wanted some angel hair pasta with alfredo sauce, but I asked them to add a little garlic to it.  When they brought it out, it wasn't even warm, so we sent it back.  And when they brought it out again, it was so garlic-y that it was really overpowering.  Garrett loves garlic-y food, but he said that it was even really strong for him.  So, I ate what I could with lots of bread and salad, but I couldn't eat much.  We were kind of disappointed, but it didn't ruin our night.  Then we headed to the Delta Center (I guess technically the Energy Solutions Arena) for the concert.  

 He got us floor tickets and we were the 6th row.  It was awesome!  It was such a good concert!

Playing around taking pictures before it started.

After the concert, we walked back to the hotel and ordered room service for dessert.  Ice cream and cheesecake.  Life without kids is so awesome every once in awhile!  

Oct. 12--Saturday

We ate breakfast down in the hotel restaurant.  Yummy breakfast buffet by a nice fire.  After we checked out, we headed down to Provo for the football game.  We first stopped in at the BYU bookstore to find some souveniers for the monkeys back home.  By the time we were done, my parents and Andy and Charee had arrived from Wellsville and we headed over to Brick Oven for lunch.  

 Brick Oven

 Beautiful Provo Mountains

 Garrett had been talking about the last time that he came to BYU to watch a game and mentioned how Cosmo (BYU's mascot) had come into Brick Oven before the game and every one was cheering and there was so much excitement for the game.  My dad thought that was awesome--and just as we were finishing our lunch, Cosmo came running in and we were able to get some pictures with him.  Talk about perfect timing!  My dad was thrilled!  It was a lot of fun!

Then we headed over to the stadium for the game!

 The stadium on a beautiful fall day

 Watching the band marching into the stadium

 Not a very good picture

 I love how the ROTC guys do push-ups for each point scored.  Cosmo joining in.

It was a fun game--that's saying a lot too because I am not a football fan--at all!  It was especially fun because we won!  I think the score was 38-20. (Oh and they played Georgia Tech).  We stayed in Provo for the night and everyone else drove back to Wellsville.  After the game, we went to the movie theater and saw "Gravity".  It was kind of an intense movie that made me NEVER want to go to outer space.  Not that I ever wanted to in the first place.  :)

Oct. 13th

Today was a rainy and cold day.  Completely unlike yesterday.  Before heading back to Salt Lake to board our plane, we went to campus and walked around to reminisce about the good old days.  

 Me in front of "my" building--the McKay building.  I was an elementary education graduate.  I spent a lot of time there.  

 Those dreaded stairs coming up from the Phys. Ed. building.

 SO many things had changed there, but it was still really fun to be back there to see everything.  I really enjoyed my college years and really wish I could go back some time.  

Then we drove past the Provo Temple.  First temple I ever went to.  So pretty with that mountain right behind it. 

Then it was back home!  The kids had a great time with grandma and grandpa and I guess were really spoiled!  I was so grateful to get away with Garrett.  It was so fun to hang out with just him--all day every day.  We could laugh and talk and cuddle and just enjoy each other without any distractions.  It was such a great weekend!