Last weekend - The Sweetest of them All

I wanted to share with you what I did last weekend. It's a little overdue - (bad blogger...bad, bad blogger) I know - oh well.

So, last weekend was my birthday present from Mr. Marvelous. Yes, I know my birthday was the first - but seriously - having your birthday on the 1st can have it's difficulties with planning events and such. I'm sure my fellow bloggy friend and New Year's baby Katie would understand!

I was so spoiled. My present was a girl's relaxation package/weekend at a famed downtown hotel. My very good friend and I lunched, spa'd, relaxed, dined, drank, celebrated, and thoughrouly enjoyed ourselves.

We started with lunch at the Ritz Carlton. As we were waiting to be seated for our reservation we noticed a gaggle of society ladies handing over their furs to be checked. It was seriously like 63 degrees outside and they had furs?! Oh, that made me chuckle. For lunch I had lobster coconut bisque soup, Dublin Dr. Depper Braised Short Ribs and whipped mashed potatoes with tabasco onion shreds. Oh me, oh my was that good.

We then walked back to our hotel, hung out for a bit, window shopped (at a place like this - there's no other kind!) and snapped some photos.

Once back in our room we grabbed bathing suits and went down to the spa. It was so lovely. A perfect time to forget it all and just relax. We both decided to think positively about this year. The things we wanted the most - to be mothers, will happen. Treatments will be successful.

We took full advantage of all the amenities at the Spa - the wirlpool, the sauna, the steam room, the quiet rooms. We then had our treaments. They called me in for my aromatherapy massage - heavenly bliss for a full hour. Then it was a thermal mineral bath. I was taken into a room with a chaise lounge chair, and a huge bathtub set up high and inset to the wall. Room was dim, the candles lit, the deccor reminded me of Morroco. I slowly stepped into the tub and just melted away. They brought me iced hand towels, water and a fruit cup. Ladies - may you all get a day to relish like this one.

Dinner was at a fabulous Japanese resturant. I'm fairly new to sushi - so I was a bit apprehensive as to what to order. This place had the best menu. You could try so many things and not be commited to one entree. We mixed it up and my taste buds were singing!

Later we found a neat bar with a New Orleans French Quarter theme. My friend and I had a

couple of drinks sitting on the rooftop of this place. The crowd was for the over 30 - not 20 somthing's looking like teenie boppers. So, it was quite nice. Now, here is my one and only regret for this weekend...

Chimay, Chimay, Chimay... Oh, how you did me wrong. My friend said that I had to try this beer. She described it as the "Champagne of Beer". It's made by Belgium Monks and comes in it's own glass. Sounded great to me. Plus I'm always up to try something new. She failed to mention that this beer is like 18% proof.

She went to bed that night and woke up the next morning feeling fantastic. I on the other hand swore off any drop of alcohol for the rest of my life. Our package included breakfast the next morning. Ugh. It took everything in me to eat. Thank goodness we were able to have it in our room. I was able to be cozy in my robe and right around from bathroom "just in case". Luckily I was able to handle it okay. Here's the topping for my pecan waffles.

All in all it was an absolutely fabulous way to celebrate my big birthday. Marvy has totally redeemed himself for the Christmas gift of a non-electric stove-top waffle maker a few years ago that nearly set fire to the house. :o)

May all of you ladies get to enjoy such a day!

They Say it's your Birthday... Introducing Liv 3.0

New Year's in is a fun holiday for me. It feels like the whole world is celebrating new beginnings all at the same time. (Of course in their time own time zone...) But, it also happens to be my birthday. I am now officially thirty. Although instead of listing my age, from now on I think I'm going to go for Liv 3.0.

Truth is the last ten years of my life have been well, mostly fabulous. I have a wonderfully caring best friend of a husband who treats me like royalty and an enviable strong marriage. I have worked for the same stable company for eight years, and have a pretty good job. We have had the opportunity to enjoy travels across various states in the US, to Canada, Central America and Europe. We have a simple four bedroom home we had built in 2001 in a growing part of the country. I don't bring up any of this to boast, but simply to show I have much to be thankful for.

With all that I have, do I even have the right to say that something's missing? Should I just be content with what I have? Am I wrong to feel like all of our lives M and I have done the right thing, and why the frack do we deserve this stupid infertility card? I am not used to this me, me, me stuff. I've always been a pretty strong and mature individual who looks to the positive. Am I allowed to throw all that out the window for this one thing and say "Screw it, my heart hurts and I feel like poop."

I recognize the fact that God will see me through all this and he knows what I can handle. Perhaps I should take it as a compliment that God in his infinite wisdom happens to consider me as someone who can take it. I just can't shake this feeling grief though. I am really praying that 2009 will manifest as my year of new beginnings. Bring on Liv 3.0.