Second Honeymoon

Quite unexpectedly, my husband and I were able to go on a little 3-day getaway to a cabin in Arizona's White Mountains last week. Thanks to my fabulous mother-in-law, who stayed at our house and watched the six oldest kids for us, we were able to go with only baby Stephen (the nursling). 

In over 12 years of marriage, we have never once before spent a night away without (most) any of the kids, so this was a first.

 

This cabin was really something. We could not get over how carefully it had been decorated inside, and just how cozy it was.

 View from the front door. The bedroom and bathroom are down the hall.

 Thanks to the full kitchen, we were able to bring most of our own food. 

 So in true pioneer fashion...

 ... there was lots of bacon and eggs going on at mealtimes.

 Even Stephen got to chew on a bit of bread crust :)

 (Yes, that's a  bonnet dangling off the back off my head... just trying to play the part of prairie homemaker.)

View of the living room from the loft - we LOVED the fireplace. Especially when my sweet husband served me breakfast and hot chocolate in front of it :)

 Upstairs loft with door to the balcony

 View from the balcony

He looks happy in these pictures, but baby Stephen was really a little crab for most of this trip, which is very out of character for him. I blame it on a combination of homesickness, missing his familiar surroundings and siblings, a bout of teething which possibly led to a touch of ear infection, and being jealous of all the attention we were giving each other instead of him. Thankfully, he is getting back to being his old self again.

 The downstairs bedroom...

... led to the outdoor jacuzzi, which was permanently kept at 104 degrees. 

In spite of the bright sunshine, it was freezing cold outside. 

Little Manny loved being pulled around in the sleigh

 

My husband and I both got a good laugh out of this "poem" that John wrote us to open once we arrived at the cabin.

 (P.S. No chem trails)

We both agreed that these days had been the best in our already great marriage, as they brought us closer than ever.