Sunday, February 12, 2012

Mystery weekend

Early last week Allan told me to be ready with an overnight bag at 9am on Saturday morning!  No amount of whining or wheedling or trickery (including trying to bribe my kids and parents) would get him to give up even one tiny hint.

I am not going to lie.....it was stressful.

I am the planner, organiser, vacation coordinator.....I was stressed to have no idea where I was going, what to take with me, no need to read every review of every attraction and restaurant in a 100km radius of the destination.....literally nothing to do but wait.

And trust.

I have been in therapy enough to know that I am more cerebral than emotional, a do-er rather than passive....I don't make it very easy for others to do things for me, to surprise me is nearly impossible. I derive immense pleasure from caring for those around me yet I often don't give them the chance to reciprocate and if they do it often makes me uncomfortable.  My therapist had a field day with this of course.

So all week I argued with myself to just relax and enjoy the suspense and know someone who loved me wanted to do something nice for me.  To just let myself be loved this way.

It was not easy.


On Friday afternoon my parents scooped up the kids and our weekend started with Allan and I going to our Fab Abs class which was so great.  I love that we occasionally get to workout together.  We then jumped in the "Thunder" and headed to Bellingham to pick up my runners that I left behind on our last shopping trip. With that mission accomplished we had a lovely rib dinner in Bellingham and headed home with nothing to declare at the Border which I don't think has ever happened!!

On Saturday morning we headed out. At every turn I was trying to narrow down the options as I still had no idea of the destination.   All the while Lindsay is texting me with red herrings to throw me off.....monkey!!  After a circuitous route we ended at the Horseshoe bay ferry terminal!  Ah Ha....we were headed to Vancouver Island....I made a guess then that turned out to be right although Allan did his best to confuse me right up to when he drove right past the Kingfisher Resort despite me saying "brake, brake, I am sure you want to turn here!!!". Without giving a hint he drove on until 5 minutes later as we got to Courtenay he admitted it was the Kingfisher but we were a bit early!!

What a beautiful place. A suite right on the ocean with views that feed my soul....to lie in bed and hear the ocean a few feet from the door is my idea of amazing!  We had a few hours to relax, read, enjoy the view (and can I say that despite predictions to the contrary it was a lovely day with patches of blue sky and the drive up the coast was magnificent!), had some appetizers before going to dinner.  We had an lovely meal and evening.  I indulged my hotel "must do" of a soaking bath......I love to have the time to soak in a tub!



What a View
After a great sleep I got up and was given the amazing treat of a spa full body massage at the Kingfisher Spa where the attention to detail is amazing and the spa experience superb.  What stress that was left in my upper back and neck was massaged out and I left the spa feeling so good!  We had breakfast in Courtenay and then headed to Nanaimo (via a closed Coombs market which was disappointing) and wandered around downtown Nanaimo.  We usually transit this City getting to and from ferry terminals so it was lovely to discover the historic downtown and some lovely shops!

Then back to the ferry in rainy foggy weather that makes it feel like the Ferry is in a grey dome.....perfectly Westcoast!  Allan and I both had some work to do so we found adjacent workstations and got the work done while we chatted and snacked the whole way home.



I feel so loved. cherished. so lucky to have a husband that cares enough to do this for me, for us, for our marriage. 

So lucky to have parents and kids who let us go - that we knew our kids would not only be safe but have a great time together with their Gaga and Papa is a gift of great value.

It is no small thing to love and be loved.

That this grace has been given to me is incomprehensible and precious.

I don't ever take it for granted.

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