Birthday Breeze

A Bavarian birthday was more than enough celebration in my mind, but the friends back home didn't necessarily feel the same. So my celebration continued on a beautiful late October afternoon. Living in Florida definitely has it's perks!

The chartered sailboat outing was something I purchased at one of the fundraising silent auctions hosted by Grant & Baylor's school. Not sure what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised to discover we wouldn't be boarding some small dingy. The tune from Gilligan's Island was definitely playing in my head as we drove to the marina. For some reason, the size of the boat improved our odds in my mind. Also, there wasn't a strong wind that day. Yes, I realize that's not ideal when sailing, but the slight breeze was more than enough for me and the boat.

It was nice to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the company of friends and family. We shared a picnic lunch and sipped champagne. It was delightfully simple luxury. If that makes sense!

 Whoever said, "Life is over at 30." wasn't living the right way or doing the right things! Take it from me, a chick transitioning from the mid to late thirties. Like wine, things improve with age!

A Birthday to Remember

Having the freedom to wake up and hop on a train that will whisk you away to new charming town to explore is nothing short of incredible! On day 7, we decided to explore Regensburg, a lovely little town situated on the Danube River.

I'm not certain my pictures really do these cities justice. While some of the architecture is similar, each of the towns has their own unique feeling. As we rode the trains to and from our destination, we would thumb through my guide books and decide on an adventure for the following day. It wasn't easy! The options are numerous. As much as we enjoyed Munich, I think the smaller towns were much more memorable. I guess I'm really a small town girl.

For lunch, we decided to try Wurstkuchl, the world's oldest sausage kitchen. They've been grilling up their famous finger-sized sausages since 1135. You don't maintain that kind of longevity by serving up tourist slop. I'm far from a sausage fan (Yes, that's a funny statement.), but I sampled my fair share during our trip. These were by far the best, in my opinion.

Regensburg is possibly one of the towns that gets overlooked when planning itineraries throughout the region, and that's really a shame because it's delightful. It's the sort of town where you could really get comfortable and lay down roots.

We returned to Munich in time for a lovely birthday dinner. Oh, did I fail to mention it was my birthday? It was my special day, and I'm not certain I'll be able to top it any time in the near future. I guess there's no harm in trying though!

Mother Knows Best

Yes, Mother does indeed know best. I know what my 4 boys like and what they don't. I appreciated all the effort they went through last year to spoil me on Mother's Day, but I accepted and even embraced my fate this year. We spent the day together enjoying The Players Championship at Sawgrass. When the testosterone outnumbers you 4:1, you really shouldn't fight it. A golf tournament is way more our speed than a tea party.

Of course, it's hard to believe that this little fella' was BREAKING NEWS and one heck of present for me last year. How many women actually find out they're expecting on Mother's Day?

Oh my, and to say that Grant was a hit at TPC would be an understatement. Actually, I felt sort of like a walking spectacle. People weren't subtle about pointing our family out and making comments. Either they thought my boys were cute or we were mistaken all day for some celebrity golfer's family?

The comments and attention peaked when Jaxon and Baylor took their turns at the various hands-on exhibits. Take for example this virtual golf competition. The boys lined up for their turn with all of the other much older men. One group of guys let them skip in line because they didn't want to miss seeing the boys show off their skills. With all that attention, I was a bit nervous that the boys might feel pressured or shy...WRONG! They both stepped right up and drove the golf ball down that virtual hole with expertise! The crowd went wild! I confessed that they both take weekly lessons and the crowd seemed very impressed. Fingers crossed that some golf scholarships are in their future!

Little Grant was happy to play the role of sidekick this year, but something tells me that he'll expect to take a turn driving the ball next year. Grant is already on a mission to prove that he can do anything his big brothers can. He studies their every move on and off the course.

I just hope that Jaxon and Baylor don't follow in their "idol's" footsteps...Tiger Woods...at least, not his off-course extramarital footsteps. Thankfully, Anh is doing his best to introduce Jaxon and Baylor to some of the new, younger stars on the course. Fingers crossed that someone steals their admiration!

I have no doubt that a lot of women would be annoyed to spend Mother's Day on the golf course especially if they don't golf. In the end, "my day" was ultimately all about Jaxon, Baylor, and Grant. Of course, isn't that part of being a mother? So, my day was truly perfect.

Eight

EIGHT YEARS! That's an anniversary and milestone worthy of celebration! Especially in this day and age when it's considered "Breaking News" that a celebrity couple made their marriage work for 72 days. Not only did we celebrate, we did it in style at a world-famous hotel, The Cloister Hotel. As the sight of the 2004 G-8 Summit, I'd say it was a pretty safe bet that we had a fabulous weekend ahead of us.
It's possible we over-hyped the experience in Baylor's eyes. As we walked through the grand entrance hall, Baylor muttered, "This isn't perfect." Jaxon, however, saw things differently. He exclaimed, "I bet our room is going to be nice!" I asked, "Why?" and Jaxon responded, "Because this room is super nice which means our room will be nice too." One could only hope!
The boys engaged in a chess match as Anh checked us in at the front desk. When I asked Jax where he learned to play chess, he matter of factly stated, "I saw it on TV." Oh...right! Of course! Allow me to introduce the next Bobby Fischer!
Situated on the Black Banks River, The Cloister offered amazing views of the surrounding low-country marshland. It was easy to see why this Sea Island is so highly regarded by generations of guests.
As soon as we exited onto the patio, Baylor retracted his earlier statement and declared, "Okay, it is perfect!" Yes, buddy, I'd have to agree. Perfection might not even scratch the surface.
As it turns out, Jaxon was 100% correct as well. Our suite was VERY nice and would serve as the perfect "home base" for our getaway. The living room was exquisitely furnished yet still comfortable. The boys seemed thrilled to discover there was a second bathroom just for them!
The bedroom was equally luxurious, but it was the grand master bathroom that really took top honors. As soon as the boys discovered the soaking tub complete with a TV, they promptly declared that was "their" bathroom. Anh and I could use the other one. Thanks!
As nice as the interior of the suite was, I'd have to say that the balcony was my favorite. With a view like that, you couldn't help but relax and enjoy the moment.It was hard, but we eventually left our beautiful suite and started to explore the grounds of the resort. We discovered the breathtaking spa and marveled at all that it had to offer. All that pampering would have to wait for a future visit though. We had other activities in mind.
Although, we did make several visits to the spa so the boys could feed the Koi. Just more evidence that they are desperate for a pet!
Speaking of pets, the resort staff really goes out of their way to establish a family-friendly environment. Both boys received backpacks at check-in complete with some stylish shades and stuffed sea turtles that for the time being will work as a pets. Soon they'll have a little brother that will hopefully buy us a little more time. Unless, of course, Jaxon repeats his request for a cat in the hours leading up to my delivery.
The resort Beach Club served as yet another luxurious spot to relax and unwind, but who had time for that?!
The boys and I had playground equipment to climb...
Shuffleboard to play...
And the beach to explore!
Oh! One can't for the pool either! Actually, POOLS is a more accurate description. That's actually were we spent the majority of our time. The boys made some new friends while Anh and I soaked up the warm rays of sunshine. Ahhh! It was certainly a "This is the life!" moment.
With the sun setting, we made our way back to the suite to get ready for dinner. To our surprise, the resort staff had delivered a bottle of champagne to complete our celebration. It was a thoughtful gesture on their behalf, but we decided it would be best to delay the bottle opening until after kiddo #3 is done baking. That'll be true cause for celebration!
Instead, we simply relaxed for a bit and watched as the sun dipped below the horizon. Even the boys got caught up in the beauty surrounding us, and that's saying a lot!
As tempting as it was to simply spend every waking moment on Sea Island, we decided it would be a shame to not venture out to the nearby community of St. Simons. With its quaint, charming streets and active fishing pier, we knew we were bound to have some fun.
The resort's extensive list of activities would have wait until our next visit. I can hardly wait to book our fishing expedition or enroll in the shooting school, and the boys seem eager to participate in the kids' camp. Anh will surely insist of a round or two of golf, and one must not forget that spa!
Moving on, we found a cute little cafe for breakfast, explored a few shops, and then made our way to the waterfront. The boys were feeling especially photogenic that morning which was a gift for their photo-happy mother.
Sadly, despite being crowded with fishermen, we saw very little "action" at the pier. I guess the fish just weren't biting that particular day much to the boys' disappointment.
Luckily, we did find some excitement at the community playground. It was actually an impressive facility complete with a community pool and waterslide. Sadly, the pool was already closed for the season. At least we now have a legitimate excuse to plan a return visit. That list of "excuses" was growing rather lengthy.
From the playground, we made our way down the waterfront to the lighthouse.
The boys were the voice of reason for that particular stop. I had high hopes that we would make the climb to the top, but I was alone in my excitement. All three of my comrades vetoed my suggestion. In hindsight, it was probably for the best given that in my condition I'm winded when I make the climb to the second floor of our house. I'm not sure how I thought climbing to the top of a lighthouse would be enjoyable.
Truth be told, I could go on and on about our fabulous little family getaway, but it wasn't really what we did that made the trip so memorable. It's the fact that we celebrated as a family. Sure a romantic getaway between husband and wife is the norm, but our family trip somehow seemed like an ideal way to mark the occasion. We'll see if Anh and I feel like sharing our special day next year when there's THREE looking to tag along...