I've been having a hard time the last month or so with my depression and anxiety. It finally got bad enough that I asked Jason to take some time off of work so that I could get control of things again. So he did and I scheduled a few doctor's appointments. Friday morning I met with a new doctor and was feeling pretty good about the things he had suggested to help me start feeling "normal" again.

After the appointment we went home and were trying to think of what we should do for the weekend. We spontaneously decided that we needed a break from life, made a few calls, threw together an overnight bag, and headed to Park City!

We found a great deal online at the Park City Peaks Hotel and checked in around six. We usually end up staying with family or friends when we travel, so the idea of a hotel was magical to the kids. :) They were bouncing all over the room. It was so fun to watch them get excited about the idea of sleeping in the same room as mom and dad and seeing the tv and exploring the bathroom. It wasn't even a fancy hotel, but to them it was incredible!

First thing they wanted to do was hit the pool, so as soon as everyone had their suits on I made them pose for a ridiculous photo. :)

The pool wasn't too fancy, but it was indoor and outdoor with a little channel you swam through to get from one to the other. The kids loved that! They loved going from the hot tub to the pool and jumping around and sliding down the stair railing into the water. It was so nice to just relax and have fun, just the four of us! I love watching my kids laugh like that and seeing them play with their daddy. They love him so much!



After swimming, we went back to the room, showered and put on jammies. Jack jumped on the bed,



and I realized that the ONE THING I had forgotten to pack was an elastic for my hair. There was no point in styling it since I was just going to sleep on it and ruin it, so I just let it air dry and figured I'd wet it down the next morning before I got ready. Forgetting an elastic may not seem like a big deal to most of you, but for those of us with ridiculously naturally curly hair, THIS is the result:



Pretty, huh? Anyway, after showering we ordered dessert from the Grub Steak Restaurant and had it delivered to our room. We splurged and got the New York Style Cheesecake with fresh Strawberries, Chocolate Mud Pie with slivered almonds, and the Chocolate Suicide Cake with Raspberry Coulis. So yummy!! I wish I had remembered to take pictures of the desserts. Jack crashed before it arrived, so Payson, Jason and I dug in and watched tv until we were ready for bed. :)

The next morning the kids and Jason watched tv while they waited for me to tame my mane. Look at that beautiful girl! I can't believe how big she's getting! And what about that hunk of a husband I have?! It really doesn't get better than him. You should all be so, so jealous.

We checked out of the hotel and headed to breakfast at Einstein Bros, Bagels. Delish! Then it was off to the Tanger Outlet Mall for a morning of shopping!! We don't have much out here and I need to start stocking up on Fall/Winter clothes for the kids before it gets much colder. Winters in the high desert are seriously frigid and can creep up anytime. Payson was really into the shopping this year. She kept asking if she could try things on. She's not at an age where she needs to try things on yet, but I let her anyway. It was fun to hear her opinions and to picture all our future mother-daughter shopping trips. I can't wait!!

We took breaks at the playgrounds between shops so the kids wouldn't get too bored. I rarely have cash on me, and had no change, but the kids really wanted to ride this little carousel. So I just grabbed the poles and started pulling it around instead. Who needs quarters, huh?!

After shopping my mom and dad and two little sisters met us at the Loco Lizard Cantina for lunch. More super delicious food!! And it was fun to visit.

After lunch we all headed over to the Park City Mountain Resort to play for the afternoon. Here's our little family and the backs of my family on the ski lift ride to the top of the Alpine Slide. The kids loved the super slow ride up. It was beautiful! The leaves were just started to change. But for some reason I get so nervous on ski lifts! How easily could that metal snap?! And we'd be plummeting to our deaths. It just freaks me out.

Here we are waiting to slide! On the left is Maren, my mom, and then my dad. On the right is Jason with Jack, Payson waiting for me to finish taking pictures and join her, and Madison. We all expected the ride to be a little more intense. Not so much. It was tons of fun for Payson and Jack, but the rest of us were slightly disappointed. Although I was very interested in counting all the dead crickets and grasshoppers on the way down. We even ran over a little chipmunk on the track. So, so sad. And so, so gross!

After the Alpine Slide we hit the Alpine Coaster, which, if you remember, Jason and I did for our anniversary getaway in May. Jack wasn't old enough so Jason volunteered to wait with him while the rest of us went on the ride. I really thought Payson would be more nervous but she was perfectly calm and actually LOVED the ride!! I had so much fun listening to her the whole way down. She loved the speed and the curves and the little bumps and drops. I know this isn't the greatest picture because of the sun, but Jason caught her waving as we were coming in.

Everyone seemed much more impressed by the coaster than the slide. It really is a lot of fun! Then we took Payson and Jack on some of the kid rides while we waited for Jason to go on the zip line.

Maren was so cute being silly with the kids on the rides, trying to make it even more fun for them. I snapped this photo of her on the little space train and it cracked me up!



Then they rode the airplanes,

And the carousel. Jack was very excited about his Zebra. And Madie and Maren were super awesome riding their ponies backwards. :)

And finally, Jason coming in on the zip line. It looked like the most fun, but incidentally, it wasn't as exciting as it looked. Turns out the Alpine Coaster was the big hit of the day.

We had such a fun weekend! It was the perfect little getaway. We got to forget about life and stress and everything and just be together as a family. And we even made it home at a decent hour. We got everything unpacked and got to bed early and got a decent night's sleep before a chaotic day at church the next morning. :) Not so much fun when only half of the presidency is there and half of the teachers don't show up and don't have subs. Ugh. But oh well! Life happens and we got through it!

Now we're back to real life at home. Payson is having a blast at preschool and she starts ballet tomorrow. And tomorrow is also Tuesday morning playgroup and then library story time on Thursday, which Jack loves! And mommy is busy preparing for the upcoming Primary Program. Hope you're having as much fun as we are!!