Our Weekend Excursion (plus a little tangent about life)

I have come to the conclusion that life is continually in a state of change.  I am able to settle down and enjoy the feeling of having control and having everything in place when something else is thrown into the mix. After that change is interwoven into our daily life I find myself having that fleeting feeling of comfort again.  The cycle continues and life goes on.  I have been thinking about this lately and I have decided that this cycle is what makes life fun.  Some things that are thrown in are predictable, and some things are not.  Some things are fun, and some things are not.  No matter what comes it will eventually become part of our new semblance of normal.

This idea has been on my mind because I have been thinking a lot about our blog and everything that has happened since our first post.  We began this blog when we were living in Provo before venturing off to Dental School and before having children. My how things have changed.  The minor twists, turns, and detours along the way have been memorable and have shaped the Hazard family.

I have also been thinking along these lines when it comes to the birth of little M.  Our magic formula of 2 year spacing was a little bit disrupted by having twins and by having them with only a year and a half seperation from Evelyn.  We decided to wait 2 1/2 years thinking that this age would be easier because Adalie and Jackson would be older. 

Life does not happen exactly how we plan...  We have two and a half weeks until our new little girl's arrival and the changes happening in the Hazard home are already abundant!  A (mostly) and J have both decided that they are interested, ready,and obsessed with potty training.  They have also decided that cribs are no good and toddler beds are the way to go.  Along that same vein comes the mutually agreed upon decision that their 2 hour afternoon naps are SO last month.  Add to that the facts that Adalie has decided that she is the most defiant child ever to grace our family and Jack has decided that no one except mom is acceptable. On the other hand, Evelyn is doing great other than being a little bit extra clingy.

Bring on the crazy times ahead. We are ready!  Or so I tell myself...

Wow. That little thought that I had went on for a while.

Lets switch the subject completely and move on to my amazing weekend with Logan (yes, this is Rachel. Shocker, huh?).

Three years ago, Logan and I decided to go on an overnight excursion for our anniversary.  We went and stayed in a cabin at Hocking Hills in Ohio.  We had such a fun time getting away and being together that we decided to make it a tradition to go somewhere overnight together every year to celebrate our anniversary.  Since then we introduced Adalie and Jackson into our family and have not continued the tradition until this year. After this weekend we have again committed to making this our yearly tradition.

With Valentine's day coming up followed closely by adding another member to our family, we decided that this was the time to plan an overnight trip.  I have always wondered what it would be like to stay at a Bed and Breakfast, and I decided to do a little bit of research.  I found a charming little Inn overlooking a nearby lake that was currently featuring winter specials.  We decided to book a night there and go cross country skiing the following morning.

After a wonderful meal at our favorate Mexican restaurant we entered the bed and breakfast to find a very sweet host and hostess awaiting our arrival.  The large manor was very homey and decorated with a tasteful country flavor.  Logan and I went to our room talking about how fun it would be to own a little bed and breakfast after we retire.  In the morning, however, we had come to our senses and realized how much work it would be.  We agreed that it would be great fun to try our hand at it for a little while, but not for an extended period of time.

The next morning we woke up bright and early and had a good time in the spacious and quiet living room with windows overlooking the lake.  Breakfast was superb.  Dwane and Virginia definitely shared our belief that food presentation is of paramount importance in a good meal.  The fresh fruit appitizers looked amazing, and somehow each fruit tasted fresh and delicious even in the middle of winter.  The main course was a blueberry bake that just melted in the mouth!  Toward the end of breakfast I came to the realization that I had just sat through an entire breakfast without having to get up once!  Not to mention that the breakfast was actually served to me.  This was another highlight of the trip.  During breakfast we had some fun conversations getting to know the other guests and our host and hostess.  Afterward we lounged around and continued chatting with the people there.

I would recommend The Inn at the Lake to anyone living around here or just passing through. 

Upon closer inspection we came to the realization that the cross country skiing conditions were less than desirable.  This is due to the fact that during the past five days most of them have had tempuratures in the lower forties with colder temps at night.  The result? An ice rink instead of cross country trails. 

Logan and I decided to drive to Farragut State Park instead to check out the outdoor activities available.  Our conclusion was that we will be spending a lot of time there in the summer and when cross country skiing conditions are better.

We had an amazing weekend together full of talking, laughing, and just being us. We came home to our house rejuvinated and ready to take on our exciting and crazy everyday life again.  I think everyone could benefit from a vacation like this every once in a while.  In our home, from now on, it will be at least once a year.

Our camera is missing in action.  Here are some pictures of the bed and breakfast where we stayed.  Just pretend that we are in them.  More pictures are at http://www.innatthelake.com/

The Bay Suite- This is our suite. We had a large jacuzzi tub, fireplace, and looking the other direction we had large bay windows overlooking the lake.

This is the view of the Bed and breakfast from the lake.  The windows on the far left are from our room.