the anniversary.

Can you believe it’s been TWO YEARS?! I am so thankful for this marriage.

To celebrate, we headed up to Asheville for a midweek getaway. Asheville is an amazing town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, home to some of my favorite things – my grandparents and other friends & family, a funky downtown, a culture of natural living, and the Grove Park Inn. Thanks to Jessica at the B Keeps Us Honest, we had a free night at the resort and spa! We decided to use it to enjoy an evening that topped even the honeymoon stay two years ago…

We got into town shortly before check-in time and decided to grab a treat at one of the local coffeeshops, True Confections. I ordered a hot chocolate in the largest size possible (Chris was proud), and he had a macchiato (“not caramel, Rachael…a REAL macchiato”). We sat beside the window and nibbled on a delicious piece of banana nut bread. There was snow on the ground outside. We soaked up the moment, just sitting quietly shoulder-to-shoulder. Afterwards, we took the long way back to our car, window-shopping before heading up to the resort.

Checking in! This place is magical.

We made dinner reservations at the Sunset Terrace for 8pm. Before that, though, we sat on the bed and ate boiled peanuts while flipping aimlessly through the cable channels. Chris always rips the bedspreads off, for fear of cooties. Anyway, it was a little piece of heaven. We stayed in room 450, just down the hall from our honeymoon spot. We’d requested that room, but it was under renovation. And besides, our new room was bigger & brighter!

Impromptu photo shoot as we soaked up the room!

 

We strolled down to the Magnolia Lounge for happy hour, stopping to look at the gingerbread houses along the way. Chris drank a Highland Gaelic Cashmere India Pale Ale, brewed in Asheville. I drank a Shirley Temple. We split an order of fried oysters with cocktail & tartar sauces. There were Christmas trees in every window of the resort, each decorated in a different theme. It was perfect.

Once we’d showered and gotten all dolled up, it was time for dinner!

We split a ton of food… stuffed portabella mushroom, iceburg wedge salad, NY strip, and garlic mashed potatoes. So glad we decided to share. There was almost too much deliciousness!

After dinner, we changed into pajamas & ordered room service. 

I mean, come on – I’m pregnant! Hot tea, coffee, and ice cream sundae fixings.

The next morning, we enjoyed breakfast downstairs in the Vanderbilt wing of the resort. I drank an iced coffee and scarfed down a ham & swiss croissant. Chris had a berry muffin, banana, and an americano. There are quite a few boutiques and shops in the inn, and we did a little Christmas shopping!

Some pajamas for the twins:

After checking out of the Grove Park, we spent the rest of the morning in downtown Asheville. There are so many cute vintage shops and bookstores and boutiques. We had a blast! I picked up a few used books on multiples, and we oohed and aahed over a store that sold locally made cloth diapers.

We finished the trip with lunch at Jersusalem Garden, where we shared a vegetarian platter and cuddled against the cold. Love mediterranean! You get satisfied without that full feeling. Yum.

We headed back to Charlotte/Fort Mill after that. It was time to buy our new living room furniture (yay) and pick up our kids (double-yay). This was my first time away from Ames, and I think I did very well!

All in all, this picture-heavy post should give you a glimpse into how beautiful this quick getaway was. I know we won’t have a lot of time to ourselves in the next year or so… it was nice to hold my husband’s hand and have to answer only to each other’s timetables and needs. Oh, and eating without having to feed a child during my meals was blissful!