Couples Staycation

Chad has a lot of vacation time saved up, not because he's been trying to rack up hours, but because he doesn't usually take time off unless we have money to go somewhere cool. So, he decided to use a few of those vacation days last week. My mom watched the kids, and Chad and I had the house all to ourselves for a staycation.

Day 1: After dropping off the kids, we exercised (P90X) and ate lunch (it's amazing how even the smallest things are easier without kids). Then we went to the theater to see the new Superman movie, "Man of Steel," which we both really enjoyed. I definitely appreciated the gorgeous scenery in that film, if you know what I mean. Then we ate dinner at Olive Garden, courtesy of a gift card from Chad's parents (four words: Black Tie Mousse Cake). We dropped by a Redbox on the way home and picked up "Jack Reacher" (yes, Chad and I are obsessed with movie-watching). It was extremely good.

Day 2: We exercised again. Yes, we are awesome. Then we hit the library and checked out a new pile of movies (again, obsessed). We indulged in a delicious chocolate fondue, enjoying having the entire pot to ourselves. Then Chad set up our inflatable pool in the backyard.

No, this is obviously not us. And that is definitely not our lawn. I just had to show how sweet our $20 pool is.

We were probably out there a good two hours, relaxing with the book Legend, reviving our early-marriage tradition of reading aloud to each other. Then Chad grilled up some chicken for salads for dinner, after which we (what else?) watched a movie. "The Last Stand" is a slightly cheesy Arnold Schwarzenegger film, which took itself too seriously, and for which it was very necessary to use our ClearPlay filters. But we still enjoyed it.

Day 3: We slept in until 10am. Heaven. After getting ready for the day, we headed to Scottsdale for lunch at Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse. After we sampled the salad bar, they brought around 16 different cuts of meat to our table, along with sides like fried bananas and crispy polenta. It's a pretty fun experience. And the bacon-wrapped filet mignon was ridiculously amazing. I also loved the lamb t-bone, which was a first for me. Then we waddled out to our vehicle, and did a little shopping at the Scottsdale Fashion Square, where I felt very, very poor. So we went over to a Phoenix Walmart to pick up a few necessities and kill time; I felt like a rich snob in that place. Then it was time to head to Chase Field to catch the game.

Go Diamondbacks! I have not had this much fun at a game since...the last time Chad and I went just the two of us. Which was...10 years ago? I can't remember. Anyway, it reminded me how much I enjoy baseball; I've just been to busy with kids to make time for it.

This was a do-over pic, but Chad and I couldn't stop laughing at the guy next to him. Not sure what's going through his mind. He literally slept through the third inning.

We had pretty nice seats, thanks to Stub Hub's discounted prices.

Fireworks after the game, which ended in a finale accompanied by video on the Jumbo-Tron of the Death Star being destroyed. Baseball fans are such nerds. I love it.

The next day we picked up the kids, and we reluctantly re-entered reality. I'm so glad that my mom is pretty close, and always willing to watch our children, and that my kids are always more than excited to stay at "grandma and papa's."

It had been a much-needed vacation for the both of us. A low-stress, low-cost way to reconnect and just enjoy being together. It didn't involve an exotic location, or anything incredibly exciting by the world's standards, but it will definitely be one of 2013's biggest highlights for me.