Alaskan Inn & Sleigh Ride: Overnight Getaway

For Christmas, I gave Alfredo an overnight getaway to Alaskan Inn in Ogden Canyon.  We went there on Friday evening.

First we had dinner at Timbermine Steakhouse in Ogden.  It was good food, reasonable prices for a steakhouse and kind of a fun environment because it is designed to feel like you are in a mine.  I didn't take photos of the actual restaurant, although I kind of wish I had.  But there were mining cars and other décor to make it feel like you were in a mine.  Alfredo did take one photo (at my request) of me with my food.

I had filet mignon and broccoli.  Alfredo had a steak and broccoli.  The food was delicious!

 Then we headed to our hotel.  We were in the Outfitter room.  All of the rooms at the Alaskan Inn are designed with nature type themes.  They also all have jetted tubs.  They give you a bottle of sparkling cider and serve breakfast to your room in the morning.  It ended up being a fun and nice place to stay.  There are no children allowed, so it was pretty quiet and peaceful.  I was also impressed because when we checked out, they said that because we stayed there in December, they were giving us a $50 gift certificate toward our next stay...good for one year.  Maybe we'll go there again for our anniversary.

Terrible picture...but this is Alfredo's breakfast...Eggs Benedict, scrambled eggs and sausage.

My breakfast:  crème brulee French toast, bacon and potatoes.

 After we checked out this morning, we headed to Liberty, Utah to Bailey's Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides.  We went on a wonderful sleigh ride.  It wasn't too cold...actually the weather was beautiful.  The sleigh was cozy and the ride was a lot of fun.  The Baileys have a small herd of elk which they take you to see.  They also have a reindeer and four dogs.  It was fun to see the elk and the reindeer and to spend time with Alfredo.  It really was a pretty perfect short trip. 

I really love this photo of us.  And we had such a nice time together. 

Elk!

Alfredo and the reindeer...they have a sign telling you that reindeer will eat any type of vegetation they can find.  They have 7 stomachs to help them digest their food.  But unfortunately, they will also sometimes eat things that are harmful for them...such as plastic bags. 

 After we got home, Alfredo and I took the girls out to a late lunch.

 

I think this might have been the best gift I've given Alfredo...best gift for both of us.  It was so nice to have some time alone, to enjoy one another's company, to laugh and talk and strengthen our marriage.  We haven't done this much since having kids...we took a 3 day trip for our 10th Anniversary, and we did a night in Park City years ago. But this is only our 3rd time since having kids that we have gone somewhere overnight without them.  I think it's something we should do more often. 

Christmas Day

Christmas Day was wonderful.  Elaine came over about 8 AM to watch the girls open gifts.  I made breakfast.   Alfredo was the official photographer as the girls opened gifts and he took great delight in capturing their facial expressions.  I love these photos because they show both the joy and the silliness of the girls as they opened gifts.  So I know there are about 5 trillion photos but I'm including most of them because I love the shots Alfredo captured.

 Then after a couple of hours of cleaning up and resting, we headed to Elaine's for lunch.  We visited with Elaine and my grandpa.  Then we headed to Leo and Annette's to celebrate with them.

At Leo and Annette's we ate delicious tacos, we played the game Mexican train for a couple of hours, we opened gifts and we enjoyed time together and with friends.

On Christmas Day, I posted the following on Facebook/Instagram, and it's a good summary of my feelings this holiday season:
"Thankful and blessed...My shirt really sums up my feelings. Why? Because I get to spend my days with these wonderful people. Because I KNOW Christ lives and loves me. Because I have the dearest and best people in my life...fabulous family members, fantastic friends, the best neighbors, awesome coworkers (past and present), and wonderful ward members. Because I have a warm home and food on my table. Because I live in a land of freedom and opportunity. Because I have received a wonderful education and have opportunities to continue to learn daily. Because I have a job I love. Because I have spent the past couple of days with many of the people I love, celebrating the birth of the Savior I love. Because despite the challenges I face and the sorrow that sometimes accompanies our journey through this life, I find far more reasons to rejoice than reasons to complain. Because I have been given much...and because I, too,try to give. For these reasons and so many more, I am thankful and blessed!"