Like many others we had a very full Labor Day weekend… but the weekend fun started with a fun little getaway for me and the hubby. Ryan and I haven’t been able to go on any kind of trip just for us in… years! Honestly it’s probably since our honeymoon since we had a proper vacation. And while this wasn’t a full blown vacation – getting away for a couple of days was much needed and much enjoyed!

So we took off after Ryan got off work on Friday night and headed to St. Louis and Union Station. Even though it was 5 o’clock traffic on a Friday night – the drive was pretty easy and leisurely really. We did drive by a 1972 Gremlin on the way there and that made Ryan pretty giddy. So I snagged a picture of it as we were driving by. We got to our destination before the sun had set which was wonderful since I’m not a huge fan of late night driving. We arrived at Union Station at around 7:15 Friday night, parked our car, and checked into our room.

Now… Union Station is a special location for us because this is where we got engaged ten years ago. Ryan had reserved a lovely room for us, and we were walking around the shops while we waited for the time to go to the Blues hockey game. After walking for a bit, we decided to go outside and sit beside the pond. We had chosen a specific date we wanted to be married by which meant there was a certain time he had to propose by. So I was picking on him that I knew he hadn’t bought a ring yet and that he had 3 months to propose to me. Then he got down on one knee in front of me and said, “Why don’t I just do it now.” I thought he was just teasing me so I kept telling him to get up and stopping being ridiculous. He just quietly stayed put with a grin on his face. He looked down at his hands and then back up at me. Finally it clicked and I looked down to see the ring! Of course, I said yes! And since we were just outside of Hard Rock Cafe – we apparently had an audience because they started applauding, banging on the window and giving us thumbs ups!

Sadly – the shops are all gone, the mall is boarded up, and the pond has been dug out and completed decimated. So we decided to document some special piece of our story – we’d eat inside the building we got engaged outside of. The food at Hard Rock was actually really good! Ryan got a steak cooked exactly as he likes it and I tried this amazing flatbread that was delicious! Of course we had to snag a picture of us outside.

After dinner, we headed back to our room, got comfy, and settled in to cuddle, relax, and watch some TV. We don’t really get standard television or cable or anything at home, so it was nice to find some television to watch. I’ll confess, when we hit HGTV I asked Ryan if we could watch it for a bit… and it stayed there the whole night 🙂

In the morning, we were awoken by a sudden alarm in our room. It was intensely loud and greatly startled me! Apparently, it was a false alarm, but it certainly wasn’t a pleasant way to wake up. But since we were awake – we went ahead and got dressed and ready for the day. There are two places we love to go when we are in St. Louis… the Galleria and Whole Foods. I’m a big fan of the Galleria because there’s a Lush there and I’m a sucker for lush products. Since the closest ones to us are 3 hours drive – if we’re in St. Louis, I have to pop in! We walked around a bit and got Ryan a new belt (since he forgot his at home). We popped into Starbucks and snagged a cup of coffee for us (Thanks to those for the Starbucks birthday cards!) and then started making our way to see my brother’s family.

When Ryan asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday, I told him – I’d really like to see my nephews if Joel and Stacey were free. I’m so glad they were because I was excited to see these little boys again! It’s hard for me to admit how much my heart hurt when my brother and sister-in-law got pregnant. Ryan and I were in the midst of the deepest turmoil with our infertility and being called away from IVF. Even though Joel and Stacey did everything right – letting me know via letter so I’d have time to process the news, giving me space, being considerate of my feelings, etc. – I was totally enmeshed in my own pain and grief. And there was a part of me that was bitter and felt it was so unfair that they were blessed with not one, but two beautiful children and we couldn’t even conceive and carry one in all our years of trying. I didn’t want to love these littles or maybe I was afraid to… I was afraid it would cause me so much more heartache…

But in July – getting to spend a week loving on them, feeding them, caring for them… I fell hopelessly in love with these two little guys! Babies are amazing little people… they are such helpless little things. They look up at you with those big baby eyes, and you know that they are trusting you to take care of them. It’s hard not to love a person who has so much faith in you, who needs you. And that’s what spending time with them did for me. They helped to heal a part of my heart I thought would be tattered and torn forever. Love is an amazing thing… it never runs out. You don’t need to ration it. Love can push out and overcome your anger and grief. And I cannot adequately express the love I have for my nephews and niece!

I felt like the time went by super fast before we needed to start heading back home. But we had one more stop to make! As I mentioned earlier – we love stopping at Whole Foods when we are in St. Louis. We popped in the one in Clayton (like usual), and picked up a few fun things! I SO wish we had one closer by because I LOVE this store! Ryan snagged some cheeses and pasta for an awesome mac and cheese he made on Labor Day. And I snagged some of my favorite all natural, organic candies and a delicious sparkling water! Man, guys! Those Sunny Bears and Sea Salt Chocolate Caramels are the best sweets EVER!

After we finished up at Whole Foods, we hopped in the car and finished driving home. It was nice having the sun behind us and watching it set. We stopped for dinner in Effingham because it was definitely past our dinner time. Breakfast for dinner sounded great – because eggs have become an awesome staple for me and Cracker Barrel biscuits are pretty delicious! Then we drove the last 50 minutes home to our two pups who were ecstatic to see us! (Huge thanks to Dave and Julie for taking care of them while we were gone!)

Last little thing… Guys… for the past 3 or more years – this trip would have been incredibly difficult for me. Road trips meant not having quick access to a bathroom and the medication I was on made that a real issue for me. We would constantly have to be on the lookout for restrooms and making quick stops. It also would have meant having to be really careful about what I ate to hopefully attempt to keep my stomach issues at bay. Trips were usually exceedingly difficult for me because of all the issues I had to consider.

BUT this year… thanks to Plexus – our road trip was a breeze! No emergency bathroom stops, no anxiety about needing them either. I could eat what I wanted and didn’t feel a desire to overindulge… at all! I felt great the whole time we were away, and I came home without significant weight gain. I never imagined that something so simple, easy, and healthy would help me so much and give me so much of my life back! (If you’re at all interested in Plexus – shoot me a message on the contact page or check out my Plexus page!)

Well, there you have it! A little peek into our Birthday trip. I hope you had fun tagging along to see our little adventure and modest getaway!