A Good Day

I was looking back over 2009 and was overwhelmed with the scary, bad things that happened... but for every bad day there has been a good day. There are so many good moments and of course there are those moments that make you cringe, want to pull your hair out and forget your name. Those insane minutes make the happy as a clown moments all the more wonderful.

I can narrow down the absolute most wonderful day I had this past year. How often does that happen unless you get married or have a baby? Neither of those happened to me, but this one day was just perfect. This memory brings warm fuzzies and makes me get lost day-dreaming of a day like this.

Years ago my dad bought the girls in the family spa certificates. The spa he bought them from was an hour away and we just never made it down there...

It was the beginning of Summer and my sister-in-law, Sonia, and I wanted to plan a day for my mom's 60th birthday. We had no funds to "do it up right" and I had a bright idea. The gift cards. I booked our spa packages and we surprised my mom on her birthday, June 25th.

June 27th, we got up early and drove out. The minute we walked in it was like we stepped into our mini vaca. We got our glasses of ice cold water and our big fluffy robes and slippers and lounged around until our names were called for our full body swedish massages. We would met periodically in the lounge and then got whisked away to a European facial.

We had lunch served to us by the salt water pool and drank our iced tea in the hot sun and chatted about nothing important. The smoothies looked so good in the 100 + Degree heat wave and I had to have one. Heaven.

We were called for pedicures and sat there drinking more ice tea and chatting as our feet got a massage.

It was late afternoon by this time and we were ready to go to our next destination. After showering in the glorious showers (they seemed extra nice after those fully body massages) and washing our hair with the signature shampoo... mmmmm it was wonderful, we headed to Pechanga.

Those of you that are not familiar with Pechanga, look here. It's a casino on an Indian reservation. I have always found it boring since I hate to play the slots, but my mom likes to go here so I figured we should do what she wanted to do since it was her birthday, right?

We met my mom's sister and her husband who were there celebrating my aunt's birthday. My uncle sent Sonia and I up to their room to relax and they played some slots while we waited for our dinner reservations.

Dinner was delectable! Shrimp Scampi, Calamari, Fresh Oysters, Caesar Salad... My favorite menu (minus the oysters). My sweet (favorite) uncle treated us all and made the night even better for me. ;)

I am loving this day-memory so much that I want to replicate it again in 2010!

(On a sidenote - these storms are getting bad... we're right in the middle of one and it's ugly. Praying for everyones safety here!)