A bit of sickness for five, a little holiday for two...

Last week ~ three days of chicken pox, three days of holidays.  And somewhere in there my oven got fixed (hurray for a handy husband - although I was looking forward to using the larger one, this was, in the end, a much easier solution) and the business bookkeeping  for this year got redone, thanks to a hard drive crash. I'm glad I only had three months to redo, not the whole year. I am now more diligent about backing such things up.  I usually don't make the same mistake twice, and now I'm wondering what sort of dumb thing I'll do next.  

Last Sunday the five youngest began to break out with chicken pox in earnest and by evening were not feeling very well.  Monday was very uncomfortable for them, with terrible itching and fevers.  Poor Thomas could not sit still even for half a minute.  Even while sitting on the couch watching a movie, he had to wiggle around to rub his back to relieve the itch. :( On Tuesday afternoon when they were having mock sword fights in the living room, I knew they were starting to feel better.  By Wednesday things were looking better yet.  Which was a good thing, since Gerald and I had planned a little get-away for the end of the week.

It was lovely.  Although cloudy, wet weather had been forecasted, it turned out to be warm and sunny.  We were in the Collingwood area - an area we have very fond memories of, having spent several of our early married years there.  The area has changed a lot with the development of resorts, but the scenery is as stunning as ever.

Looking down at Georgian Bay from the top of Blue Mountain...

We didn't ski, although we could have since some runs were still open.

Now, down at the bay and looking back toward the slopes...

We stayed at one of the resorts for a deal. We got two nights plus dinner and passes to the spa for a small price and in return had to attend a seminar where they attempt to sell you a time-share. We didn't buy one, but we sure did enjoy our stay. :)

First off, at Gerald's request, they exchanged our double-bed accomodations for a king-size.  It's a height thing...it isn't nice when your feet hang over the end of the bed. :)  Then the luxuriously soft and plump down pillows didn't take long to get used to.  Free dinner was nice, too, and we got a kick out of calculating it out to keep the cost within the value of the vouchers.  We did it with 76 cents to spare. :)

The Scandinave Spa was amazing.  This was a new experience for both of us, and at first I felt a little out of place.  But oh, was it ever soothing.  While relaxing in the baths the busyness of home and life seemed like a lifetime away.  It's something you have to experience to really 'get'.  The idea is to warm up in the sauna, eucalyptus steam bath or outdoor baths, then cool off with a shower or a plunge in one of the cold water pools and then relax in a solarium, hammock, on a terrace or by an outdoor fireplace.  All this in a tranquil atmosphere with soft music playing.  Lovely.  It took us a while to adjust to the pace.  At first we were going at our usual speed through the routine, but eventually we slowed down.  Ahhhhhh. 

Don't we look rejuvenated? :)



On the way back we were still in relax mode and took our time, stopping here and there to enjoy the view, or to check out a waterfall.

Then we were home.  The kids met us out front, excited to see us back.  Nadia's mouth was a big 'O' when she saw her mama and papa. :) 

As nice as it was to be away, it sure is wonderful to be home.