Fist Fights, Franck's, and Other Fun

We've had an eventful and fun few days. Here's what we've been up to:

Thursday
Gabe and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary last week. I know it's such a cliche, but it really is hard to imagine my life without him. I'm looking forward to the day when we will have known each other longer than we were single. To celebrate, we watched our wedding video and went to a scrumptious French restaurant called Franck's. The menu was drool worthy and I savored smoked strawberry soup,scallops with a white chocolate wasabi sauce, and apricot jasmin rice. I know the flavors may sound strange, but they are positively brilliant my friend! We also got adventurous and sampled the fois gras trio. (I think fois gras must be an acquired taste.)

Friday
I visited my folks so my mother and I could enjoy a "Spa Day." We were rewarding ourselves for some health and weight loss goals. (After becoming a mother I gained a frumpy 15 pounds. What's the deal? I don't have hormones to blame for this. I am slowly taking off the weight and getting back to a regular running routine. Woot! Woot!) We had a relaxing time getting pedicures, a massage, and going to lunch. I'm so happy my mom and I can enjoy spending time together.

Saturday
Our car overheated and broke down. Although I'm concerned about the cost, I found myself feeling strangely nostalgic as Gabe and I lounged in a grassy area beside the road. When we were newlyweds, we had a series of lemon vehicles and found ourselves having many adventures as a result. "This reminds me of when we were dating," I said wistfully as Gabe looked under the hood. (He just grunted and tried not to swear. I'm glad I have a guy who knows a bit about cars. He's so handy!)

As a result of the car mishap, our plans to attend a Bees game were canceled. Gabe was sweet though and offered to watch Persy while I went to the "Living Traditions" folk and ethnic arts festival. I got to hear an awesome Brass band from New Orleans. Several people in the audience were dancing and jumping up and down in front of me. Since I couldn't really see the musicians over their bodies, I decided to just join
them. I was really enjoying myself when I nearly got decked by two women that started fighting and swearing at each other. It was kind of a wild night.

Monday
Now it's back to "real" life. I have a full day of laundry, weeding, storytelling, and snuggling to do. I guess my "real" life is pretty good too!

Wicked on the Weekend

We had a blast attending the musical "Wicked" with my folks last night. The set and costumes were amazing! I'm so glad I got to see the production. I really feel like a could see it a dozen more times and not absorb all there was to see. I've been listening to the fabulous music for a couple years now and the musical was every bit as good as I had hoped. It was also fun to be part of such a high energy crowd. People began cheering wildly when the lights went out and the musical hadn't even started yet! A very fun night!

Figaro

I once had a school teacher comment that she would rather have an interesting day than a perfect day because you rarely learn anything in a perfect day. Perhaps this is true. Perfect moments rarely teach us anything, they don't make for good stories, and they don't often make for juicy blog posts. They do make for beautiful memories though, and my date with Gabe last night to see "The Marriage of Figaro," is certainly one I want to remember.

I want to remember:
Gabe's warm hand upon the small of my back as he leads me gently to the car,
The lacy black "Jane Austen" dress that I can only wear on date nights without Persy,
Devouring a creamy risotto and tender salmon at a fancy restaurant before the show,
The joyful anticipation I feel whenever the lights go dim in a theater and the overture begins,
Whispered conversations in the dark,
The funny guy sitting next to us in top hat and monocle glasses that looked like Mr. Peanut,
Holding hands throughout the performance and tapping our fingers to the music,
Strolling outside and kissing gently during intermission,
Laughing with the crowd when Figaro sings, "(It's Susanna.)"
The way I still feel a secret thrill when I don't have to say "good-bye" at the end of a date.

Music in the Mountains

The Perfect Picnic Basket
Originally uploaded by knitsational

Gabe and I were able to enjoy a romantic date on Saturday night thanks to the babysitting help of my sister-in-law Laura. We went to Deer Valley and heard the Utah Symphony play a selection of Broadway songs in the outdoor amphitheater. We brought along a fancy picnic and snuggled into blankets and just felt grateful to be together. I'm so glad I married somebody who enjoys events like this!