Our Weekend Away

We're back from our time away. It was good. Good to be back, but we did enjoy our time away, esp. the food! Elise came toddling up to us right away and grabbed a hold of Tom's pants wanting to be picked up liked usual. The kids had fun with the babysitters - 5 different people in all came. One mom, Ruth, brought her daughter Annie (same age as Ella) and her 2 high school age boys along. They all and my 3 older ones had lots of fun outside in the snow! What a treat for them to get so much playtime with others.
Thursday at 3 we left and headed towards the cities. We checked in to the motel and then Tom and I did a little bit of shopping using some coupons we had that gave us good discounts. Then it was off to Macaroni Grill - we split a large salad of arugula (like spinach) with crispy scallops, chopped walnuts, Parmesan. Tom ordered Eggplant parmesan (it was good) and I had spinach ravioli stuffed with lobster and topped with a sauce with chopped asparagus & tomatoes - YUM! Also served with their yummy bread. After dinner we perused the remodel bathroom isles in Menard's & back to our hotel.
Friday we had continental breakfast at our hotel - we split a biscuit & gravy & a belgium waffle - and enjoyed some good coffee. We read most of the morning. I read Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Haggai. Then got out my 750 shaped puzzle of Noah's ark. Tom read his Bible, slept, and read his biography of Amy Carmichael.
Lunch - we ate at Benihana's - a Japanese restaurant where they cook it front of you. We had some sushi & enjoyed rice with beef for Tom and Scallops for Elaine. They have a good salad with a ginger dressing that was also served with the meal. After this meal we went to Target & got diapers to restock the supply at home. Then back to hotel where we puzzled & read. Then we got a pass to a local exercise place - in order to be hungry for our next meal. For supper we ate at Mirror of Korea - we had a snapper & chicken dish that were served with rice, kimchi (too spicy for me but Tom liked it), white radish, some kind of potato, & sprouts.
Then we walked around the mall at Ridgedale - people watched (i.e. saw men sitting looking rather tired and waiting for their women) & looked at all the materialistic stuff the stores were trying their best to sell. We window shopped for possible tools and exercise machines.
Saturday we had the same breakfast, Tom went and exercised and I finished by puzzle! Then we headed to Once Upon a Child (a used baby/kid thrift store) - found a few books & educational games for the kids. Onwards then to lunch at Shuen Chang - you guessed it-Another Asian restaurant. Tom had beef & asparagus stirfry dish & I had a sole (fish) & asparagus stirfry dish. Both were really good. Then we weaved our way through Minneapolis to bypass the 35w interstate part that was closed due to the bridge collapse.
Our final stop was The Hobby Center - owned by a family in our church. It was big! Any puzzle, game, craft, train, rocket, car model you can think of plus much more. It was fun to see a place where someone in our church works. Two of the families' sons (same 2 that came and played with the kids) were there working. They were surprised to see us. Then finally we traveled home. Enjoyed a meal made by another family in our church - stuffed manicotti with ceasar salad & bread.
Now back to regular schedule of home life and work.