It was my idea to not tell anyone where we were going and what we were doing this weekend. Apparently, Christina took that seriously. She dropped off the radar with her friends and agreed to meet me at a quaint B & B. I left a louder trail, I guess, and I can’t quite figure out why that is. I told someone we were having a “prayer retreat” and others that we were on a “getaway.” I guess I’m uncomfortable saying, “Oh, nothing much” when someone asks what I’m up to this weekend. I guess I have to say something and then even I’m surprised sometimes at what comes out.

Well, even if it wasn’t completely secret, the B & B getaway was full of amazing, delicious surprises! It made me count the sweet blessings of being stateside, where I can spend time with one of my favorite people. Though you may not understand it, I can guarantee you’d be rolling in laughter for one reason or another if you had been there.

• On the way to pick up crafting materials at Hobby Lobby, we stopped at the gas station for a Founty (our sister-in-law Bethany has endeared us to call our favorite form of soda by this name). While making too big of a scene for a simple fountain soda, the attendant wanted to know what was the cause of all the laughter. We must have had a case of the Friday-afternoon-loopies because we giggled out a joke lamenting our single status. As we were leaving, the attendant said, “All I know is, somebody’s missing out!” We laughed our way into the car and then decided Daniel had been sent to speak deep truth into our silly lives.
• At the Mexico-inspired B & B, we met Jaime and Daphne and their granddaughter who showed us to The Tabasco Room, where we would be staying. We were charmed instantly by Jaime’s grandfatherly way and his thick Spanish accent. His birthday was today and so we played the age guessing game over mexican shot glasses of Jose Cuervo last night (btw, 100% agave is apparently the only way to buy Tequila). He guessed we were 19 and 22 … and then attributed our youthfulness to innocence as we fumbled with comments about the smoothness of the liquor.
• One of Jaime’s daughters said, “I’m sorry” when she heard our true ages because she is convinced, “it gets better after 30.” So, that is something to look forward to!
• There was a couple celebrating their anniversary, a couple traveling back north from the State Fair, and a man in Ames on business. As we helped ourselves to some Mexican coffee, one of the men said, “You girls look like the Olympic sand volleyball team… just 6 inches shorter.” We looked at each other with eyebrows raised and said, “Yeah.. we’ll take that!”
• One of the guests at the B & B was a farmer and he was pretty impressed with our ability to “talk shop” so much that he asked if we were in the business! We both felt pretty good about that.
• One of the strangest surprises was the fact that no one thought we were sisters. We’ve never thought we looked especially alike, but people have always told us we do. So, it was weird when we had to keep explaining that we were related. But, maybe more weird was Christina’s realization that it could look any different and her hasty explanation even when it wasn’t warranted.

Our conversations drifted in and out of serious with a good dose of silly mixed in. No surprise there, I suppose, but a lot of refreshment. We have never really lived close enough for the kind of friendship that hangs out on the weekends. So, I’m trying to live in the moments where I do right now.

let LOVE fly like cRaZy