February: The Longest Month.

This winter has been especially brutal.  Like cold, icy, snowy, freezingly brutal.  It's as though once the magic and beauty of Christmas has faded, new year's resolutions have been failed and forgotten, all that is left is the cold, dark, icy disparity of February.  February may be the shortest month of the year, but it can certainly feel like the longest.  By mid-month, I begin to wonder if I'll ever be in a good mood again.


I don't mean to say that it's been all doom and gloom around here.  There is beauty in every season, and we have found moments of bliss in the wintery white.  We've spent long hours sledding, tubing, collecting icicles, and sliding on the frozen pond.  But on those days that are too bitter to go outside, when the slush covers my kitchen floor, and the snow boots, gloves, scarves, pants and socks are piled wet by the entryway, when we've been in the house for far too many hours for far too many days, I begin to lose a little bit of my sanity.  The cold and dark renders me sluggish, unmotivated and depressed.  I am hungry for spring!!!


Wednesday morning, I was sitting sluggishly on my sofa when Justin casually suggested, "Hey, do you want to go to dinner at a fancy restaurant in Springfield with the Koeppens tomorrow night?"  I assumed it must be some sort of special kind of event, maybe a political function in preparation for Aaron Koeppen's upcoming campaign for reelection.  I didn't have my calendar in front of me, but figured that I could probably make arrangements to go to something important like that, so I said "sure".

Later that evening, after another emotionally draining winter Wednesday, I got to thinking about the fancy dinner in Springfield.  I asked Justin for more information.  "What exactly is the occasion for the dinner?"  No occasion.  Just wanting to try out a nice new restaurant he heard about.  I wondered why on earth we would drive two hours on a Thursday night just to eat dinner.  Do I really want to get all dressed up and sit in the car for four hours (round trip) just to eat at a fancy restaurant?  How good can it be?  I mean, I love the Koeppens, and I love my husband, but why did it have to be so last minute?  On a Thursday?  Also, after looking at my calendar, I realized that I had a primary presidency meeting Thursday afternoon that would need to be rescheduled and a book club meeting Thursday evening that I would have to miss.  The primary meeting was already overdue, and I really love my book club, actually read the book this time, and knew that they had specifically scheduled it for a night that I could be there!  I told Justin all of my thoughts and how I really didn't see why we needed to drop everything and drive to Springfield on that particular night just to eat dinner.

Thursday morning, Justin told me we didn't have to go to dinner, and could stay home if I didn't want to go.  He said the Koeppens would go ahead without us and could tell us later if the restaurant was worth going to.  I felt conflicted: guilty, relieved, disappointed and appeased.  Almost at the same moment, I got a text from my first counselor in primary, asking if we could reschedule the meeting for another day.  Now I really felt conflicted.  How could I say no to a fancy night out with my husband?  Just for a silly book club meeting?

I called Nancy Koeppen to see if she could shed a little more light on the situation.  What was so special about this restaurant and why did it have to be on this particular night?  She didn't have much more information than I did, but gave me the idea that there might be more to this evening than our husbands were letting on, and that I should just go to dinner...it would be fun!  So, I messaged the book club host to let her know I wouldn't make it and starting looking for something nice to wear.

When I was getting dressed, I noticed that my underwear drawer was empty.  I couldn't find a clean bra.  I thought that was odd, but not entirely unheard of.  Justin was home from work by then, and managed to conveniently "find a bra on the laundry room floor".  

Justin's parents were going to pick up the kids from our house after we left and take them to their house to spend the night.  On our way to Springfield, I got a text from Brock: "Are you really going to be gone for three days?"  I told him no.  He texted back that "Grandma told us to pack our church clothes and everything because you were going to be gone for three days!"  I started to wonder...

Dinner was great.  It was a Brazilian steak house where they bring the meat around on a skewer and cut pieces off until you tell them to stop.  It was good, but nothing we hadn't experienced before, and certainly nothing we needed to dress up for.  I wondered if maybe the guys had planned to surprise us with a show in nearby Branson after dinner, but I didn't dare get my hopes up in case we really were just going home.

We left the restaurant, and drove to the airport....boarded a plane....to Florida!  Goodbye winter blues!  Good riddance to your gloomy harshness!!!

Nancy & I, getting ready to board the plane!

Justin & Aaron at the beach at last!

Looking touristy

Ahhhh...sand and sea between our toes!

A natural at skimboarding

Searching for shark teeth

It was a wonderful weekend of sun, water, sand, seashells, good food, friends and relaxation!  In three days, we visited three beaches: Boca Grande, Sanibel Island & Venice Beach, FL. It's amazing how different each piece of shoreline is. And it's amazing how much you can live without when your husband packs your suitcase for the weekend!  Luckily there was a Sam's Club that sold shorts and t-shirts in my size.  The weekend went by too quickly, and it was hard to come back to the harshness of Missouri winter.  However, I trust that spring is just around the corner.  The ice will melt and there will be sunshine and warmth again!!!

 
Thanks, Justin, for a wonderful winter surprise!  Sorry for being so difficult.  Next time, I will be sure to follow blindly, trusting only in your fabulousness!