Many Moments of Marital Bliss

Hello Family and Friends,

Greetings from Palm Springs! Doug and I went (or are currently on) our first vacation together since the wedding/honeymoon. WOW! What a breath of fresh air. Like most of you hard working people out there, we have been going to the grind, non-stop since we graduated college. While our honeymoon was AMAZING, we were so tired from the preparation, anticipation, and implementation of the wedding, that we pretty much crashed. That is not to say that we aren't exhausted now, but there is something so refreshing about being here!

I, Beth, spent that last week in San Diego. Now, when one thinks San Diego, I am sure the thought of seeing friends, enjoying the scenery, and eating lots of wonderful food comes to mind. No, this trip was not like that for me. I went on my first "business trip." Obviously, teachers are not in the corporate world, so this came in the form of the AVID Summer Institute conference. It was a week long conference. There were valuable moments that definitely contributed to my professional growth, but I left the area exhausted, EATEN ALIVE BY BUGS (yes, my hotel had bugs, and I left with 9 bug bits... GROSS HUH! DONT EVER STAY AT THE TOWN AND COUNTRY IN HOTEL CIRCLE... GROSS). I spent my first week away from Doug. :( Now, I won't go on this rant of complaining (because I did learn a lot and it is just wasting space), but on Friday 8-8-08, I took the trek back to the OC. When I got home, I expected to see a house that was a little bit messy (Doug is not a slob, but he did have the opportunity to go back to his bachelor days for a week.... and he is BUSY!).... as I walked in, I saw a perfectly immaculate house. I was so happy. I LOVE A CLEAN HOUSE! :) Then as I looked to the right I noticed a sign. Then to the right of that were a dozen gorgeous pink roses! Can you imagine my excitement to return to that! Soon after, Doug was able to come home for his lunch break, so I was in HEAVEN! Doug and I definitely stand by the thought that absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. THANK GOD we are back together again!

So right now, I write to you from Palm Springs. Friday after Doug got off or work, we drove to my parents house. My mom and dad took us out to our FAVORITE Mexican Restaurant, Cucas. Really, we could eat GOOD Mexican food everyday. :) Thank you Mom and Dad. Orange County has NASTY food. Saturday morning we woke up at 5:30. We headed out for some morning coffee (that used to be our dates, just a year ago, when we were working on my parents backyard). Then we hung out with our parents and headed for the real desert! At first, Doug was not impressed with the Palm Springs area. Then we pulled up to our hotel! I had the opportunity to stay here before with some of my girlfriends from college, so I knew what we were getting ourselves into; however, nothing beats exploring places with the love of your life. Doug and I always have the discussion about visiting places that we have seen together as individuals, but really, it is like exploring it for the first time. :)

We arrived in P.S. just before noon and hit the pool! :) We were there for hours. Afterwards, we checked out our amazing room. They have gone through renovations since the last time I was here, and they did a great job. We had some rest relaxation, hour long massage, and relaxed in the air condition. Then, we went to a fabulous Mexican Restaurant, Las Casuelas Terrzas in downtown Palm Springs. WE WERE IN HEAVEN! Of course, we had to get our Millers, and we enjoyed them on our little balcony.

This morning Doug is checking out the gym while I write to you. We know the rest of the day will be filled with fun and relaxation. We hope that you all can find rest as well. God bless you all!

Doug and Beth<><