Sweet Retreat

My idea of R&R these days actually includes very little R&R.  Not that I couldn't use a little actual rest, but with three kids 4 and under (I can only say that for 3 more days as my oldest is about to turn 5 - yikes!) I get very little me time.  So, when our awesome group started chatting about a craft retreat I was all over it.  The tricky part was where to go.  All but one of us has children, which is great, but not so conducive to an uninterrupted day of crafting.  Then one of our members who was out of town on our desired dates graciously allowed us to crash stay at her place.  Yay!

We wasted no time making ourselves at home, especially me who brought half the contents of my craft room (aka the dining room).  (The cardboard boxes were not ours.  They arrived after our friend had departed for the beach so they were waiting for her return.  Still, you could say we brought some stuff.)

It was an adventure getting there.  I fell off the curb leaving my house and twisted my pedal foot (yes, I mean sewing machine pedal), we got a little turned around on the way to pick up Carolyn, we didn't know what side the gas tank was on but finally got situated only to realize that we needed diesel fuel and then we spotted a car on fire in the gas station parking lot!  We made it there though in the dark without a single wrong turn and I was very proud of myself.  Of course just as we pulled into the driveway to unload our crafty goodness the sky unleashed bobbin-sized raindrops.  We got it all in though and got to work - opening a bottle of wine that is.  Come on, we had our priorities.  We popped in American Reunion and crafted til the wee hours - about 3:30 a.m.

One of our crazy members was up and crafting again by 7:30 a.m. - crazy, right?  In her defense you get used to getting up at the crack of dawn with little ones and it can be a hard habit to break.  Carolyn and I slept til a more respectable 11 a.m.  Awesome!  We bypassed showering and got right to work crafting.  Thankfully my foot felt a lot better and I was able to participate fully.  After a short break for lunch enjoying the beautiful view from the porch, we continued to craft furiously while we enjoyed Bill Cosby as Himself (this video link may not be suitable for all audiences) and Bridesmaids.

We were due home around dinner time, but the craft bug had bitten and we were making some serious progress. So... we phoned the hubbies and begged asked nicely to stay another night.  We each had a little privacy and made the call and were happy to report that we were staying another night and we were all still married.  We continued crafting until our rumbling tummies led us to a yummy, small town pizza spot.  We sat in some plastic chairs on an unlit patio outside the pizza place and gave our eyes a rest from the white glare of our sewing machines until darkness sent us on our way.

We settled back in quickly and again said good morning to the new day before ever going to bed.  We enjoyed the classic Look Who's Talking.  Carolyn wussed out went to bed at a respectable 4 a.m. while Katie and I plowed through until the sun began to rise.  We had accomplished a lot though and it felt good to rest our heads after such a productive day.

Carolyn and I watching Look Who's Talking.

I think it's safe to say that the retreat was a success.  Hopefully all of our hard work will translate into sales at the upcoming craft fair.

Here's a sneak peek. 

The next day we focused on packing up and cleaning so our dear friend could come home to a space that was as beautiful and relaxing as when she left.  After resolving a doggie jail break we were on the road to our weary, but supportive husbands and beautiful children.  After almost 48 hours away I was thrilled to see my children.  It made me appreciate them and their unconditional love so much.

xo

Rachel

Rachel blogs at BirthingMe.blogspot.com