Fall Break 2012 - Thelma and Louise style

Okay, not quite like Thelma and Louise but I think we had just as much fun.

UEA (Utah Education Association) weekend was last Thursday and Friday.  I think this is where all the educators in the state attend conferences and stuff.  Not sure.  When I was growing up, it meant we went deer hunting.  When my kids were younger, it meant that I went to work and prayed that they didn't burn the house down.

THIS YEAR - it meant a little get away for me and a bestie!!

Chelsea and I hit the road about noonish Thursday and headed north to Smithfield and my sister's house.  We unloaded, chilled a bit and then went with everyone to the Pumpkin walk.  I have to admit I was a bit skeptical when we pulled up.  It seemed like something meant for very small children. Boy was I wrong!

(they recreated The Bachelor out of pumpkins)

(so does not watching tv help you spell better?)

(yes, we all know how I feel about the Sux - but I do be respectin some punkin carvin!)

(okay, how clever is this?)

(taylor, chelsea and me)

(gettin a little political - so funny!)

There was so much talent and creativity that I was consistently blown away.  It's like Festival of Trees - how do people get that creative??

After spending some time admiring the talents of other people, me, Chelsea and my niece Taylor (the ULTIMATE Justin Beiber fan) hit the Firehouse!!

One canNOT go to Cache Valley and NOT go to the Firehouse.  And have a Fahzookie.  It would be a crime  really.

After dinner, it was movie night.  The girls all talked me into "She's the Man" and I was hoping to not be the old lady that falls asleep.  Right in the middle of the movie we heard three loud stomps on the floor upstairs.  Both Taylor and Adi jumped right up - "we gotta go upstairs".  Chels and I looked at each other like "what the wha?"  Apparently the stomps are the intercom system for the house since hollering down the stairs doesn't work when teenage girls have their ipods in, or are on the phone or otherwise ignoring parental voices.  Taylor ran back down to us and said, "there's some kids causing some sort of ruckus upstairs, come with me to check it out"  Okay....Chels and I followed figuring we could crack some skulls if needed.

Instead, we opened the door to this:

Taylor had asked a friend to Sadie's and the ruckus was her answer........  How cute is that?  So fun!

What I didn't get a picture of was Chet coming to yell at us to close the door "didn't we know it was like winter out there?"  Chet.  In his G's.  In a little pink kimono robe 'cause the laundry hadn't been put away.  I didn't dare snap a pic for fear that he would punch my throat so this will have to suffice:

We finished the movie and Chelsea and I headed to our beds - check it out........

(I only kicked her two or three times a night)

I love that Chels is as big a picture taker as I am!!

Friday was a nice and lazy morning.  I had a great time catching up with my sister et al.  Once we got ready for the day, we headed for the cheap theater.  No dollar theater but THREE dollar.  We were too late for Brave (which was our original intention) so we went to ParaNorman.  One word.  Weird.  At first I couldn't really figure out who the target audience was, but in hindsight, I am thinking 9 -12 year olds?  Too scary for littles, too dumb for anyone older and the whole thing was just.....strange.

We left shaking our heads but laughing anyway and then just spent some time driving around town.  Hit USU campus and the LDS temple grounds.

(we thought it looked like an English castle)

(it overlooks the valley - so pretty!)

(did I mention that I love that Chelsea likes to take pics?)

After a quick stop for dinner and a little bit of time chillin at the house, we headed BACK out and to one of the scariest things I've ever done!  A Haunted Corn Maze.

(the entrance...so welcoming)

(chels is a whiz at the instagram)

What in the world was I thinking?!  I hate corn mazes.  I hate being scared.  I don't think I have ever screamed and laughed so hard in years.  Chelsea and I literally hung onto each other every.single.step.  There was a chainsaw and screams off the right.  There was moving scarecrows to the left.  A scary clown (what clown isn't scary) followed us for what felt like forever, before his other clown cohort took over.  There were clues to stop and figure out that would lead you in the right direction.  We finally got to where we thought we had hit the end and instead was told it was HALFWAY!  This corn maze is so big that they have to have a halfway mark with a stand for refreshments!  We tried to follow people who looked like they knew what they were doing.....and if we saw a hint of a haunter ahead we turned around and headed the other direction!  I did, at one point, start to panic a little.  What if we couldn't find our way out?  I was so turned around and disoriented that I knew that I could never do it on my own.  So...if the place closes, how do they know everyone is out of the maze?  How do they get everyone out?  Do they turn on big flood lights?  Do they blow whistles?  HOW DO THEY GET US
OUT?!?

We were now into it about an hour and a half and I was feeling the wear of "fight or flight" ....when all of a sudden we turned a corner and bam.  The end!  Relief.......... I wasn't going to have to call 911 after all.

We dinked around playing on the bales of hay and taking shadow pictures before we headed back and crashed for the night.  So much fun!  Much more fun than I had anticipated.  And while I still don't really like being scared, this was kind of a fun scared.  Prolly 'cause Chels made it fun.

(I got the crescent moon to look like a heart)

(shadow pictures)

We took our time waking up Saturday......lazing around a bit before we packed and hit the road for home.  Chelsea had plans for asking someone to Sadie's, I had a lesson to get ready for Sunday.  But before we left, we found a little love left for us in the kitchen from my sister and bro-in-law.

(I have the best family ever!!  Thanks Mindi, Chet, Taylor, Adi and Cade - Aunti M lurves you!!)

We stopped in Brigham City to see the temple and take more pictures and then it was home.

(the tabernacle sits right across the street)

(there she is!  One day, we'll have a pic of her standing in her wedding dress in front of a temple)

Yes it was a quick trip.
Yes it was a nice respite from day to day life.
Yes it prolly needs to become an annual outing.
Yes it felt good to laugh, scream and giggle.
Yes it was validating to know that the boys following us and trying to make convo had no idea I was old enough to be their mother. Bahahahaha.  I don't blame them though - Miss Chels is a cutie-patootie!
No, it wasn't cool when I peed a little.

Until Fall Break 2013......"don'tchoo be gettin all LOUD on me!"

Love ya Chels - thanks for the fun!