Sunday morning after dropping off Keegan I made an excuse to stop by my parents' house. Then my mom asked Jeff to help them fix their T*vo. Meanwhile my dad and I loaded all of our luggage in my mom's car. When Jeff came out of the house my dad asked me to move my mom's car and I told Jeff to hop in and we'd take it around the block. Then I left their neighborhood and got a little ways before he asked me where we were going. It was only then that he realized that we were taking my mom's car on our trip. I figured taking the Jaguar would make it extra special. Then he got nervous that I had more tricks up my sleeve.

We headed south to Mystic, CT and stayed here where Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall honeymooned. We had a beautiful room with a balcony, fireplace, canopy bed and even a bidet. While waiting for check-in time we shopped downtown and ended up with some cute things for the kids and lots of great ideas for their Christmas presents. It was french onion soup and lobster pizza for dinner, with dessert later in our room, a bottle of cava and chocolates I had shipped in from New Orleans. Unfortunately having kids has ruined our ability to sleep in but that's okay. We spent the day at the aquarium and at one of the vineyards and came back with two bottles to bring home. Last night was his birthday dinner of lobster crepes, quahog chowder, scallops over cous-cous and tenderloin medallions with garlic potatoes. Then we stayed in for the night by a roaring fire, too idyllic. Today we stopped at a gourmet market and picked up meat, cheese, bread and pastries to have as a picnic lunch on the way home. It was so amazing to have all of those days in a row together. And we spent so much time talking and exploring. That man has the amazing ability to get me to let him photograph me and convince me to make silly faces.

PS While my mom was busy helping me surprise Jeff she had no idea of her own surprise in store. My dad just whisked her off to Vegas for the week. He has all sorts of fun planned including front row at Celine (which even though I hate her, I wouldn't turn down), hot air ballooning, a helicopter trip and a boat ride down the Grand Canyon.