** * Our Life with 13 Kids * **: 23 Years

Today is our happy anniversary. A few stats -

30 years since our first date
23 years of marriage
22 years of diapers
12.5 kids
10 moves
8 cars
4 countries

And one more year of wedded bliss in the books. For the beginning of this next chapter, Corey and I left all the children at home and went up to Brighton for a day of skiing sans any of the little ones and it was very nice. We didn't talk much, just skied and enjoyed the peace and quiet while we were on the lifts. I was a little nervous to ski on a Saturday again, fearing it would be super crowded, but it wasn't that busy and it was a beautiful day.

Above at the top of Snake Creek with the Heber Valley behind us -

Corey's ankle wasn't feeling great, so I don't think he minded going slow with me as I practiced turning on greens and blue hills. He joked we should get some kind of caution sign for me, so people would be careful - like a "baby on board" yellow sign or something. Corey bought a parking pass so we had a reserved spot that put us right at the bottom of the Explorer lift which was super great and convenient. We did all the lifts, even Great Western which has a "caution experts only" notice on it, but it was ok - there was a blue I was able to take down. Snake Creek was our favorite and we did that the most. I liked Deer Park and Thor. I do wish there were some well groomed trails between the trees, instead of there being a trails and paths around all the trees - I didn't know what I could trust, so we mostly just stayed on the main trails. We didn't stop for lunch, we just ate my "squirrel food" as Corey calls it (dried apricots and walnuts and raisins). We left around 3:30 and on the way home Joseph gave us a call to let us know that he was going to be able to come tomorrow. I was planning to do our family feast on Monday cause that was the only time Joseph could join us, cause he was going to be speaking at his ward on Sunday. But he let us know his plan - come up tonight, take the car down tomorrow and then drive back up for the feast, and sleep over and go skiing on Monday. Ok, that works. We got home and were happy that the kids were all alive and happy, their rooms were clean, and practiced their instruments and then had fun playing the Wii all day -

So I had also originally been planning to do my feast food run to Costco after my dr, appointment on Monday, but instead I hurried out tonight. I was done and ready to head home at 5:23, which would give me about 20 minutes to do my hair before our date night out to La Caille, but then as I was driving, Wes called, said that he was leaving to go pick up Joseph, but that Corey stopped him and saw via his phone that I was out by the Frontrunner, so did I want to just get him? I knew that the Frontrunnner comes by each hour on the :38, which meant I'm going to be waiting here for 15 minutes... in 15 minutes I would already be home and able to get ready for our date, which Corey seemed anxious about leaving on time, but I guessed he wanted me to get Joseph since he suggested it? ...so I said ok, and Wes stayed home and I went and waited for Joseph. Joseph called and said if I drove to the Draper station he would be there in 8 minutes, and that was an 8 minute drive for me, which I didn't think would be saving us any time since then I'd just add 8 minutes onto my drive home, but whatever, so I drove to Draper. I got home at 5:58 and speed changed my clothes and went on my date with Corey to a very expensive restaurant without showering and with my ski helmet hair.

So this was our first time every going to La Caille. We drive by there almost every day and probably several times a day most days. So it was good to check it off. BUT we will never be going there again. And not just cause it is freaking expensive. Corey bought gift cards at Costco, where you get $100 at La Caille for $75, so that helped offset the expense, and he planned for us to be able to get two horderves, both get salad and entrees, and maybe two desserts. Hmm, what shall we order?

I got the mushrooms, cause I was thinking back to a date night at Provisions. That was expensive and small portions too, but I remember I ordered some stuffed mushrooms that were very good. Corey ordered escargots. Now with escargot we knew what we were getting (aka snails (more tolerable than chicken hearts in my opinion, but I only had one snail, I won't each chicken hearts)), so that wasn't a surprise, but the mushrooms dish was super tiny and did not taste good at all. It did not meet my expectations. Thankfully there was a sample of sunchoke soup "compliments of the chef..." that was super delicious and I quite enjoyed that. So far it's been pricey but fair for a new experience.

Corey was distracted the first hour of our date by the people on the table next to us. It was either a father and son, or perhaps a rich uncle with his nephew. Corey whispered to me "I just find him such an interesting character!" The room was very quiet, with very faint music, so we could totally hear their conversation and they could probably have heard ours, but we whispered like we were at a library. The man had glasses very low on his nose, just on the tip of his nose, and each lens was the size of a dime. He looked over his glasses at the young man in a blazer as they talked about his future... Corey heard the man say "I want you to focus on your schooling and your fencing..." and yeah, Corey had a hard time talking to me cause of this character at the table next to us.

20 minutes later we got our salads. Corey had just stepped outside to see what was out there (peacocks) and the salads were delivered. When I saw my "salad" I let out a disappointed sign, shook my head and moaned "... aw crap..." It was a stupid Charleston salad all over again! Corey knew what I was thinking and was laughing. He wanted a picture...

Too bad for me that I didn't know what burrata was... I guess I was thinking bruschetta. So it would be a salad with sides of bruschetta. Yes, this is a French restaurant and sure, bruschetta is Italian, but so is burrata!!! For some reason I was fully expecting an actual beet salad, cause I must have forgotten that this is "fancy" and instead I got a hunk of cheese with probably a 1/4 of a beet cut in tiny tiny pieces. I also saw "butternut squash" on the ingredients of my salad, and that was a few dots of squash puree to decorate my plate. Ugh, so disappointing, it was a repeat of that bad memory (I had been really hungry on that date). I could not eat it. I didn't get the chance to explore returning it for something else, cause Corey immediately swapped plates with me. He had wanted to order the Lobster Bisque (which was amazing according to a review he read in his research for tonight) and instead he ordered the citrus salad cause I thought that looked good too. So I got his citrus salad (an actual salad with greens) and he got a hunk of cheese. He took my licking for me. That is true love.

I could hardly get over how stupid this was "That is ridiculous. We are never coming here again..." I'm glad we're here, cause we should do this atleast once, but yeah, this is it. We are not coming back here. It was $17 bucks for that!?!?! Who eats here? How does this place stay in business? People like this fencing teenager and his uncle/dad? I'd never take our kids here. Corey said "Can you imagine bringing 12 children here? Kids are good, they keep you grounded in reality." Our neighboring table guests left and I tried to casually look behind me as they were leaving, and I thought he looked a bit like Rick Moranis. My salmon entree thankfully had some greens on it.

Corey ordered the duck -

Which came with (as he told the kids later) a side of VeggieTale characters.

We ordered one dessert - a passion fruit chocolate mousse cake, which was very good. Not worth 11 bucks, but good. Slightly saved this experience from being a total fail.

Grand total before tip - $208

Wait, let me get the fireplace and roses in there

We took a picture of the mounted walrus head (actually from France!) on our way our, as we waited for our valet parking.

So, it was a good experience, it was fun to share it with the kids and tell them what a rip off it was, and I loved Corey telling the kids about my "salad", our neighboring table guy's glasses "the size of dimes..." and when Corey pretended he was fencing.

The kids got a kick out of it too. Tomorrow is our Fancy Anniversary Dinner Feast and Corey let them know "The ironic thing is that tomorrow you guys will all have a better meal and it will be for less $ to feed ALL of us than we had tonight. ...but we're glad we did it! You guys should all go there once before you die, but we're not taking you."