Thank You, Parsons Behle

The litigation department at Jake's firm planned a weekend get-away for the attorneys and their spouses at the Sundance Resort. It was wonderful, sneaking away for a mini retreat (mini, meaning 16 hours). We dropped the kids off at Jake's parents' house last night and then headed down there and arrived around 7:30pm. There was a delicious buffet-style dinner being served, which included freshly baked bread, salad, green beans, rosemary potatoes, pistachio crusted halibut, and pepper crusted beef filet (YUM!) For dessert they had vanilla bean cheesecake with triple berries and to-die-for key lime pie. Let's just say I splurged a little on my calories for the night! (A girl can cheat every once in awhile, right?!) We were in good company, sitting by Dave and Stevie Mangum, our good friends (and Bishop) from our time up at the University Village. I had never been to Sundance before so didn't realize how rustic the set-up was. Jake and I loved it. We stayed in a Mandan cottage. It was very simple and welcoming. Jake made a fire and we were warm and cozy all night. In the morning the firm hired a yoga instructor to teach a class and I made it just in time. This was my very first yoga class and I really liked it. I didn't know exactly what to expect. When I see yoga classes going on at the gym I just figure it is a lot of stretching, no real workout involved, so that's probably why I have never tried it. I have to say, though, about 10 minutes into it I was feeling a little warm and a tad sweaty. It was quite relaxing. I also enjoyed watching 10 male attorneys trying to hold the "tree" pose and maneuver into the down dog position. Quite hysterical. Jake said he would have no part in it, so he came in late and read the paper, casually glancing up at us as he quietly ate his bagel. After the class, we were served a light breakfast: bagels, yogurt, fresh fruit, cereal, etc. Then we were ushered into a large room for a 3-hour seminar on stress management and drug abuse, supposedly two things many attorneys are known to struggle with. It was very interesting. Having a psych degree, I eat this stuff up. I really loved when we started talking about the different functions of the brain and how certain drugs affect it. (I think Jake zoned in and out for that part, but mostly he found it all very interesting too.) Another plus was the firm provided two massage therapists to give massages at any time during the presentation. Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE massages. When I heard the "m" word, I immediately started planning my route to the massage chair. The whole weekend was great. The kids did well at Jake's parents' place (thanks you guys for all your help!) Overall, it was a very relaxing and rejuvenating 16 hours. ;)

PS The pictures definitely don't do this place justice. Jake didn't want to pose for the second picture, so that's what I got. If you're really curious, check out their webpage: http://www.sundanceresort.com/