Deerhurst Weekend

 This weekend we took the kids out to Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville. My aunt and uncle own a condo out there and they had offered for us to use it one weekend.

I had never been to Deerhurst (but stayed nearby) and loved the idea of having a little fall getaway somewhere beautiful.

Friday afternoon we took Mira and Grayson three hours north to Huntsville. Mira fell in love with our "hotel suite" as she continuously called it, making it sound like we were staying in a palatial manor. The condo was perfect for our little family of four. We were able to eat our breakfasts and lunches in our condo and save some money to treat ourselves to a super nice dinner at the restaurant in the resort. Ah the food....most amazing, delicious food I have had in a long time. Escargot, venison, creme brulee (a favourite of Geoff's), lamb meatballs...oh I could go on and on about the food. 

The first night, we explored the vast resort and saw all that it had to offer. Wall climbing, stores, pool and an arcade/games room were the highlights for Mira. The first thing we did Saturday morning was go for a swim in the resort's indoor pool. She called the "kiddy" pool the "kitten pool" for some reason (I think that she thought I called it a "kitty" pool). We took Grayson for his first swim and he seemed to enjoy it. 

I took full advantage of the hot tub they had :)
We never did make it to the spa, which had been on our list of things to do. We each wanted to get a massage and take advantage of some pampering. However, as any parent will tell you, sometimes you just can't pull yourself away from the fun you are having with the kids.

After some swimming and hot tubbing, we went into Huntsville to do some shopping. Geoff and I are looking for a nice rustic dining room table and we've been having a hard time finding one. We figured that the one place we were likely to find it would be Muskoka. We were right! We found some gems!

We enjoyed a beer (and hot chocolate) in an adorable pub right on the water. It was the most cozy pub I have seen. We warmed up and took in the stunning sights of the still water, sunshine and the Christmas decorations while Grayson took a nap on the pub seat next to me.

After our shopping trip, we went for our second dinner at Eclipse and made plans to take Mira horseback riding the next morning-as a surprise. A surprise it was!! We took her to the Deerhurst Stables where, for $25, she got a full riding lesson! She got to brush and tack up the pony and then got a full lesson in the sand ring. She felt like such a young lady and it was well worth the trip out to the farm.

What a great weekend we had together this weekend. Family weekends mean so much to me. Although Grayson is still little, I love doing things that create memories for my children. I want them to experience things more than I want them to have fancy things. Experiences and good memories are way more valuable.