Once my 16 chemotherapy treatments were completed and with my imminent surgery which would leave me destabilized for a while, I knew I wanted time away with my family. Plus, our family decided experiences were vital from this point forward. I emailed a few hotels around the city to see what my options were. When I emailed with Jeanie, from Hyatt Lost Pines Resort and Spa, I was thrilled to put together a weekend stay. Her vision, above and beyond generosity, and individualized hospitality completely blew us away.
The drive out there is just short enough to keep our wiggly littles in the backseat from having a complete meltdown. As we pulled in, we drove down a winding road lined with trees and trails. We pulled up to a building that looked pretty similar to grandma’s gorgeous house in the country, and we were immediately greeted by warm faces to help us unload our belongings.
We were escorted to our room, and as I walked in I caught a glimpse of a pink banner donning #nomochemo and realized I was standing in a suite…not what I remotely thought we would have. I thought we’d have the room they thought they could spare. No, we were treated like we were important. The table had a cake with pink ribbons all over it, gifts for our girls, a card congratulating me on completing five long months of chemotherapy. Tears streamed down my face, then Evan walked in the door. We were blown away by the attention our family was given, they wanted to make sure we truly had a celebratory weekend away.
After our initial shock of all the space we were given for the weekend, and with our girls running all over the hotel room, all we could think about was how we wanted to share this incredible gift of generosity. We invited our beloved neighbors to share in the weekend fun. While we waited for their arrival, a surprise and special meet and greet was scheduled for our daughters with the mini ponies and alpacas. It was so sweet. We walked the grounds of the resort, we could breathe in the hill country air and just enjoy our family. We all went on a bike ride around the resort, passing the spa, river, and all the trees.
Once our neighbors arrived we decided it was time to check out the pool, the girls loved being able to swim in November! We had a delicious lunch from Old Buck’s Place: a cheeseburger, turkey burger with cranberries and arugula, veggie wrap, fresh watermelon, hummus and assorted olives. While the dads splashed around with the girls, my neighbor, Rachel and I were able to sit by the beachside and chat. Later the girls were able to walk through the Butterfly Garden, had a photo op with a bale of hay resembling a turkey, and said hello to the goats.
That first evening, after our neighbors left, we enjoyed the tractor ride around the property, and for dinner we took advantage of the homemade pizzas from McDade’s Emporium…we chose half cheese and half margherita + bacon and ate in our room…it was delicious! Afterwards, we meandered downstairs for the s’mores by the fire pit outside (which runs every weekend night), s’more kits are available the other nights of the week. The girls ran around on the lawn, followed by watching a family movie, and cuddling in the uber comfy beds.
The next morning, we went down to say hello to the longhorns, snapping a picture of both our daughters on each friendly, calm steer. Both our girls were delighted! Then we feasted on the wonderful breakfast buffet at Firewheel Cafe, which offered everything you would hope for to fill your belly in the morning…carved ham, biscuits & gravy, pancakes, French toast, oatmeal bar, creamy grits, fresh fruit, baked goods and of course, coffee. After we had our fill, we decided to enjoy the bikes again and then the pool. It was a tad chilly, which made the hot tub a textbook spot for our family to warm up before heading back to our room for lunch. We had a fridge placed in our room, so we could bring items for lunch, snacks and easy breakfast items for our hungry, early risers. The staff was incredibly accommodating for us.
One of Evan and my favorite parts was when the girls napped on Sunday, we were able to decompress. We didn’t have to worry about cleaning our house, doing dishes, mowing the lawn, folding laundry, we didn’t have to stress about the everyday stuff…we just got to be. As silly as it sounds, cuddling on the pull-out couch in the hotel room, watching movies was the complete way to spend our afternoon. We reconnected and felt so grateful to have each
other, and to have our healthy darlings slumbering away in the room next door.
That evening we decided to venture into Bastrop for dinner, we found a little family restaurant, The Grace Miller, we enjoyed the plates because they offered several options which made it perfect to share with Halen and Henley. I ordered the salmon with a loaded baked potato and sautéed veggies, Evan ordered the fish and chips, which he as able to add spaghetti with veggies. Then we grabbed some drinks before heading back to our hotel to watch the Denver Broncos football game.
The next morning, we reluctantly packed our things to head back to reality, only a few days before my surgery. But the Hyatt Lost Pines offered us a staycation that our family truly needed. To say our family has been through the ringer is an exaggerated understatement. We needed to get away and restore, and Lost Pines offered us that and so much more. They had different, free events scheduled each day for families and adults…from painting, to kickball, to Build-a-Bear, as well special offerings you could sign up and pay for including: led hikes, kayaking, zip lining, and seasonal celebrations, that everyone no matter when they visit can take part in. The grounds were spread out, perfect for a family reunion or family wedding. They had giant fire pits in different sections, a playground, outside games, rocking chairs, large fire places inside… so much to explore. We will absolutely go back again and can’t wait to explore everything we didn’t have a chance to this trip.
Thank you Lost Pines for an unforgettable family weekend during such a difficult year. We are so grateful.