While Jer's Away...

This past week/weekend Jer went skiing with some good friends- his brother Josh, our old neighbors Jay and Dan, Darryl, and Paul. He had a lot of fun on the 5 days he was gone, but he didn't manage to take any pictures of him skiing. They toured the Coors plant and skied the blacks of Breckenridge, Keystone, and Vale. Fun!

The girls and I had fun too, although on a different level (green- ha! ha! skiing humor). On the first day Jer was gone, Victoria was suppose to have a play date with her best friend, instead we went to the doctor after discovering a rash that was probably 5th Disease. She was acting fine (just had a rash and low grade fever.) She really wanted to play, so I let Bella and her go out in the backyard and enjoy the last day of snow. Here they made a "snow soup" as they called it.

On Friday night, Renae, Caleb, Chloe, and Keira came over to spend the night. We had a blast watching tons of movies, eating pizza and Cheetos, trying to see who could throw a Cheetos in the air and catch it in their mouth, and just plain playing nonstop. In the morning we played Lego's and did the girls' hair, make up, and nails, while eating a yummy oatmeal breakfast that Renae made.

We watched the movie Despicable Me with the kids- 2 thumbs up. Renae and I watched some other movies too (minus the kids)- Whip It and Night and Day- highly recommend Whip It if you liked Juno.

Victoria, Bella, and I had a busy weekend. After Renae and the cousins left, we went to a birthday party at McDonald's for a friend of ours Kayleigh who turned two. The kids played on the play ground, had a Happy Meal, and ate a Ronald McDonald cake. (This type of birthday hasn't changed since I was a kid.) Julie and Braelyn came over that night. We played Scrabble and let the kids play. The next day I took the kids to church by myself- that was an experience- between the cries of "I want to go home", "When is this over?", "I have to go to the bathroom, but I think I can hold it", "I have to throw up, but I think I can hold it", and turning around to see a nicely quiet Bella eating her buggers, I almost gave up :) We went to Carol and Dick's house afterward and had brunch and played the day away. The girls love to play dress up there- she has a beautiful wedding dress and the girls took turns putting it on.

On Monday I was checking my emails when Victoria came up to me and handed me this piece of paper folded in half. On the front it says- "Tea Party". The inside says- "Welcome to our tea party. Please, will you come to our tea party, Mom?"

I was thrilled to be invited and cordially accepted. We drank real tea with cream and sugar, ate animal cookies, lit a candle for ambiance, read the book Fancy Nancy Tea Parties, and played some tea party games- Follow the Hostess, Chase, and "I'm Going to Paris, and I'm Packing..."

Later that day, my Mom and Dad called and told me they had just gotten back from visiting my brothers Paul and Jeff and their wives Lauren and July in Albuquerque, N.M.
Here's a picture fromtheir visit. I wish they lived closer. The little dog Jeff is jolding is named Lily.

My parents came over to say hi that night. My Dad had a pillow fight with Victoria and Bella- they used their pillow pets that they got from Christmas.

We celebrated my Dad's birthday by eating some pizza and cake. Victoria and Bella decorated the cake.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Notice Jer's shirt- he got it over in Colorado. There was some kind of festival going on- Uberfest, I believe- celebrating the god of skiing?- Uber? and they gave him the shirt and a neat skiing hat. He also got the girls and I great T-shirts.