Last minute plans are sometimes the best kind! 

After an absolutely lovely Saturday of book reading (The Help), birthday girl visiting (one of my beautiful Sr. Teen girls), and biology studying (with another one of my girls), I joined Sheryl & the kids for a date to Friendly’s. We were all in the mood for ice cream (when are we not?!) and Friendly’s was giving away FREE 12 oz Fribbles (shakes)! Awesome! 

The five of us downed our shakes in time to hit the slopes. Ok, the hills. I had brought my camera along for the sled-riding activities, but I didn’t expect to find myself zooming down the hills with the kids. So much fun! It was incredible how fast we flew down the gradual grade of the sledding hill–especially given that the grass was poking through.

Maddie and I had three or four speedy rides–all the way into the trees. I tried my darndest to dig my heels and hands into the snow to slow us down, but nothing seemed to work. Luckily, Miss Maddie didn’t let much scare her. we just laughed and laughed as we skidded to a stop amongst the shrubs time and time again.

My mitten-glove hybrids didn’t seem to perform very well under pressure and I had to wimp out and head for the car earlier than the kids. Fingers so frozen they burned. I wish I could find my ski gloves. 

By the time we packed up and headed home it was dinner time and I had zero plans for feeding my poor husband. Thankfully, the kids starting begging me to come over for dinner and a movie (Ramona and Beezus), and Sheryl was more than willing to have us join them.

And that night it felt like we were family. Last minute plans. Dinner around the regular table–not the fancy one. Laughing, talking, sharing. No pretense. Just being ourselves, together. After dinner, we all enjoyed the movie and popcorn, as well as corralling the littlest one who has become quite the entertainer in her second year.

Thanks for a great night, family! :D