What a weekend!

Boy, have we had a packed weekend! The girls didn't have school Friday (imagine that-- but this time due to Parent-Teacher Conferences, not snow). We decided to trek to the metropolis of Bluffton. The girls each took a friend with them, too--something they have always wanted to do. So, Abby & Lauren, Anna & Emily, and I headed to smalltownville on Thursday evening. :) The four girls had a great time on Friday. We took them out to the Dollar General, then dropped them off uptown where they walked Main St. and visited Grove's Bears, Greg's Pharmacy, the Etcetera Shop, then finished their time hanging out at Common Grounds and sipping on hot cocoa and coffee.

One of the things we were all looking forward to doing was sledding, but the bitter windchill was a concern. We called all over town, and even a few places in Lima and Findlay to check on the availability of ski masks, but to no avail. Instead, we deferred to Plan B to protect those cheeks from the cold: make our own. Mama had an idea to cut up old Tshirts of Papa's, then cut eye and mouth holes. We even turned it into a craft project by decorating them! Needless to say, we got a few stares as we drove down the road to get to the hill.

Friday night we enjoyed a rowdy night of tacos and Scattergories. Has anyone ever heard of a Licorice Latte? (If you have, don't tell Dad.) Andrea's (Wendy's high school friend) daughter, Paige, joined us that night to finish out the weekend. Abby requested that she be there for Abby's friend birthday celebration. We drove back to Columbus Saturday morning, went to a swim meet, then launched into an early birthday party for Abby. Yes, what you see in the picture is true....we rented a limo to pick up the girls for the evening! They happened to be in the living room playing on the piano and saw the limo pull up in our court. Jokingly, they said, "Oh, look, the limo is here to get me." I could hear the squeals from outside. Little did they know that it was indeed there for them. The driver was a friend of a friend, so we got a good deal and a nice guy to make a stop at Graeter's for ice cream, then on to the Chiller at Easton to go ice skating. They had a great time, and hopefully a memorable 13th celebration for Abby!