We're Back

We had a great time the past few days at Jane and Shark's house. Just as we had planned, we got to catch up and hang out for most of the time. Their house is gorgeous, and just perfect for hanging out with friends.

We got to have a nice American dinner at a Mexican restaurant on New Year's Eve. Yeah, we were a little confused ourselves when we got up to the buffet there. Prime rib, shrimp, oysters, clams, baked chicken, mashed potatoes, salad, etc. were all there. We all looked at each other, shrugged, and dug in. It was really good. Later that night, the four of us sat around the bar in their kitchen waiting for midnight. We first had to change into more comfortable clothes than our dress-up clothes we had on for dinner. It was so relaxing and fun to just talk, joke, and laugh. When midnight struck, we all wished each other a Happy New Year, yawned, and went to bed. Yes, we're getting old. And we don't care.

The next morning, Stein went outside to assess the snowfall that happened the night before. I decided to stay in bed for a while longer, but that didn't happen. I jumped up at the sound of a snowball hitting the window. I laughed, and thought to myself, how funny, and rolled over. Then another one came. At that point, I jumped out of bed, stomped to the window, and peered out the window. There was Stein, on the sidewalk, wearing only a long sleeved shirt and a vest (and jeans, don't worry), pointing at the front door. He was locked out. I ran down the stairs, opened the door and let him in. I didn't even let him explain. I just went back to the warm bed.

A lot of people came over on New Year's Day to hang out, watch football, and eat. Our friends Steve and Kathryn and their four kids came over. We had never met the new twins, Ali and Luke, who are now 3 months old. They are adorable, as are their other 2 kids, Ryan and Josh. Our friend Linda came with her daughter Sarah, and it was so good to see both of them. Our friends Patty and Paul also stopped by as did Sharon and Marie. It was so great to catch up with everyone, and hear post-Christmas stories, and New Year's resolutions. When everyone left, Shark, Jane, Stein and I all slumped onto the couch. We were exhausted!

We didn't sit for long, though. More of our friends came over. Meg and Tim and their four boys stopped by. Their kids are 7, 5, 3, and 1, and are so cute. Stein and I had so much fun hanging out with their kids and playing. We played a mean game of ping pong baseball and racquetball in the basement. (Both games required the use of the ping pong rackets and balls, but not the table.)

That evening, the four of us sat on the couch and barely talked. We were tired from a long day of hanging out, if that makes any sense.

Yesterday, Stein and I drove home and took a different route. We thought there may be some lake-effect snow on our usual route, so we took another one. We only ran into a short burst of treacherous weather, but besides that, the trip was gorgeous. Snow covered all the trees and fields that we rode by. It looked like someone dripped marshmallow all over. Every branch of every tree and bush was covered with a thick layer of snow, that many times weighed the branches down to the ground. It was so beautiful.

When we got home, we were greeted with a driveway and sidewalks to shovel. We both shared the work, so it didn't take long. I took some pictures before we shoveled, so I'll upload those soon.

I now have a different perspective on snow. Stein will be glad to know this. I think snow serves the wonderful purpose of giving us color in the winter. I know, snow is white, but it provides a break and contrast from the brown trees, bushes and grass. It also provides a contrast to the grey skies that seem to dominate winter in Michigan. Don't get me wrong - I am still a summer girl, but I'm beginning to tolerate winter and actually embrace snow. I still don't like driving in it, but it sure is pretty to look at.