Weekend Get-Away with my best friends & our families

In November my best friends, Julie & Megs decided it had been WAY TO LONG since we got together. We blocked Martin Luther King Weekend on our calendars and waited patiently until our weekend rendevouz. I could not wait! We hopped in our car and headed to Jeff & Julie's new house. We couldn't get there fast enough. It was awesome because Megs & Aaron arrived within minutes of us and we were all reunited again. Our children (Lucy 5, Zachary 4, and Violet 2) bonded instantly.

My best friends, Julie & Megan are remarkable women. It's funny all three of us are very similar but different in a special way.  About a week before our arrival to Julie & Jeff's, Julie sends out an e-mail with the weekend long menu.  I thought it was so thoughtful of both of them to make kid-friendly, fun meals for the kiddos.  They did not leave a single detail out.  After our arrival we each got to make our own individual pizza.  The kids and adults loved this! 

Julie thought it would be funny to get me a stool so I could reach my pizza.  In college they called me MIDG...for midget. Funny, huh!

While the pizzas were baking Zach, Lucy, & Violet where downstairs playing under the stairs in a toy closet. Next thing you know all three of them are giggling and coming upstairs.  This is what we saw....they had gotten into Jeff's mardi gras beads.  It so reminded us of when we would put on "performances" for each other in college.  I wish I had a digital photo to post of the three of us.  We would put on old RUSH clothes if we needed a study break,or if if our grandpa died, or if we got accepted to grad school, or if we just wanted to be silly.  Seeing the kids do the same thing without even knowing how crazy their moms & Aunt Julie are put a smile on my face. 

After dinner, Julie pulled out the popcorn popper.  The kiddos had never seen anything like this. They thought they were at the queens house.  Julie pulled out all the stops.

After the popcorn we put in a movie so that we could have adult time upstairs.  The kids were angels! 

Side Story:  Prior to our weekend I had planned on telling everyone that we were expecting.  In our sorority if you got lavaleare (SP?), engaged, or pregnant (thank God that never happened in college) we would have a "DING" which was a group candle passing. The girl with the big news went to the local florist and had a candle made. Usually it was the colors of her boyfriends school, fraternity, etc.  Then she would put the candle on the Sorority presidents bed the night of our meetings.  During the meetings the president would say DING!  The house would go NUTS.  Immediately everyone (all 64+ girls) would get in a huge circle. Sing a song and pass the candle around.  One time around the circle meant promised.  Two time meant that they got their boyfriends fraternity letters. Three times meant engaged. Four times meant pregnant.  It was AWESOME!  None of us ever got to have a DING.  I thought it would be a perfect way to share our news.  Immediately upon our arrival, Julie was giving all of us a tour of their new home. I broke away from the group and placed our candle on their bed.  I waited and waited and waited for her to say DING. She went back in the room several times but never brought it out.  Kevin kept giving me stares like, "aren't you going to tell them?"  Julie & Megs even asked me when Baby #2 was in the picture. I LIED THROUGH MY TEETH!  I didn't want to ruin the surprise.  So the entire Friday night passed by without a DING.  We all went to bed.  Our bedroom was right under Julie & Jeffs. I could hear her when she found the candle. She even ran downstairs to annouce a DING but since the kids were asleep and the doors were closed she went to bed.  I was about to POP! I could not wait for the announcement.  So Saturday morning we were lounging in the basement when Julie came down and asked, " if we had any words for the betterment of the chapter".  Megan jumps in that she was sorry that Violet might be cranky because she was on antibiotics.  Julie said, NOPE....DING!  She ran upstairs to get the candle. Meanwhile Megs and I were "shocked".  Julie brought the candle down. We passed it 4 times and then I blew it out.  They were so suprised that I could keep my secret for over 12 hours.  It was perfect. I made them promise not to post anything on FB or tell anyone because I was only 5 weeks and I had not even told our families.  It was just too perfect not to share our news on such a great weekend!

Julie fixing our 5 star breakfast. I think she was in the kitchen the entire weekend!

Julie, Megs and I snuck out to a few KC stores while the guys watched the kiddos.  Let me add this....on our outting we discussed how awesome it was that our husbands get along so well.  Seriously they are three peas in a pod too.  We also think its great that the guys totally understand the "Julie, Megs, & Hil" bond and they love us anyways.  We are so blessed!  While we were shopping Jeff introduced Zachary to Star Wars. You would have thought that he gave him a car. Zachary was in heaven.  He fell in love with Jeff. Zachary sat basically on top of him while watching the movie, held his hand, and started calling him Dad.  It was hilarious. 

On Saturday night, Julie pulled out some old HS prom dresses. Lucy and Violet were beautiful.  Zachary just loved on them. 

Before we left on Sunday, we had to get a group automatic photo. 

Here we are with the "candle" from the DING.  I purposefully made it purple to throw off Megs.  Jeff is a HUGE K-state grad/fan.

It was really hard to leave.  I don't think we stopped talking except to sleep during the entire visit. Julie & Jeff thanks for being SO hospitable.  We had a blast. When's our next visit!