It's always surreal when you meet up with old friends and watch your kids play together.  If someone told you 10 years ago that your kids would play together some day, you would have had a hard time imagining it.

We were fortunate enough to be invited to spend the weekend with some college friends up at Lake Travis.  We had to give the "are you sure you really want to live our lives with us for an entire weekend" opportunity to back out... but they seemed up to the challenge.  I'm sure they counted their blessings that it was only for a weekend after the fact but we managed to have a low stress weekend. 

Molly was an inspiration to me while I was pregnant with Marshall.  Her boy Harrison was about 6 months old at the time and they were the perfect image of happiness and motherhood bliss- she had a heart of gold and a freezer full of breastmilk.  They made it look so easy.  I would have been better prepared with lower expectations if we'd spent time with colicky screaming babies instead.  Now that nobody is colicky or screaming it was great to be able to get together.

Aren't they a cute bunch?

There is one member missing from this gang.  Her name is Blue.  She is a sweetheart and she is huge!  I let her take over the role of parent and guardian whenever I could.  I knew she'd do a better job of fetching kids out of the lake if needed.

Problem is that she works for food and wasn't going to let me forget it.

Riding in the boat was a highlight for the boys.  It was the only thing that could make them forget that there was a Wii back at the house. 

Here's Marshall trying to convince Trace that it was safer for them to stay below.

One look and I understood his point.

Who needs a better view than this?

It was hard to part with the boat.  Braden became obsessed.  It's all he talked about.  I had to use the magic words... "Rice Crispie Treats"

Braden is totally hypnotized by the all-mighty rice crispie treat.

When not eating, Braden liked to sit and reflect by the pool...uh, I mean lake, I mean that parallel stretch of universe between lake and pool.

When not meditating he liked to perform the dance that bridged the universes together in harmony.

Don't look too closely... I have not edited the funk from his face.

Marshall, on the otherhand preferred to whine about not being able to swim in the February chilled pool.

He single-handedly broke the bridge between the universes... or is it universi... huh, I wonder where the term univeristy comes from?

Only the face of an angel could restore harmony... good thing we had one.

I told her parents (Chad and Molly) that I wanted to ball her up and put her in my womb.  My ovaries were calling for her.  They wanted to break through my abdomen and wrap themselves around her.  She is on my short list for girls I want to steal.

By evening harmony had been restored and her work was done.  The planets had aligned and were able to sleep all cuddled up together.

.... although I don't think Harrison had any interest in harmonizing with the cuddle-fest.

Big thanks to the Chad & Molly for a wonderful weekend!