First stop: Bagel Street Deli in Athens, OH. Jenna was a huge help to Andy and me on the drive to Timberline, often calming Sophie, finding toys and reading books (thanks, Jenna!).
The drive to Davis, WV was, at times, quite slow and quite tense because of blowing, blustery snow. Upon arriving at a new town we’d debate stopping for the night. But we kept at it and arrived at our lodge around 2:30 am. Here’s Sophie, delighted to be out of the car and up at 2:30am.
Here’s what we woke up to Friday morning—a view of the house across the way and the road in.
View out the front door (thankfully there was another door with less drifting that we could use).
All geared up to brave what was now being classified as a blizzard—to simply visit the Party House across the street.
Poor Sophie buried her face into Andy’s shoulder the entire way—at points the snow was up to our thighs. And, ironically, the slopes were closed as none of the lift workers were able to make it in.
This is a picture of mothering at its finest. Sophie wanted to play in a room where no one else was in. I wanted to talk with friends I rarely see. So I bribed her with a cookie.
Baby House!
Jenna hanging out with Zoey and Sophie.
Sophie and Mandy reading.
Marty and Zoey
Evan and those gorgeous eyes
Evan and Sophie were quite smitten with each other. Here he’s giving Sophie a back rub.
gear
Rebecca, Mandy and Jenna snuggled up
Mafia! We took turns watching each other’s kids in the Baby House so all of us could play.
Sophie loved making this necklace …
and putting it on Zoey.
Greg and Sophie (she convinced quite a few friends to read to her).
Sophie loved playing Play-Doh with Angel and Jenna. Although there was an incident involving Angel, Play-Doh and Angel’s nose that, for some unknown reason sent Sophie into a good 30-minute tantrum. Sophie, a week later, is still talking about Angel putting Play-Doh on her nose.
Sophie and Evan loved playing in an empty cabinet under the kitchen sink. Rebecca would close the cabinet doors and then open them, “scaring” them. They’d both squeal with laughter and every time Sophie laughed Evan would lean over and tickle her. Sophie was quite dismayed upon returning home and discovering all our kitchen cabinets were A) full and B) locked.
Juice time with Dad. Unfortunately for Sophie, because all the roads were closed, we had to greatly ration her milk. She was not happy about the situation.
The kids loved having each other’s toys to play with all weekend.
While the guys watched the sleeping kids, the girls had some girl time.
The Baby House was very minimalist in its decor compared to the Party House, which was perfect—no knick knacks for the kids to get into. There was, however, one piece of “art” hanging on the wall in the Baby House—the sign you see above. Who would write something like that and who would buy it and hang it up? And what does it even mean?
The drive home was much, much better. Andy’s mom watched Tucker at our house over the weekend, and had a homemade banana cream pie waiting for us when we walked in the door–love.
Thanks, Greg, for planning yet another fantastic trip!
“The snow doesn’t give a soft white damn whom it touches.” —e.e. cummings