birthdays are always fun.

Today is a typical January day in the state of Ohio. Cold. Cloudy. Snowing. 2 to 5 inches of snow to be exact. I don't mind it since I don't have to go out in it. It allows me to clean without getting distracted by the idea of running out to snag a goodwill treasure or browse my favorite stores clearnace racks. And it allows for lots of snuggling of course. Thankfully, yesterday was my mother-in-laws birthday and we were able to make the hour and a half drive to celebrate with her, and get back home, without dealing with hazardous road conditions. She thought she was going to be spending the evening home, alone, watching "Becker". Instead, she had a nice dinner with family and was surprised with an all inclusive weekend family getaway. That sure beats a night alone watching "Becker" wouldn't you agree?

Notice how both of the boys are wearing stripes? I can only take credit for dressing one of them of course, but it looks like my love of stripes must be rubbing off on a certain fella I'm quite fond of. ;)

The "genius mom move" I made was to toss a container of Play-Doh (a favorite among his many Christmas gifts) in the diaper bag along with all of Jack's favorite foods/snacks. That way even once his belly was full on all of the yummy stuff, he had something to occupy him while the rest of us finished our meals. Without the typical, "All done mama, go bye-bye", being repeated 1,847 times while we rush through our last few bites of dinner.

Friendly note: Yes you do see a speck of Play-Doh on his lip. No you don't have to worry. It's non-toxic.

My sister-in-law and her husband who will join us on the family weekend get-away.

The Birthday Girl herself, my mother-in-law. (And the delicious cake I indulged in despite my New Year's Resolution to eat better. Birthdays are now an exception.)

                                                 

When my mother-in-law asked if she was able to keep the vase that her birthday flowers were in, this was my answer: "Of course! I don't get flowers often enough to need as many vases as I have". *hint hint hubby* My sister-in-law seemed to have the same argument in reference to her need of vases. Travis' grandma on the other hand had this to say as she was sitting wrapped in her fiance's arm (that's right, I said 'grandma' and 'fiance', you can't stop love): "I don't have that problem". :) Lucky lady, huh?

Here is the happy couple:

The "disclaimer" on my mother-in-laws vacation get-away information sheet was funny so I thought I'd share it with you all.

"Your gift includes a four day three night all inclusive get-away of your choice to a participating destination. Accommodations provided by and shared with The Markley Family and The Link Family. Date and time subject to agreement. Package terms will not expire. Please expect up to 12 months for delivery. Not responsible for lost or damaged property during travel, forgotten necessities, injury caused by over-excitement, or dehydration due to excessive tear flow. Void where prohibited. All rights reserved. Other restrictions include but are not limited to: packing a bathing suit, leaving work and any other unrelated stresses behind, letting loose, enjoying the company, taking a risk, and most importantly letting us celebrate you!"

Here's to daydreaming about a vacation while in reality a snow storm is happening outside. :)