Weekend away...

                                           

 There are few things i love more than trips. get-aways. ski trips, retreats, camp, vacations, those are the highlights of my life. I would save every penny i made as a girl for camp, as a high school student for trips, and even as a college student it is all i schemed about. 

So when our team starts talking and planning for our 3 night/ 4 day get away, i can't contain the excitement. 

Hours and hours with my friends, their kids? Layla and Sophia with their buddies? Mountains and play grounds, hiking and indoor swimming pools? incredible lebanese food. i ask you, what could be better. 

favorite things...

going on walks and watching them climb, explore and run. 

this is  Lebanon's first and only outdoor gym...Layla thinks it is the best playground and kept requesting to go back...

This was either because i asked her to put on a jacket or that i wanted a picture. 

      changing pout positions so we really get a good view

 10 seconds later...

christmasy sisters..

nothing like her cheeks.. 

 can you feel the breathtaking beauty...

the  fire truck is one of the highlights too...fun seeing them develop and now they are yelling about fires and having to put them out..

     and man, best playground in Lebanon - with views for the parents and all.

they were having so much fun, the 4 of them.. playing "locked up"..
                                     

hilarious to watch the difference in my two girls and Novi. Water, mud, dirt anywhere on hands or clothes is a very very big deal.  Novi splashes on through it. Layla and Sophia will not go down a slide if they see or even perceive water and/or mud. Novi jumps in and slides down without even glancing. 

Layla slipped in this puddle and this was me trying to make her a good sport about it. 

we had cuddly mornings and sipped coffee together as our kids ran around. 

i love Ellie's face in this! 

and the winter weather could not drag us down!

I made drew super nervous as i tried out a recipe to bring along of homemade peppermint oreos...His observation "Yeah this is the difference between you and i, you are willing to experiment when hosting things and not just go for a recipe that you have tried and know it is awesome"

So true. can't explain it. had my fair share of flops. but not these cookies..

and my personal favorite: after meal times we would gather around the fire in the lodge lobby- one night we all sang christmas carols..ahhh..

ahh the love...