Oh, Baby!

This past weekend was a busy one which is what I will use as my excuse for the delay in this blog post. Although it was a whirlwind of a weekend, it was wonderfully full.

The fun began on Friday evening when the Angel Abode hosted a kickoff to summer with a pool party. I thought this would be a great way to get people from various crowds together. In addition to summer being here finally, we also celebrated Dria's 30th birthday! Welcome to the club, my friend!

The majority of the crew were high school friends. One of the exciting aspects of this party was the opportunity for all of us to meet the new little ones in this group of friends. It was quite a shindig with the addition of many kids; plus, a great way for moms and dads to chat up one another on parenthood and life.

I finally got to meet Gina's son, Cooper who was born this past March; as well as Monica's son, Henry, born in December. I had seen many pictures, courtesy of their blogs, but it's always more fun to see their little guys in person.

Cooper nestled in his carrier and Henry ready for a swim!
*my apologies for the blurry quality of these photos

In total we had 30 adults, 7 babies under 1 year old and 5 kids over 1. It was quite a crew. Everyone milled around and visited with one another. We had amazing food from everyone and sampled some delicious Wildtree fare (courtesy Liz!). To check out Liz's products click here.

A few more candids from Friday:

Monica and Nina cool off in the water

An Ellison grin

The Juder Crew ~ Dria, Christy, me and Gina

Felicia, Charlie and Little David

Me and my buddy Max

Nick and Nicole nestling on the couch

The evening was wonderful and thankfully the rain took a little break to allow for pool fun!

On to Saturday. I drove up to Green Bay Saturday morning to visit with an SNC college roommate. Brooke and I were roomies for part of freshman year and all sophomore year. We have stayed in touch over the many years since school. I finally got to meet the new man in Brooke's life, Izzy. Izzy was born last August and is a spitting image of Brooke's husband, Jason. Brooke also had the girls there for a visit; so, it was a house full of energy, toys and Dora! They are great kids and it was fantastic to see Brooke, Izzy and the new house! It did take a little time for CeCe to warm up to me but eventually she was all about playing Hide & Seek and showing off for me. Congrats on everything, Brookelyn. I love ya!!

Brooke and Izzy hanging in his room

Look at that face...so cute!

CeCe thought I wouldn't find her...I showed her!

Although the visit was short, it was a good one. I would have loved to stay a bit longer but it was on to visit another close friend from my college days. This time to see Kerri from MU. Kerri and I became close friends during our super-senior year when we did a show together. She now lives in Missouri with her husband David and their new twin boys! I was so excited that they were up for a visit that I had to go up and meet the boys and see my dear friend. I caught up with a lot of her family, which was unexpected. Everyone looks healthy and very, very happy!

Kerri with Davis & Me with Ellis

Sunday was a little slower paced. I went walking with Stef, Laura, Little Max and Mason. We stopped off at a little park and had a great time. Max even test drove the swings and the slide. The three of us were inspired by how much fun he was having and decided to give it a whirl ourselves!

Max loving the breeze on his face...mid-laugh

So, there you have it! I met many new faces (all boys!) and saw many good friends. It was a fantastic weekend.