Hanging Out with Wela and BobBob

The days are flying by at an alarming rate and I just want them to slow down!! M3 and I comment often about the time we spend together just enjoying doing whatever it is that crosses our path. We're often found playing with the girls or reading to them and other times when they're at preschool or napping we blog (surprise, surprise!), tidy the house, shop or talk. talk and talk some more!! The friendship we share is a precious gift and I am oh so thankful for it! 18 months ago I'd been to CA exactly once in my life and now I've been blessed to be here 4 times in the past year and a half and each one of those trips has been a precious gift of time with a treasured friend and her amazing family!!

Speaking of family, M3's doesn't end with herself, Tuba Dad, Ro and Ree. Her parents, fondly known as Wela and BobBob, are part of the Salsa package deal and I couldn't be more thankful! Tonight we loaded the girls into the van and headed to Wela and BobBob's for a yummy salmon dinner. Deeelish and made all the better when Wela served up some of her famous Apricot Dream Bars for dessert. (Uh oh! Just typing that caused my mouth to water and my mind to wander to the container on the kitchen table housing the Dream Bars Wela sent home with us. Oh the quandary...blog...enjoy a snack...blog....hmmmmm.... I'll let you know what won out at the end)

After supper we went for a beautiful walk near their home. Wow! So much to see! Deer, wild rabbits, bee hives and fruit I normally only see in the grocery store. BobBob plucked a delicious orange right off one of his trees for me!

The girls were super excited to go for our walk after supper and introduce me to, 'Da big gwass hill!'

It didn't take long to see why the girls loved this hill...they were able to toboggan California style! I'm not sure if it was a first for them or not but from the giggles and laughter and shouts for 'More pweese, more!' it was easy to see that this would become a new activity at BobBob and Wela's!!

It was great and I have to say, there is a lot to be said about tobogganing on the grass: it's warm; the hill is much easier to walk up when not covered with ice and snow; it's warm; and probably my favourite: there's not the snow pants, coat, hat, scarf, boots and mitts to stuggle into over a 15 min period only to hear your child say, 'I have to go to the bathroom!!!' Oh yes, we Canadian's know it well!

I took my turn taking the girls down the hill but somehow managed to lose Ro as she did a nose dive into the grass. Oops! She climbed right back on and off we went. Pulling a 'toboggan' in blingy flip flops.....who woulda thunk it?? (And yes, I'm still in lurve with my flip flops and now have made it my mission...and taken M3 down with me...to find another pair before headed home. Must-have-more-Yellow-Box-flip-flops! Don't worry Carol, I'll pull you into this dark hole of flip flop lovliness with M3 and I! Joybells, come join us!)

Back to the tobogganing fun. BobBob, ever the handyman, rigged up a rope to help pull the toboggan up and down the hill. I can't hazard to guess the number of times he pulled 2 adorable, laughing, screaming, giggling, hysterical little girls down the hill only to hear them beg for more before the sled had even ground to a stop at the bottom! (M3 caught some great video! Check back on her site tomorrow to catch the fun in action!)

After all the tobogganing fun it was time for 2 tired big girls...and 2 still energetic little girls, to head home! We were all really surprised when we turned a corner near home and this is what we saw...an entire field of goats that had been hired to 'cut the grass.' So much fun!

Once home it was pj time and after a game of Crazy 8's, bed. Wela had bought them some new pj's and oh my are they cute!! Ree on the left and Ro on the right were showing M3 and I some of their fashion posing skills!

M3, I cannot begin to tell you how much I love spending time with you and your family!! I am so thankful that even though we live in 2 seperate countries and thousands of miles apart, that doesn't affect our friendship in the least! You are a precious friend and I cherish the times we spend together! Love you!

Now, about the quandary I faced earlier. I'm not saying what happened but we'll let the picture speak for itself! Mmmmm...night! I'm going to dream of yummy apricot sweetness.