Long Weekend and an Ode to My BFF

This weekend was prime time for a little getaway for the kids and me. A change of scene was desperately needed. And I needed my very best friend... Heather!!! She is definitely one of the best things that has ever happened to me! When I look back on my crummy years in Phildaelphia, they all seem worth it because I met Heather there. Despite many moves here are there across the country for each of us, we've stayed close thanks to phone companies who offer unlimited long-distance packages. Munkus laughs and laughs at me every time he opens a phone bill and finds multiple hour-long conversations to a certain area code... sometimes multiple hour-long conversations on the same day... Here's how deep our friendship goes: we used to call each other every day when The Price is Right came on and watch together, bidding and picking showcases and all of that. We survived several pregnancies together, some successful, some not so. We've laughed together, we've cried together, we developed a love for Food Network together so we've eaten together. We even wrote a book together. Then we tried to get it published. No luck so far, but we still dream together. Anyway, like I said, I needed time away this weekend, and Heather took us in.Heather's 2 older girls match perfectly in age with mine. Her littlest one loved having a "baby brother" to boss around in MungBean (though she was appalled at the fact that he wears diapers... gross!!!) ... and MungBean loved hanging out with the big boys. Above you can see the kids celebrating the haul the Easter Bunny left for them (during the 10 minutes of warmth and sunshine we got this weekend!)

And because how could we resist, Heather and I made matching skirts for the girls... and they turned out so stinkin' adorable! The girls wore them the whole time we were there.

And MungBean got ahold of the camera again. This is my favorite of the 85 or so shots that he took. The reason MungBean was able to so easily get the camera was because I was in a food-induced coma because Heather and her wonderful husband Brad are amazing chefs and they kept me very well-fed the whole time. Blueberry-orange waffles, tamales with homemade tomatillo salsa, mint-pea puree and deliciously spiced chicken, and several amazing sandwiches that you would never dream up, but Brad just throws them together and they are magical! Oh yeah, and fried nutella wontons. You haven't lived till you've tried them!

I looked and looked through my picture files and couldn't find a single shot of the lovely and talented Heather. But some day, I promise, you'll be in a bookstore and you'll pick up a really intriguing-looking book and there on the back cover will be a picture of me and my best ever pal, finally published after all those years. And at that point, with any luck, Heather and I will be on a cruise.

Thanks Heather. It was a great weekend!