It was so great to have a relaxed, drama-free weekend! There was plenty going on, but it was all fun & no stress. I even took a nap on Saturday.

First, we celebrated Kate's 33rd birthday!

From the top:
Kate - April 22, 2018
Kate & Rusty - April 23, 1985
Panpake & Mimosa Birthday Brunch Helpers
"Holy crap! Open the flue!!" 33 (Kate) + 31 (Ali) = 64 Candles!!

Most of the time on Kate's birthday, which is also EARTH DAY, there's some time spent in the woods picking up trash and whatnot, but not this year... not with all that snow.

I shoveled a bit so I could hang out some laundry, anyway. Crazy weather.

Jün & I took a little bike ride/walk around the neighborhood. He discovered a dip in the sidewalk a few houses down -- probably 8-12" deep (deeper than it might look in this photo) -- in one of the patches from last year's water/sewer work. I made a call to the city's engineering department this morning! We had to climb over some snowbanks at unshoveled intersections, but we also noticed plenty of water running in the gutters.

There was plenty of other kiddo cuteness -- screen-grabs from Ali. Malina was 4 weeks old yesterday, and Gin is quickly closing in on 2... she sure loves her little sister!

Oh, and our little dinner with friends on Saturday evening was a success, and I'm even thinking about doing it again! I made a last-minute change to the entrée, at Rusty's suggestion, making Smoky Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Thighs, and they were perfect (my only change is that I use only one piece of bacon). I made the fabulous Oma's Green Mountain Salad again (without the ramps/garlic and with slightly less mayo). Ina Garten's Decadent (Gluten-Free!) Chocolate Cake was for dessert and... it was okay. I thought I'd try something new, but if I go that route again, it'll definitely be La Bete Noir!

The weather is FABULOUS! It's sweater weather!! Yahoo!