As I've mentioned before, we have great neighbors. Of those neighbors, there are four families (counting ours) who make an effort to spend time together on a regular basis. Coincidentally, they are also all families with children!

Easter weekend, we organized a Progressive Dinner (with kids) for our four families.

If you've never done one, it pretty much sounds like what it is. Dinner progresses from one location to the next and the party moves from one location to another. In our case, we had appetizers at Andy & Kate's house, walked down the street to Skip and Niki's house and served the kids their dinner while the grown-ups sat outside, drank wine and nibbled on leftover appetizers (which we carried with us down the street). Then we walked literally next door to Mike and Jill's where the grown-ups ate while the kids watched a movie. Afterwards, we tromped across the street like a big crazy parade to our house where dessert and coffee was served. Here's what that looked like in reality...

It was an unseasonably warm evening, and it was a lovely night for a walk down the street.

Here's the group at Skip and Niki's house all ready to serve dinner to the kids!

Niki did an amazing job preparing food for all the kids - it was delicious!

Home-made macaroni and cheese with tons of veggies and fruit for everyone. Served on lovely vintage dinnerware! 

Brooklyn and Ainsley, the oldest girls, finally had a chance to talk together!

Of course, Wyeth wouldn't part from me and Kyle. He chose to bring his food outdoors to the picnic tables where the parents were talking.

Kyle talks with Mike, Kate and Andy while Milli the Dog prowls for dropped food bits!

Niki and Jill serve drinks.

It was a beautiful evening! Sitting and talking with friends, nibbling on food and periodically checking on the kids...

Kyle and Jill chatting.

After the kids ate, they trickled out to the backyard where Skip and Niki have a pretty cool playground set. I'm pretty sure we almost maxed out the weight limit on it.

Poor Skip had to quickly remove some dog doo which would, of course, be traipsed through.

Dorien came inside to keep me company while I fed Wilder.

As the sun set, the kids slowly moved into the next backyard of Mike and Jill's house where the grown ups were to have dinner.

Jill had prepared the main course - a veritable Mexican feast!! We had a fantastic salad, chicken enchiladas, Mexican corn on the cob, rice and a tamale dish.

Jill and Kate prepare to bring the platters to the table.

Meanwhile, Mike set up a movie (Inside Out) in the loft area for the kids to watch while we ate.

It was a brilliant plan! Other than Wilder being with us, we ate our meal undisturbed!

I am getting hungry just looking at it!

Here we all our - at last! 

People, this is a seriously fun group of folks. The laughter was non-stop.

I know not every neighborhood has this fun, "neighborly" vibe, and I am all the more grateful that we found that here. Friends for our kids and friends for us!

Weather Bush says, "It's cold today."

Our Weather Bush (also known as an azalea....we've since determined as it has now bloomed), is right outside the big picture window in our dining room and it is our coldness gauge. 

Super cold - the leaves roll up into tight little tubes.

Any hint of warmth - the leaves partly unfurl.

Warm - wide open, splayed leaves.

We rely on the Weather Bush to tell us how to dress in the winter. 

Back in mid-March, we experienced a lovely snow that quite frankly, didn't last nearly as long as we would have liked. It was brief and fierce and lovely, though.

Porch art.

It was lovely to sit and watch the snow pile up in our evergreens (our house is surrounded by tall evergreens...it's like being in a mountain chalet at times). You can see the Weather Bush in between two evergreens (all curled up with the cold).

The snow would clear up and then, within moments, whip into such a frenzy that you couldn't see anything at all outside. Just a white cloud of snow.

We took the opportunity to walk around the corner to play with some friends.

We have 5 kids. They have 4 kids. You see the pile of winter wear that results.

Popcorn and hot cocoa on a cold winter day? 

Pretty much perfection.

My friend Susan doles out hot chocolate to our hungry crew!

As we walked back home in the afternoon, we passed a car with a mug sitting on top of the driver's side. I can see the person finally getting inside their house and then looking around, "Now where did I put my mug...." 

A view of our house from the back corner, or the East side.

I love this house. It's a handful. But man, I love it.

Back at home, Wilder is happy to be out of his "warmie" suit and free to stretch out!

Cold though it may be, the dog must be walked! 

August had been wearing a MUCH too small snowsuit for most of the winter, and I finally found a great sale and ordered him his own suit with plenty of growing room. He was thrilled. Wyeth was thrilled because it meant he now gets a suit handed down to him too!

Bring on the cold weather! We're too tough for you!!!