When you're here, your family.

Donnie earned a nice gift card to The Olive Garden before he was laid off and we wanted to save it until Drew was home. We knew it would be a fun time with the big five, but we left the little two with friends, which was much more fun for everyone, except Dan and Jody who had 2 extra kids on their anniversary. Thanks, Jody!!!

The thing about doing something special like that is it gets the kids talking. They just don't open up as much at home, but something about being out and getting a treat gets them talking. There was even a sighting of Devon's smile!

Kaytlin and Devon were telling me about something that happened last week. Kaytlin's friend Peter had just arrived to pick them up and we had just found out that Devon had kissed a girl when Kaytlin was SUPPOSED to be chaperoning him. So I was mock chewing her out for being such a horrible chaperon. Peter started chewing Devon out for kissing someone at all. (which we had already done, that is why we were on to Kaytlin's part of it) The kids were elaborating a bit on the conversation after they left the house. Peter said "You made your mom yell at Kaytlin." They told him that I wasn't mad at her, and he said that he doesn't want to see me mad, then. LOL Let's keep it that way.

Here is a pic of Drew, Hope-Anne and I.

Checking out the menu. It took awhile to decide what we were going to order. So many fantastic choices.

Even these 3 bonded and enjoyed each other.

Could the food look any more incredible?

Drew ordered some sort of ravioli, Devon did, too, but his was normal with the red sauce.

Hope-Anne went traditional with spaghetti and meatballs. Which she was too full to even touch. She said it made a great brunch today.
Cody ordered seafood. Yes, that is scallops, shrimp and muscles. He ate every bite. He didn't want left overs because reheating seafood is not good.

I ordered Chicken with apricot glaze. It was really good.

On our way to the town it was in we had to travel through a small town we rarely go to. Just as we passed through there was a guy walking down the road. It was -30 windchill last night. That is dangerous and crazy to try walking in that! Donnie started to pull over and I freaked out! I was in the car! His son was in the car! You don't pick up hitch hikers! He did it anyway because he was not letting someone walk in that weather. When Donnie asked the guy where he was going he said "I have two strikes against me, hitchhiking and going to an AA meeting." He did not look particularly safe, either. I was pretty freaked out.

But he was really a nice guy, down on his luck, struggling to stay sober. Can you imagine the day you would have to have to walk 13 miles in -30 weather to go to an AA meeting? All I could do was pray for him. I didn't want him walking back home, it would be worse after dark. I don't know what happened to him, though. We looked for him on the way home.

I know it all turned out well, but was it right for Donnie to stop? I have had this discussion with another friend, and I am really against helping people in this type of situation. I am fine with Donnie doing it when he is alone, but not with me or ever with the kids. But he says that we need to do things "for the least of these." He just has to. Well, sure, that seems great in theory, but this world is not pretty. What about being safe? What about keeping your kids safe?

I don't know if there is a right answer here.