1. I really like having friends.
2. I really like having these friends.
3. They are great people who like getting together.
4. Chris and I got a little crazy and had an impromptu game night last weekend. We only gave ourselves/people 3 days to plan. Normally we would have sent the email out at least 3 weeks in advance. Our people know this.
5. Seth Kehne calls us the "plan to plan" couple. But that's because he lives on the edge and doesn't plan.
6. I'm an avid planner. And I married a planner. It went downhill from there.
7. Sometimes we don't even get to see the
Kehne's because we have to plan and they can't plan. By the time they've said okay to seeing us, we've already got another plan... Unless they catch us on a rare off night we haven't planned anything. We always love it though when the fates allow and we do get to see them.
And a bunch of other beautiful people.
Like at game night:
Adam (who was letting his chesties flow), Hunter (who had just buttoned up his top two shirt buttons to prevent his chest hair that had just been flowing), Andy (unfazed from what was happening beside him), Seth and Chris (no comment)
Roughly 22 people came, which is roughly just about everyone we asked.
(Except four who all had good reasons... the beach, family reunion, blah, blah, blah)
Pretty good for a short-notice PARTY!
I love these people.
Seth took a *few pictures of us girls in the dining room:
[bottom row: Brooke, Emily C., Emily P.,
Cameron, and Jennifer
Chris grilled
48ish hot dogs. If everyone ate them, that would be 2.18 hot dogs per person. But not everyone did. Various reasons. Four people had already eaten and two girls (
Allison and Jennifer) are pregnant. [Who knew pregos didn't eat hot dogs?
Grilled hot dogs are a summer staple. This is me, declaring I don't want to be pregnant in the summer.]
So, if you do updated math (22 people minus 6), that means for those of us who did eat hot dogs, there were 3 of them for each of us.
The girls used them for photo props.
Allison and I were completely oblivious. And if I'm betting, the cigar pose was Emily C.'s idea. Her face in the first picture is awesome.
You know what I just realized? Chris and I ate these hot dogs for like 4 days straight after the party. We probably ate oh, about all of them they rubbed around in their hands.
Oh, pretty friends.
Hostess and Host/Griller-extraordinaire:
I love his *vintage coke shirt from Target.
Maybe I should go get one in my size...
The whole night was his fun idea.
After 2.5 hours of eating and talking (which our group likes to do a lot of!),
everyone started making their way into a very large circle.
Emily + Michael = beautiful babies in their future
Okay - now really - these two came ALL THE WAY FROM MISSISSIPPI for the party!!
[David and Nan = NEWLYWEDS!]
We had a wedding the night before that brought Nan into town. She's never here long and many times when she is her family takes priority. (Obviously.) Anyway, Saturday afternoon they had a change of plans and Nan called me and this is my version of the conversation:
Nan: Do you guys have plans tonight?
Julie: Yes, but...
Nan: Oh, I figured you might - we were just going to see if you guys wanted to grab dinner.
Julie: COME TO MY HOUSE! We're having a bunch of people over for hot dogs and games, yada, yada
Nan: Oh fun! What can I bring?
Julie: Just pick up a thing of hot dogs and buns and come on...
Good thing I told her to bring hot dogs. We could have run out.
So, Nan and David - thank you for Sunday supper, Monday lunch, and Tuesday lunch!
By Tuesday night, Chris told me he had was not going to eat another hot dog. For a long time.
Lori, I'm so sorry I didn't proof this picture! Your little eyes are closed. But you're both just as happy as ever!
Lori and Clay - Lori and I are in Bible Study together and Clay's a Youth minister. They are quality... It helps to have friends like these to make up for any of the inappropriateness of others! (See below)
One very large game of catch phrase. Girls vs. Guys style.
There's probably a reason most people don't play this game with such a big crowd.
But it sure was hilarious doing it!
Macy even came out to play for a bit:
But she didn't stay long. Everything was so loud - she got scared pretty quickly.
(Illustration of inappropriateness in above picture. Please notice Seth on the left.)
Beth and John - John playing Catch Phrase in action - Jennifer looking on.
My favorite word of the evening? Belly Dancing.
David acted out the word for us and I'm still laughing.
Andy (who really loves to play catch phrase) and Emily
If you're wondering, the girls won. By a whole lot.
I can't even tell you how big of a win it was, because it was THAT big.
End of the night pic - me squished between the pretty Clemmons girls.
Have I mentioned that Allison's pregnant? She sure is. And she's asked me to help name the baby. Stay tuned for that one.
The whole night was so fun!
Thank you to all who came and to those who brought all of that food we had. We couldn't have done it without you. (Or we could have, but a game of Catch Phrase with just Chris and I wouldn't have been as much fun.)
And as the night was finishing up...
Adam and Drew were playing the wii, Chris and Michael were taking turns playing the guitar, and Emily C. and I were still chatting on the couch (with Macy between us). I thought to myself...
...What a wonderful life.
Hope you're busy loving on your friends and family this weekend.
It's sure to be a good one.
