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Wednesday, January 1, 2014

4th Annual post-Christmas Dinner

I am incredibly boring with blog post titles. Maybe that should be my new year's resolution? Be more creative with blog post titles?

Sadly, there is not a fun word like "friendsgiving" for Christmas.

But anyway. Every year, we have a little Christmas dinner with three other couple-friends of ours: The Ditmores, the Eatmans & the Yates. LOVE getting together with this group! This is our fourth year doing this. (See 2012, 2011, & 2010.) Last year, Matt & Amanda couldn't join us as they lived in California & were unable to make the trip so soon after Thanksgiving. But this year they are back living in Louisiana, which is by far one of the most wonderful things that happened in 2013! :) Our get together this year was at their new house!

I was too lazy to take "real" pics, so I just got a few with my phone. That seemed to be the theme at the end of this year - probably because i did so many photo shoots in November & December!!

The Guys:
 
 Adam, Brad, Mike & Matt

The Girls:
Amanda, Becca, Me & Katie 

Clockwise: Yates, Eastmans, Ditmores & Venables! :)

We had a lot of fun. Of course, now there are two babies in the mix. And two on the way. Yes, Amanda is expecting #2 in June, and Becca is expecting #1 in January! 

Speaking of babies... I am sure some of you are wondering how that went. Women going through infertility generally despise being around pregnant women &/or babies. Haha. I am always okay around babies, and being with ONE prego or mom is usually not a problem for me (depending on who it is). However, i have found that being with a lot of mommies &/or pregnant ladies at one time is VERY overwhelming for me. This is one reason baby showers are tough. There is just too much mommy talk, and while that is nobody's fault - it is just the stage of life they are in! - it can be so painful for someone who has longed for babies & who has been trying to conceive longer than some of them have been married. (This isn't to say that i am not happy for them, because I am. It is just to say that sometimes being around nothing but talk about babies & pregnancy & labor & delivery & child-rearing & potty-training - well, it can be a painful & overwhelming reminder of what you do not have - and what you fear you may never have. It's hard.)

Anyway, i will admit that i was worried about this dinner. I was worried about if i would handle it okay. I was prepared to have to make an early exit. BUT i am happy to say that the evening was wonderful. There was mommy talk, but there was also infertility talk. We didn't talk that much about it, just about a few things related to it. I could be open about it if i wanted to, because they all knew. And that's helpful, i think. Becca & Amanda have known about my situation for a long time & have always been there for me & prayed for me through it. I am thankful the night turned out to be a good one!! 

Sorry to go on & on about that! But i am truly thankful for the support of friends like these. They really make hard times more bearable. :)

Matt & Amanda's Judah and Adam & Katie's Natalie were both there & had a blast playing together before they were put to bed. :) Then the rest of us played games. We played Mad Gab, which had me CRACKING UP!!! And then Taboo, which is one of my all-time favorites. We had a really great time, and I can't wait til next year! (Maybe next year there will be a baby venable? I sure hope so.) :)

3 comments:

  1. Yay! I'm so glad it went well. :-) Happy New Year! I feel like this is going to be the best year yet!

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  2. Sounds fun! Glad you have such caring and supportive friends :)

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  3. I totally agree...more than one pregnant and/or mom can be bad news. I'm glad it wasn't too painful, though. In the future you should always text me during a situation like that and I will commiserate with you and/or make fun of the pregnant/parent people. I'm sure that will help immensely. ;)

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