The last of the parties...

Well, not the LAST party. The last of the HOLIDAY parties....

Every year we have a little holiday "get together" for friends and family. Usually it's the weekend between Christmas and New Years, but this year we had it the last weekend in January. It's nothing big, nothing extravagant, just an excuse for us all to get together.

This year, I was lucky enough to have my friend Beth come down and visit, and she got to be at the party! Beth and I used to work together and she recently moved from North Carolina back to her home state of Pennsylvania. We had SUCH a great time.

Beth and her two little boys - Jacob and Johnathan - arrived on Friday and stayed through Sunday. I haven't seen her in almost four years, although we have always kept in touch. Did you ever meet someone and just "click"?

That's Beth and me. It was one of those friendships where, we worked together for awhile, but then she moved, we moved, children were born, relationships ended, more moving, etc. etc. and all of a sudden we realized it had been YEARS since we'd actually seen each other! Beth is the one who got me into blogging, so you have her to thank for my frequent ramblings.....

Her boys and my girls played - HARD - all weekend. God love her - I don't know how she does it. There's a very good reason God gave me girls. I simply don't have the energy for boys. And her boys are well behaved! How do parents with children who aren't so well behaved do it every day?

She helped me get ready for the party and I'm so glad they were here.....

Playoff Game. Here's where the guys sat all night. Well, until Matt got a little upset at the Colts, there were children present and he told me it was time for him to go before he got out of control. I sent him down to mom's, where the house was empty (because they were at my house). Problem solved!

Me and Staci, who lives in Georgia. And Olivia. See is you can find her in the pictures...she popped her little head in almost all of them - but it's very subtle....kind of like playing "Where's Waldo"

Seriously. The kitchen is the smallest room in a fairly large house. Can't you people find somewhere else to congregate?

One of my bestest friends EVER - Megan and her new husband Mike (giving the peace sign=)

Brian and his Indian sister Staci. They both have distant relatives that were American Indians. Apparently that gives them some sort of "bond". I'll tolerate their Indian connection comments - until I find them chanting with feathers on their head. Then, not so much.

Beth's oldest son, Jacob - so stinking cute =)

Staci, Kristy and me.

Dea, Cheryl and Jenn

Marianne, Stuart and Nick.

Me and Neil.

Neil and his lovely wife Deb, and their kids, Aubrey and Jerrid, lived next door to us at our old house. I miss them terribly. They were the greatest neighbors and friends....

And here's Aubrey.

Oh, if only I had looked that good at 22. And to think when I first met her she was only 10! She's grown into a beautiful and incredibly intelligent young lady - she's graduating cum laude in May. WOW!

The end of the evening....

Sharon - my high powered world traveling friend. Love her!

And this is what we looked like after everyone left........

Brandon - looking distinguished....

Ok - Now I'm getting punchy...

OPEN YOUR EYES BRIAN!

I was saying the most profound thing here.......I just don't remember what it was....

Oh yeah - that's nice. Aren't you jealous that he's mine?

I think she needs another drink!

It was a great time. It's quite something to think that almost all of my friends are people I have known - and still talk to on a regular basis - for more than 20 years. I'm so lucky to have them.

That being said, I don't plan on leaving the house, having anyone come to my house, answering my phone or in general being sociable at all for the next week or so.