This One is For the Girls . .

Seven years ago - I ran into the lovely Dianna Wise Crites.  As in the usual Dianna fashion she lays all her cards on the table.  I find out much about her ovaries and so does Curt while eating dinner!  Curt has grown to love her, not nearly as much as me!  At the time we were ready to expand our zoo but we're nervous about my possible abilities to have a litter.  She gave us the number of her OBGYN and off I went.  Needless to say we were poster children for fertility.  Many months and pounds later, I called Dianna to thank her for all the information.  She let me know of Girls Nite - a nite to eat, drink (depending on litter carrying this is what you make of it) and a way to just be with a great group of high school friends.  I was just fat - carrying Sab.  I was so huge I had rashes in my fat folds - no lie - a sickening truth.  So needless to say I was hesitant about this reunion - I'm not shallow but I have my limits.  One month to go, swollen cankles and all, I joined the group.  It became the big read star on my calendar and a sacred event in our household.  Over the years, I hosted and looked forward to it so much.  Curt became used to all the subjects we cover - sort of anyway.

This pic (all of you hate my camera, see how great this is?) is from Dianna's shower - she's pregnant with Jordan in this pic at Pam's house.  The group has grown since this pic!

Saturday was the first one I missed in a long, long time because of our move to the Woods of Virginia.  Honestly, it was three o'clock in the afternoon and I was toying with racing back to PA, dumping snickle and fritz with Nana and Pap and making it in time for Tiff to clear the spinach dip.  Needless to say, I didn't but couldn't help but think about it.  How fun is it to go and guess who is pregnant now - with 13 of us - it's never ending.  I will be so sad when all of our ovaries take a rest and springs (that was for you Miss) prevail.  How many groups are this loyal to one another and have two members producing twins - boy and girl sets to boot!

These are things I missed: Tiff's laugh, are you kidding me?  Who has a better full belly, head thrown back, laugh like Tiff?  Thus why I act like an idiot just so I can hear it.  You all just thought I was really that idiotic! I missed seeing Lesley's belly (the picture text was good though) one more time before Baby Bachman makes his/her appearance.  I missed Colleen and Tammy's stories of life on the side of single - you can't help but be a little envious right? I missed Missy's facial expressions - the puzzled one right before she makes fun of you.  I know Dianna wasn't there but I missed her big mouth (love you!) and the way the air swirls around her whirlwind and everyone is called Sister.  I missed the Zacherl sisters, but most of all I missed Anna's announcement.  I've been waiting to hear it.   - I knew it was coming.  I missed the way Pam will get so worked up with hand gestures and saying Ryan's name.  And our newest member Tricia - I missed the way she truly seems interested in your life when she talks.  Had April been there with the new babies - I would have gone off the deep end.

I'm in the boat of finding new friends, not ones to replace the old, new ones to discover and live each day with.  It's not an easy thing to find the comfort we have together.  I know on Sab's first day of Kindergarten, I said a million times, just be nice, introduce yourself, ask to join in - you'll have plenty of friends.  Swallowing your own medicine is rough.

So to the wonderful group referred to as Girls Nite - I miss you like crazy.  Thank you for everything - the fun, from breastfeeding tips, to play dates, to 3rd grade Sunday School (Tiff), to rent-a-cop police car rides - I thank you.