NO BOYS ALLOWED!!!

That's right...
NO BOYS ALLOWED!!!
...at least not when these gals get together...
(and I pity the one that dare try and cross the barrier).

We have the best, most genuine friends a person could care to dream of...
...and last night we got our families together for an end of summer BBQ at 'The Farm.'
A great place for get togethers...
but I'll get into that more in a minute.
ANYHOW...
Our families have a lot in common
The first being that between our three families we have 8 girls...
and NOT ONE BOY.
Our husbands have their own personal theory about why this has happened...
but it's a little crude so I won't share the specifics...
let's just say that...
we'll, no, on second thought, I'm just gonna leave it alone...
and I'll let you ask them.

I was unsuccessful in getting a picture with all 8 gals facing one direction...
as soon as I turned around to get a picture of the ducks...
this is what I was greeted with.
How funny, huh?
Kind of reminds me of a Verizon commercial.

They are Pete, Priscilla, Petunia and ???

(another girl name that also starts with 'P')

Here are the youngest of the gang getting a peek at the ducks.
They are all within 11 weeks apart of each other in age...
and I think they have decided there is safety in numbers.

Here we are...

'The Matriarchs' of our families.
My dear friend, Theresa is on the right (your right, my left).
She is awesome...very thoughtful, giving without end, a wonderful momma, a devoted wife...
and she almost always laughs at my jokes (which is secretly my favorite quality about her).

The gal on the left (my right) is my "Sister from another Mister," Dawn.
I love this woman to no end.
We met my sophomore year of high school and well...the details are endless, so I'll just say that we hit it off from the start.
She is that person that I can call ANYTIME of day (or night) to ask the most random of questions ("Dawn, do you like Kraft Mac-n-Cheese or Velveeta Shells-n-Cheese?")
And hands down, no contest, it's Velveeta.
Anyhow, she is someone that I look to for parenting advice, marriage advice, biblical questions, recipes, etc, etc, etc.
And I love that we can be completely honest with each other and no one gets hurt feelings.
Dawn, in case it's been awhile, I Love You.

This is our 'babysitter.'

His name is Oliver and when he's not hanging with the other 'boys' he can be found keeping an eye out on the girls. I think he is so handsome. He looks so stoic and noble here.

On the farm, the 'boys' (aka dads) are able to be boy's.
Which means they are able to:
BBQ
drink beer
retell hunting stories 100 times over
drink beer
scratch
drink beer
pee outside
(OK, in their defense they are surrounded by 11 girls when our families get together,
so they are allowed)

It's a great place for get togethers.
The girls are able to run-amok and get into all kinds of good kid mischief.
Including, but not limited to:
Chasing, getting chased and /or petting the goats
Collecting eggs
Having a 'mooing' contest
Looking for frogs
Climbing in the orchard
Picking a variety of different berries...
...the only limits are their imaginations (and their mommas).

Below is the result of what happens when:
the boys have been outside too long,
the kids are playing wonderfully AND we've eaten WAY too much!

The scary truth is that three years ago, this picture was a reality...and we were all pregnant.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT:
None of us were pregnant at the time this photo was taken...at least not that I know of)
The following photos are of some of Dawn's fun treasures that I openly covet:
And if the initials 'TS' are found under any of them...it's shear coincidence.
How cute is this bottle?
It's what Dawn uses to dispense her dish soap.

Oh! How I love this red bench!
Wouldn't it be the perfect prop for a family photo?
Oh wait is and it was.

When you owe your dear friend money...what do you repay her with?
Money? Heavens NO!
You find some great blocks, spell her name in them and call it a 'wash.'
I [heart] them.

OK..You ready?
Cause you're gonna love this next one.
READY?
I LOVE THIS LAUNDRY BASKET!
Dawn got this from her mom, who pulled it from the blackberry bushes at an estate sale.
AMAZING!
What's even more amazing?
That I was at this estate sale for a good hour before her mom got there...and I didn't see it.
DANG IT!

As the night was winding down, we decided it was time for dessert.
I brought the PW's Creamy Lemon Bars and her Peach Crisp with Maple Sauce

(minus the maple sauce...I DON'T DO MAPLE.
So I made my own sauce using her recipe but substituting honey for maple extract.
As you can tell...it was a HUGE HIT!
"Ya'll washed your hands, right?"
Here is Dawn's third...
doing her best to NOT be photographed.
And here's her oldest...Miss K.
I adore this girl...and I'm sure it has nothing to do with her being a 'first born.'
How do you know that it's past our bedtimes and time to go home?
The babies start to confuse with boy is their dad.
For instance, this is not this girls daddy.

And the boy's start to 'google.'
Here they are 'googling' a guitarist by the name of Andy McKee.
But I have to admit, he is INCREDIBLY TALENTED.
Go ahead and 'google' him...I won't tell.
He IS good.

And FINALLY, the last picture of the night.
Everyone gathered around the kitchen.
We all had such a great time at 'the farm.'
I am already looking forward to our next visit...

EXCEPT:
hunting season has officially begun and that means that each of us momma's is about to become 'weekend widows' for the next 3 months.

DARN BOYS...for ruining our fun. :-)