Starting last year we opted to have an adults only dinner instead of exchanging adult Christmas gifts. We pick a semi-fancy place to eat, talk and catch up on the year's events. Last night was the night. We started out at Kyoto Japanese Restaurant. I never imagined myself a lover of Japanese food but the Edamame (a fancy name for soybeans) and the Beef Sukiyaki were delicious! Plus, we got to take our shoes off and sit at a table that was built into the ground. It was a great night for food and family. Of course the Ponds couldn't stop there though. We had to top off the Japanese food with a trip to Leatherby's for ice cream. No Pond dinner is complete without ice cream, and Leatherby's is the family favorite!
It was nice to just chat and laugh as adults and not have to worry about our batch of 12 little ones running around. We love them too, but a nice adult dinner and break is called for from time to time.
I failed to get a group shot, so I will post the couple photos.
From oldest to youngest....
The ones who started it all...
The oldest of the group, Travis, and his wife Annmarie (better known as the "Vegas Ponds") We don't get to see them much, so it's so nice when we do...
Then there's Nicholeen and her hubby Spencer...she's best known for her homeschooling skills and he for his plumbing expertise (and silly faces in photos)...
The middle child (but don't worry he doesn't act like one) Beauen and his wife Sylvia. Beauen was a trooper with his broken leg. He broke it playing soccer a few weeks ago and had to undergo surgery to put a metal rod in his leg.
Then there's us (and my expanding belly and nose)...
And last but not least, the baby of the family, Janelle, and her hubby Dean. Doesn't the youngest always have to be rebellious? They refused to be photographed. But I must admit that they are known at our house as the best babysitters around! 
Like I said, this was a true Christmas miracle to all be in the same place at the same time. Next year we are considering a progressive dinner.....appetizers at one place, dinner at another, and finishing it all off at Leatherby's again. Sounds good to me! That is, if we can all get together again.
4 comments:
sounds like a fun tradition. that resturant sounds really good and lots of fun, we might have to try that sometime.
What fun...we are all just too spread out to do any thing like this.
The Pond's sound like the Kaiser's, Paul says "There's always room for ice cream, it melts and fills in the cracks."
Japanese food and ice cream...interesting combination!!
i'm all about food and good times instead of gifts.
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