Sweet Family Friends

One of the good things about military life is that you tend to make a few really great friends, and these friendships seems to grow in absence and to last.  I do love that part about our adventure in Germany, during transition phases of a great friend moving on to a next duty station, a new friend would appear at just the right time.

Enter Monica.

Monica was my middle friend of three beautiful friends in Germany.  She was also the one that I met at the perfect time, and we had three beautiful years of doing life together.

The two of us in conjunction with a few other friends, survived some of the most brutal parts of military life, we survived numerous deployments, TDY's (call it business trips,) we celebrated birthdays together, holidays, had impromptu lunch dates,  I am losing my mind meetings at the park, pre-baby hospital visits, and lots of love and support afterwards.

I am have some of the sweetest memories with this friend, from crying in frustration and missing our men during deployments, she was one of the first people I told that I was pregnant with Hayleigh, huddled in a small hospital room examining her perfect little Charleston.  Life and friendship doesn't get any sweeter then that.

I was devastated the day that they McMinimy's got their orders to move to Japan.  My heart was breaking and I was so sad, but yet excited for their new adventure.

We said our see you later, on the fourth of July 2013.  I was so sad,,,

Yes, this is my Hayleigh.

Last Friday I got a welcomed phone call, and it was Monica.  They were heading back to Japan (they were in the States for her grandma's funeral) and they wanted to stop by here on their way to California to catch their flight back to Japan.

My heart dropped, no way, I thought they were already back in Japan, since she had send me a message the previous week to say they were trying to fly out, but due to the winter apocalypse in Texas at the moment they got stuck here a little longer.

I didn't even have to think about it, all I managed to get out was yes, yes, and yes! I knew she would be cool with air mattresses, and camping out in the living room, and piling all the boys into a bedroom.

I was so overcome with excitement, I  might have shed a little tear, I was planning on seeing them in the Summer, and here it happened right when I needed to see my sweet friend.

They arrived super late on Sunday and left around noon on Monday, for the twenty-something-hour drive to California.

My kids where asleep once they arrived, her boys went to bed, Craig crawled into bed, Nate was at work, and Monica and I sat on the couch until 2 am talking and talking and catching up, and it was awesome and normal, and it was like our lives have never skipped a beat.

I knew when two tiny people crawled into my bed at 4:55am wide awake and ready for the day, that I am going to feel like a train wreck around 3pm, but it was well worth it and I would do it again.  A little side note, I don't stay up until 2am for anyone :)

We had breakfast together, Nate got home from work, we all spent time together, the kids played and played and played, and we were able to show them our house, and everything that we have done, and will be doing in the next couple of weeks, It was amazing.

And then the dreaded, "I know this is hard, but we need to get going," so we gather around and took our last little pictures together...

Hayleigh has always loved Monica sooo much!

We hugged, and cried, and then laughed about how silly were are, because they will be back visiting family and we only live about five hours away.  But it still sucked, and it was still sad...

I am so happy for the short time we got see each other, in the end it is way better then nothing, and it just reminded me what a precious and beautiful friendship we have, and how much a treasure it.

Thank you for stopping by and saying hi, I love you and all five of your boys big and little.

Until next time! Hopefully sooner then later, the kids have already told me we all need to go on a trip together :)

*****

The house is coming along great, and things are starting to come together.  The back door is in, new doors and trim are bought, and we will be painting all weekend long, in order to be done for the bedrooms carpet installation on Monday.

Oh, also on Tuesday they delivered all of our household goods, and what a sweet relieve to have all our things under one roof again, even though it is boxed up and stacked to the roof in the back room.

It all just means one step closer to getting everything done and moving in completely! It is going to be a glorious day!!

Stay tuned for some pictures next week!

Happy Thursday!