Visitors!!

I've shared a lot of pictures lately, but not really anything profound-not that I ever have- but in visiting with the Dantas' clan, I've reached some discoveries.

Ric and Marji, Aarons known Ric from age 5 and I've known Marji since 3rd grade although didn't become close until 6th-ish grade. Long story short, Ric and Marji started dating and I was the outsource of news for Ric about Marji and Ric became an outsource of news about Aaron back in the early days. Through the years, Ric and Marji married-we were in their wedding-and when Aaron and I were married, Ric and Marji were in our wedding.

Lots of years, 5 children, military for both guys, up to our elbows in kids for both girls (Marji more so than I) later, we are amazed our or life has mirrored each other. We have a kind of friendship everyone should know. The kind that through years, trials, kids, deployments, well-life really-you get back together and its as though nothing has changed. We don't have to explain anything-not our growing up, not people from our families that have passed away, not our quirks that started after we knew each other and remember when and how those quirks started. It's like flannel pajamas and hot chocolate on a cold winter evening in front of the fire. No makeup, no fuss, just a chance to breathe and allow us to be each other.

We are both military families now, didn't really see that one coming (Marji and I, but Ric and Aaron were both gunning for it) and we are so used to landing in a new city, making new friends, finding a new church, new house, new new new... We are good at it, we do better than survive, we have tricks we don't realize we have, we learn lessons quickly, we are used to being without our husbands for long periods of time. We are chief cook and bottle washer, and fixer and creator... and for all that, we adapt well to many things and keep going.

I love my life, I love the random road we travel, I love new friends, meeting them and keeping them. I love traveling, I love my family, close and extended and I've learned more about myself than I would have having a "normal" life. But for all that crazy fun stuff, having a chance to see old friends is a breath of fresh air. We let our guard down, understand before we say anything and say "do you remember" or "where's (fill in a name)?" way more than I recall. Comfort is a best friend and a hug from that very same friend.

One of my favorite quotes " A friend keeps your secrets, laughs at your jokes and can always tell the difference". -Hallmark (Grrr, not very cultured of me to quote them...)

Anyway, we love ourselves some Ric and Marji. (and Victoria and Joshua and Cadence)