Last Monday, Hannah and I loaded up in the car with fellow blogger
Michelle and her kids and headed to Tate City, NC. We were meeting our friends, and other bloggers,
Gretchen and
Susan. We all met and became friends, at different times, in Italy. Michelle and Gretchen knew each other before Italy. I met Susan my second year in Italy. She was my neighbor in Italy. I met Michelle through Heather. She lived at the end of the street Susan and I lived on. Michelle and I spent many nights during that first Afghanistan deployment with wine on her balcony. In between the first and second Afghanistan deployment, Gretchen moved to Italy and that's when Susan and I met her. There was that whole toga party for Dustin's birthday. Gretchen used the nicest sheets for her toga outfit. Strange the bits and pieces of life we remember. Our choice of communication started before anyone left Italy. Susan, Michelle, and I were all pregnant at the same time and after babies were born we would open up Yahoo chat and keep an ongoing conversation between us. Then I came back to the states. Even though the time difference, we still did it. Fast forward. Everyone else slowly comes back to the states. After some trial and error, we've managed to maintain keeping in touch through random ways; text messaging, emails, and the ever convenient Facebook. Months ago, I sat at Michelle's house, after 1 too many beers, and said I felt like we should start an annual get together. I felt like Michelle and I should just go ahead and plan it and coordinate and the other girls would follow along. Susan can be quite the procrastinator! So, Michelle and I researched and found a place. We had it book within 2 weeks of finding it and telling the other two about it. It was perfect. The kids got along great, despite the wide age range, 9 months to 12 years. For the 4 adults, it was like no time at all had passed, we fell right back into our relationship as it had been the last time we were all together, which was two years ago, before I left Italy. We over packed and over planned but that was to be expected. It went to well that we've already begun planning the next one, next year. We're looking at a KOA, or KOA like establishment where smaller cabins can be rented. One reason for doing this is that we will probably have more guests next year. Here's some pictures of our week in the mountains.
Our mild overpacking job! ; )
Our section of the river
Hannah and Bailey, the dog that adopted us
VIvian and Avery at the river
Hannah, Lem, and Vivian
Our unbirthday party
Chocolate cake
An intense water fight
I love this picture
Lem loved my ipad, smart boy!
Tie dye at the river
Hanging out by the river
Gretchen, grilling the mushrooms for the portobello mushroom sandwiches
Kid's yoga
8 kids relaxed or n bed, 4 adults in the hot tub with Italian wine
