We just spent an amazing week with old friends from Seattle. Our history together dates to a new parent's group we shared with our firstborns 14 years ago, but the real surprise is that Jamie and T.A. didn't meet earlier since they were both working with the America3 campaign in 1992. It's funny to think that they probably passed each other umpteen times during the campaign, but didn't meet until nearly a decade later because as a result of becoming dads.
Ray and Niall have changed a little since then.
We hadn't spent meaningful time together in years, but we weren't worried. You know how there are some friends that transcend time and distance, who you can pick up with pretty much right where you left off? That's what we have with this family. I feel so lucky! It especially blew me away to see our babies together. Not so much babies any more. Wow.
Besides being the peer friend Niall craves, the girls adopt Ray as a de facto big sister pretty much immediately.
We had beautiful sunsets.
There was swimming with jellyfish.
High pressure hermit crab drag races.
Low pressure time to just be.
Mud fights on the low tide flats, of course. What, doesn't everyone do that?
That doesn't get into the late night card games, pink (yes pink) dolphins, shrunken heads, and our very personal visit to the Seattle embassy, among other adventures.
It was less than a week, but they left a big hole, and we're going to start a stealth campaign to get them back again next year. Guys, you've been warned!
