Fun with Friends

I was so lucky to enjoy a visit over the weekend from my dear friend, Kathleen, from Hawaii who is living in Alabama now. (Her husband is also deployed.) They arrived Saturday night and, needless to say, we spent a LOT of time talking! I can't remember the last time I stayed up all night chatting with a girlfriend! Kathleen and I would spend HOURS on the phone in Hawaii. She was my lifeline over there while our husbands were deployed to Afghanistan. Her kids are Bethany (7) and Clyde (8). They all played pretty well together and they, too, had time to "catch up". Bethany was a little "protector" of Joey; when Jack and/or Clyde would leave him out, Bethany was the one who would go read Joey a book, or play cars with him (she won't even THINK about playing cars with her brother!).

On Sunday afternoon we took the kids to see Madagascar Escape 2 Africa. All the kids loved the first movie so we were all looking forward to seeing the next one. It was really good and full of "adult" humor as well! I think I got up 4 times with Jack to go to the bathroom! I don't think he goes to the bathroom 4 times throughout a normal day!! Oh well!

We took the kids to Fort Knox to see the Patton Museum. They all enjoyed running around outside looking at the tanks and other military vehicles. There was even a helicopter on display. Inside the museum were more exhibits like a piece of the Berlin Wall, and a couple tank simulators.

The evening after the museum Kathleen and I experimented with some fall cookies. They were in the shape of turkeys and pumpkins and filled with chocolate chips and marshmallows. The dough was pie crust. They were pretty easy to make but not as sweet as you would like them to be. The kids liked them. Next time I'll have bigger cookie cutters and I think it will work better.

It was so nice to catch up with Kathleen. I wish we still lived close to one another. There you have the up and downside to being "married" to the Army - you meet the best friends you'll ever have but you eventually have to leave them! But you find out how true their friendship is when you stay in touch even though you are far away. I am so blessed to have a few of these such friends! I look forward to visiting with Kathleen and kids again soon!