We were so thrilled last Monday when our friends Chris and Kristen asked about finding a place near us for a night.
Umm, yes! That place is called our house!
Chris was a groomsman in our wedding, and is Daniel's oldest friend. He was also Daniel's roommate in the apartment directly above mine in college, where Daniel and I met. So I have literally known Chris as long as I have known Daniel.
Due to Daniel's crazy work life, we have failed to visit their family since they moved to Texas. It has been so long since I have seen Chris and Kristen, that we have never met their two beautiful daughters, Hannah and Lauren. We made fast friends between all the new additions in our families.
After spending a few weeks in Georgia, the Diesels were ready to show their girls the beach and drove down to see us for 24 hours. The day could not have been more perfect!
They got in the car in the middle of the night and made it to our place by 8 a.m. After a quick pancake breakfast, we loaded up and headed to the beach.
The kiddos all loved playing in the sand and the water, and Hannah and Potatoes swam nearly the entire time. Sometimes Potatoes doesn't trust his floaties, and insists on being held in the water, but witnessing the bravery of four year old Hannah steeled his resolve and he refused to be held!
I guess it's not just Potatoes who has a silly 'sunglass face.'
Love it!
After exhausting everyone with water, sun, and sand, we headed up to Rockin' Tacos for a beach view with lunch. As we left to load up the car, thunder and rain rolled in.
Perfect timing!
The kiddos and the ladies grabbed a quick nap while the guys caught World Cup action.
After naps, it was still raining, thwarting our plans for pool time, so they headed off to the trampoline park. Hannah again exerted her bravery and strength, besting Potatoes at his favorite game- jousting.
The Martin crew could not best the McDaniel's on the jousting beam....
After an early breakfast at Joe & Eddie's, we had to say goodbye as they headed back to Texas.
Part of me wanted to lament the quickness of the trip, but I quickly turned it around into true gratitude for the amazing time we had with the McDaniel family.
They are those friends that, even after five years and three kids between us, we picked up as if we were all together yesterday. Hopefully we can make this an annual tradition!
We are very much looking forward to seeing them, and many of our other college friends, in Atlanta in October for Josh and Mandie's wedding!
Another Milestone we reached recently with Potatoes was paddle boarding. We made it down to the yacht club without his floaties, so we all stayed on our knees with him on the board, but he loved it!! The only thing that made him nervous, much like his canine sister, was leaving people back at the beach. If we got too far, he would start saying, "We need to go back for my family. Let's go back by my family." Even when Daniel and Zoey were out on the board with him and me, he said the same thing, pointing at Uncle Agho. We are so blessed by this little boy and his big heart!
Here's to more memories and mayhem!
