The Beginning of a Holiday

It was really more like twelve days, but tell me who's counting at this point?  Not me.  The six of us loaded up two Thursdays ago and drove to Tennessee, arriving in the wee hours of the morning.  A day's rest, some family time and a fun preschool pick up of our nieces and then it was off to bed for an early morning departure.  Before the sun we were up and on the road.  Again, let me clarify, Husband Jared was up and alert with coffee in hand and the rest of us were sleeping, or at least trying to.  Another twelve hour car ride and we were at the beach.  After receiving umpteen texts and phone calls from our friends who were already there waiting on us.  You see, this trip was special.  I mean every holiday is special in some way but this time we were reunited with two families who became family while we were in Turkey.  We shared practically every weekend together, there were countless sleep overs, meals eaten, field trips taken and roads explored.  And here we were two years later, one family in China, one still in Turkey and us here in the states, now altogether at the beach.  The place where my soul is free and I feel most myself. 

 

I was a tad anxious about how this would all play out.  Two years with only a handful of calls on Skype, plenty of emails between us Mummies and a few letters back and forth.  The children made it seem like just yesterday when they were playing on the beach at Ramo or running around the compound from pool to pool.  What a sweet relief.  As for us adults, the same.  Minus the pool jumping or running on the beach, this isn't an episode of Baywatch!  Yes, there were tears and hugs and then more hugs and looks of disbelief.  I was in awe that it actually happened.  A mere hint at a holiday togehter and all three families were on board ready for an adventure.  Another reason why I love these people.  The children were on the beach within minutes and from the balcony us parents watched and listened to the happiest squeals and shouts. 

All the Kiddos

The Daddys