Block Party

So after our Zoo experience we had a big party with some of our new friends here. The actual 4th of July was pretty cloudy and cool but we still whooped it up in our front lawn with a feast of food. Sadly for living on a military installation there were no fireworks but we still made the most of our firework-less 4th of July.

All the kids were at the "kid" table and they laughed non-stop through the whole meal. It was hilarious. And it wasn't just giggling, as you can see in the above picture, it was throw your head back and laugh til your guts hurt kind of laughing. That picture has Olivia and our neighbors kids, Otto and Kate. My girls love playing with them and Ariane and Mark are so nice. We really lucked out in having some really amazing neighbors. Ariane and I babysit for each other when we need it and swap for date nights and stuff and it works out really great. Otto and Kate are actually over here as I type this!

We seriously had the feast of the century. WAY TO MUCH FOOD. It was all so good and of course I had to do my darndest to sample all the food that came so I could compliment all the cooks! (Jayme! Do you see the rolls?!?)
Here is our full party lay out. It was Radder's, Nielsen's (AKA our neighbors), the Harrison's (Oakland Zoo comrade in arms) and the Enkey's.

Military life means you often make friends only to have to move away from them at a later date. Here your time together is even shorter with the longest stay here begin around 18 months. I can't tell you how many I people I made friends with who are moving next month. The Enkey's will be leaving just as we get back from my trip back to WA. Tammi is always up for getting out of the house and heading to the park. She has two boys that are a little younger than my girls respectively. We also do trade outs with the Enkey's for babysitting. If either Tammi or I make extra food at dinner we will text the other and invite them over. They have gone to the beach with us and often Tammi is my running buddy at night, she really got me on a good routine of getting out and running.

Bianca loves Tammi and talks the best when she is talking to Tammi, which is kinda hilarious because Tammi is from North Carolina and has the MOST fabulous deep south accent. I could seriously listen to her talk all day. I tell her that all the time. I also start talking like her when we are together, which is embarrassing that I copy her accent but I own up to it freely. So I joke with Tammi that to get Bianca to articulate better, I just need to talk to her in a thick southern accent! Who knew that a little taste of the south was the only thing Bianca needed to get her speech rolling! Anyway, they are going to be stationed at Ft. Hood next! I am going to miss them when they move away.