Those Bonds Run Deep

When P.K. decided to go active duty about 10 years ago and we got our orders to 29 Palms, I started to ask God to bless me with close friends in our new home. He granted me that request in abundance during our time there.

Christine is one of the those friends God sent my way. Her husband and P.K. were in the same unit and we lived on the same street in 29 Palms. She had one little girl when we first met and had her second daughter while we were stationed there. I remember them stopping by our house on their way home from the hospital. We loved to scrapbook together and go play Bingo at a church out in town. I couldn't begin to count the hours we spent at the park or walking through the neighborhood. When I took Rachel shopping for school clothes to start kindergarten, Christine was along. I remember buying a lot of pink on that trip.

The kids and I had the opportunity to go visit Christine and her girls this past weekend.

While we were visiting we had a conversation about how quickly military spouses get to know one another. Christine used the example that in a military community when a new neighbor moves in and you see carseats in the new neighbor's car you walk up and say, "Hi. I live across the street. I see you have carseats. I have kids in carseats. Let's meet at the park." Or, "I saw you running/walking with your jogging stroller. I run/walk too. I'll meet you tomorrow." You are automatically new best friends. Before you know the new neighbor for more than five minutes you will know the following information (at least): Where the new neighbor just moved from. How many moves this makes. Which unit her husband is with and his MOS. How many children they have and where they were stationed when the kids were born. Where she is originally from and if her husband will be deploying in the near future. If she has children old enough to babysit. If she is a stay-at-home mom or will be working. If you are planning to move in the next six months you will also let the new neighbor know that you are available should she need anything but she may not want to bother getting to know you.

On one of our outings (which I will discuss in just a moment) this weekend, we met another military family. The wife asked how we knew each other and we told her we had been stationed together in California. She said, "Those bonds run deep." That summed it up. Christine is my friend which is a simple word we use loosely, but when I call her "friend" I mean "That bond runs deep."

She showed the kids and me a great time. We had pizza for dinner on Friday night. She timed the delivery so we could eat right away. The kids started playing together as soon as we arrived and played nicely all weekend. Jill and Ally graciously shared all their toys.

This was their favorite. Using playdough, plastic molds and a liquid, the kids were able to make rubber aliens.

One of Hannah's aliens.

One of Jill's aliens.

Rachel and Hannah taught Jill how to play the DS.

Saturday morning Christine made waffles for breakfast

and then got a phone call from her husband, John, who is currently serving in Iraq. I am proud to know John and others like him who have dedicated their lives to protect the rest of us and I am so proud of my friends like Christine who live the life of a single parent at home.

After much debate over whether or not we should brave the weather we went to the beach. The kids played in the waves, dug in the sand and collected shells.

Aaron buried Ally's feet in the sand.

Ally and Jill playing in the sand.

Rachel, Jill and Hannah playing in the waves.

It is the first time Aaron and Hannah had played in the ocean. We had a picnic lunch and then went back to Christine's house to rest up for the rest of the day.

Later that afternoon, we took a horse and carriage tour through a town called New Bern. It was originally a Swiss settlement and named after Bern, a country in Switzerland. The word Bern means bear and pictures and statues of bears can be found throughout the town. It is the birthplace of Pepsi.

The horse's name was Cody which Hannah would think is very important information to include.

This is Cody.

This church was destroyed by a fire earlier in the town's history. The building in the background is the new building. The benches just on the inside of the fence sit on the original foundation. George Washington once worshiped here.

The oldest Catholic church in North Carolina is located in New Bern.

New Bern is also home to the third oldest Jewish synagogue in the country.

After the tour, we ate at a restaurant called Cow Cafe.

There is an area for the kids in the back of the restaurant decorated as a miniature barn.

The Cow Cafe serves deli style sandwiches and very good ice cream.

We passed Cow Cafe on our carriage tour.

Sunday we went to the aquarium.

Hannah, Jill, Aaron, Ally and Rachel in front of the aquarium. Disclaimer: Rachel fixed her own hair and Ally dressed herself.

Hannah and Ally

Rachel

The kids got to watch divers in the large tank with the sharks and Hannah even got to ask a question. After the diver gave his presentation he swam by the glass and gave the kids a high five from the other side. The kids especially loved the touch pools. We also saw baby sea turtles. The aquarium releases young sea turtles back into the wild every year.

The aquarium had a snake display. Of course, that made Aaron's day.

That's a rubber sea snake he got from the gift shop hanging around his neck.

This is Christine and me at a marsh behind the aquarium. I was talking to Rachel while she took the picture which is why I have that funny look on my face.

After the aquarium we decided to have lunch at a seafood restaurant called Sanitary in the town of Beaufort, pronounced Bo (long o) ford. We were laughing because we were eating at a place specializing in seafood and Christine, Aaron, Jill and I had burgers and Ally had chicken tenders.

Rachel and Hannah did have shrimp though. Once we ordered, the waiter brought us baskets of hushpuppies. Yummy!

We decided to walk along the waterfront. Christine remembered she had a voucher for a harbor tour/dolphin watching boat.

While we were waiting to board the boat Aaron saw some other kids looking at a snake under the dock. That was probably even more fun than seeing the snakes in the cages at the aquarium.

I was a bit nervous about the boat ride at first because I was sure one of the kids would fall overboard, but once we were underway I was able to relax and had a great time.

Rachel and Ally on the tour boat.

I had been on a short dinner cruise while in college, but this was a first for both me and the kids.

Our tour boat.

The kids even got a chance to drive the boat.

Hannah at the helm.

Aaron at the helm.

Rachel at the helm.

Jill at the helm.

We cruised by Carrot Island which is home to wild horses.

The horses were brought to the barrier islands by the Spanish in the 1500s. The horses survive by eating wild grasses on the island and drinking rain water. When water is hard to find above ground the horses will sniff out rainwater under the soil and dig with their hooves.

This is Aaron and Hannah with one of the horses in the background.

Rachel with one of the horses in the background.

We saw the restaurant where we had lunch.

We went under a drawbridge.

There was not a dolphin to be seen, but I still thought it was lots of fun. The tour lasted about an hour and a half and then it was time to go home for dinner.

It is very important to note that Christine had planned to actually cook, but I talked her out of it and convinced her we should just finish off the leftover pizza.

Ally, Aaron and Jill having dinner in the clubhouse.

Jill and Ally have an awesome play structure in their backyard. I loved sitting on the patio and enjoying the backyard.

We left early on Monday morning and I cried. I knew I would be sad to leave, but the tears caught me off guard just a bit. Those bonds do run deep...