Friends from long ago and far away

Jeff, Carrie, and Joshua. We met these three people in 1998. We were on our way to Kodiak, Alaska, courtesy of the US Coast Guard. We were in Bellingham, WA getting ready to board a three day ferry venture along the way. While we were sitting in the staging area we came across another Coast Guard family. Who within a matter of minutes, unbeknownst to us, had become a part of our lives, and our family for the rest of our lives.

We shared meals, fishing trips, hikes, tears, holidays, laughter and love. We spent 3 years in the same neighborhood, on the same island in Alaska. Then in 2001 Jeff, Carrie and Joshua got their orders. They were leaving Kodiak, going to Mobile, AL. And they went. In 2002 we left Kodiak and went to Ft. Dix, NJ. In 2003 we went to AL and stayed with them for about 3 weeks while Mike had a Coast Guard school to attend on Jeff's base.

In 2004 Jeff, Carrie, and Joshua moved to VA. They added to the family with Melaina Rose. In 2005 we all got together for my 40th birthday party, which was held in Virginia. In 2006 Mike retired from the Coast Guard and we moved to VA. We're not in the same town, matter of fact we're well over an hour away. We get together from time to time to laugh, eat good food, drink some beer, play some Trivial Pursuit or Scrabble and to be friends!!

Last night they were in town, and we went out for pizza, came back to the house; the kids played guitar hero for a while and the adults just hung out talking, laughing and being friends up close and in the present!