Pumpkins and Airplanes with {friends}

I have some amazing friends. Really, really unbelievable friends. Kim and I have been best friends since 5th grade - almost 20 years. We know everything there is to know about each other and can have a conversation with just one eye brow raise. Now that we're both married and have kids (she's due with her 2nd in April), we don't get to hang out as much as we'd like but we talk on the phone at least once a day and every now and then we have a girls' night out at Target with our other best friend, Megan.

Last week we met at a pumpkin patch in her town - she lives about 30 minutes away - and had some fun watching our kids run around.

Kim's little turkey, Christopher 
Auntie Kim with the kids finding their way through the Hay Maze.

It's important to have a friend who laughs when you call them 10 minutes after you're supposed to have left the house and say that you're not even close to leaving. Why is it so hard to get out of the house with kids? Oh yah, because I have to pack snacks, drinks, hats, a change of clothes, diapers & wipes, pacifiers, sunscreen, blankets and the double BOB. 

Playing in the kernels

  

 

It takes some time finding the perfect pumpkin. She had several in her wagon before finally deciding on one.

Me and my loves.

 

We also have the Peterson's. The coolest couple of all time. Jeff was one of my Captains when I was a flight attendant. He's hilarious. I met Nicole, who also worked at the airport, soon after I started flying with Jeff and I knew we would be great friends. 

Mr. G and I invited them over for the first time when we had a Halloween party in 2005 

side note: they didn't have costumes so they pinned numbers to their clothes and came as "the couple you can count on"

and we hung out as much as possible after that...until 2 years later when Mr. G and I packed up and moved. They live about 3 hours away, we visit them anytime we are at the beach, but we really miss their company. Mr. G and I always talk about the perfect world where Jeff and Nicole would be our next door neighbors, we'd be able to raise our kids together, have Saturday afternoon BBQ's and impromptu game nights.

This weekend Jeff and Nicole drove down to visit us - but mostly to see the Blue Angels - and it was fantastic. 

I love a good air show. This was my first one in several years and I had a smile from ear to ear the entire time. Airplanes are incredibly fascinating.

It was a hot 86 degrees outside but we stayed cool under umbrellas and sipping ice cold H2O.

Those jets are LOUD. And I LOVE IT! The sound of freedom.
Although I didn't love it when a pilot broke the sound barrier right over Target a couple of weeks ago when I was there. It was terrifying. All of the panels on the ceiling started flapping and the displays swayed. Of course it was unbelievably loud. People started running for exits and screaming. Quite the commotion. Turns out, the pilot was on a training mission (with a safety inspector on board) and didn't know he went faster than the speed of sound until he landed - and got in huge trouble. 

Those crazy loud planes aren't fun for little ones so ear protectors are a must. Noelle and Noah wore them around the house the day before to get use to them.

Noelle thought her inflatable Blue Angel was more exciting than the actual Angels soaring above.

Because the the real ones made her "stomach rumble." It's true. You have to watch out for the number 6 plane. He's a sneaky sucker who screams over you from behind and makes you jump out of your chair. It's awesome.

My mom and I intentionally blink when the planes pass at the center point like this. Yikes!

Noah fell asleep almost as soon as the Angels took off. Poor fella was exhausted.

I love doing things with my kids that I did when I was little. I hope Noelle remembers these events and is thankful that she was able to experience them. That smile on my face is saying, "these are my babies and I am the luckiest girl on earth"...or was it, "I paid 5 bucks for that?"

Do you ever see a picture before you take it? I looked down at Noelle's shadow and asked Aaron to hand me the camera and just when I looked through the lens I captured it.
The picture of the day.

And in other super awesome friend news...Megan got engaged on Friday! She is going to marry Kim's brother-in-law...my best friends are going to be sister-in-laws. I'm only slightly jealous that they get to have the same last name and be sisters forever. :)

Congratulations, Meggie!