welcome

Welcome to the new year…

and welcome to our little neighborhood crew.  

It's one thing I love about the Army - Army wives (not the tv show).  We're all in the same boat - generally far from 'home', reaching out for friends, learning a new area, raising kiddos… sometimes running the ship solo.  

And when it's 12 degrees outside, I'm really happy everyone is willing to walk on over to our house.  Because the Cajun blood that runs through my veins, just isn't quite sure what to do with 12 degrees!  (The pile up of jackets and hats and boots was in the other room!)  

I'm so thankful for this group of women and kiddos.  We knock on each other's  doors with spontaneous meals just because we made a 'big batch', we swap kiddos when we need to mop our floors in peace, we sit up late at each other's houses when someone has to run to the ER, we laugh over yummy meals and adult beverages during 'girls' night out', and we call each other from the commissary to make sure no one needs anything.  They make living in a town house with no back yard totally worth it.  And that's saying a lot for this girl who longs for wide open spaces.

I haven't always been good at gathering.  These girls here - the Black Knight Beauties (or Black Beauties (that's for you, Lisa) ;D) - taught me what I know.  They are the definition of the 'hostess with the mostest'.  Our gatherings were generally large (not quite this large!), full of kiddos, good food, and lots of laughs.  I loved it.  I admired the women who repeatedly opened their homes to us.  I wanted to be 'that person'.

It's something I've challenged myself with over the last couple of years.  I want our home to be a place where friends can gather, where they feel welcomed to just 'pass by', a place where noise and messes are welcomed.  But it doesn't come naturally to me.  I have to remind myself that everything doesn't have to be perfectly clean for people to come over, that it's going to be messy and loud, and there's a good chance there will  be a few toddler melt downs too.  However, it's the laughs and memories and a sharing of spirits that is so so very irreplaceable.  

I am grateful for this Army life we live.  (And just for the record, it's taken me nearly 5 moves and 3 states to arrive at that statement!)