November 29: Where Do I Begin?

November 22 we left on our adventure to Chesapeake, VA, to see our first Navy friends and share our Thanksgiving.  Lin and Greg were living 2 doors down from us in our first apartment complex as the guys started their Naval careers.  We became fast friends and have remained friends over the the last 30 years.  Our paths have criss-crossed many times and we have been stationed in the same area on several occasions.  Lin learned to diaper by changing Jamie's (First one went on backwards.)  We were there when Brandon was born and took care of Brandon when Benjamin was born and going through his medical situations.  When I could not meet the ship coming back from a Med deployment, Lin went in my place (That is a whole other story!!!) We have a very long history together.



Check out Brandon eying his beautiful bird!

 On Thanksgiving, Lin who is an exceptional cook prepared most of the meal.  Her sons have followed in her foot steps and did their part as well.  Brandon was in charge of the grilled turkey and Benjamin handled the mashed potatoes and ham.  The guys' girlfriends each had a part in the cooking as well.  Amy chopped carrots and apples to perfection and then Sammi sauteed.  Lin was the perfect mother hen clucking away and guiding the girls through their tasks.  The boys did it their way.  The meal was superb.  Kevin will attest to the desserts - pumpkin pie, apple pie, peaches and cream.  I loved having 3 different types of cranberries!

The whole day was wonderful.  The boys have definitely grown into charming young men and have each found a wonderful young woman to share this time of their lives.  No pressure guys, but we think they are keepers.


Benjamin and Sammi



Amy, Max, and Brandon

Friday was a little more laid back, with Kevin and I going to Woodcraft and then back to our friends' for lunch before heading out to explore.  Lin is the executive director of the Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways History Foundation, so she took us to the park and welcome center the foundation is building.  It was obvious to us that she is fully invested in its success.   We strolled around the paths as she pointed out what was taking place in each area. 

From there we did some driving around and reminisced about past adventures.  Then we went to the marina and met up with Brandon and Amy at his boat.  Until recently, he lived on this boat all year, but now he has taken a different job and will just be using it as a weekend place.  (Nice digs!!!)

Benjamin and Sammi had to work, so they did not join us for dinner and cards.  We played Phase 10.  In the end, it became a competition of sorts for Brandon and Amy.  She pulled off the win, and that lead to me building her a very special trophy which was presented the next day.  She loves mashed potatoes and I teased her far too much about them, but the potatoes were the perfect medium for sculpting her trophy.  We actually sprinkled it with edible glitter and then put it in the freezer to make certain is was firm.  As you can see she was tickled.

Lin and Greg have always been cat people.  The first cat we met at their house was Burpie aka Admiral Burp to my kids.  There were others along the way, Buttons (a very strong willed cat that I referred to as Butthead) and Pockets.  Currently the cat of the house is Bear. (He is all hot air and a push over for a quick scratching.)  However, when Greg retired from the Navy a couple years ago, Lin got him a Sheltie named Sadie.  Sadie worships Greg and always wants to know exactly where he is.  They are very cute together.  I loved it when they told each other secrets and when they played hide and seek with "Hedgie" a stuff animal.  Having Sadie is something that has really brought out the playful side of Greg.  As you can tell from this picture, Sadie also knows who is the biggest pushover for treats.