‘Merica Tour 2014: Favorite Friends

“Friends are the family you choose.”

Maintaining friendships whilst moving all over the globe can be challenging. Sometimes it’s sad, because distance and lack of regular face-time erodes the relationship. Having non-military friendships is something really important to me, but not all of them can keep up with the constant Change of Address forms. However, the friendships that don’t need daily Facebook updates, weekly coffee dates, monthly phone calls, or even yearly holiday visits, are the special ones. The friends that skip all the small talk and get right to the nitty gritty, because small talk is for strangers. Those are the ones that stick around.

There are a lot of important people in our lives that we didn’t get to see on this trip. Others we did see, but didn’t document on an SD card. There were also some friends who just happened to be in the exact same place at the exact same time…without planning! Love when that happens!

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Yes...that is the REAL Dick Leinenkugel!

Yes…that is the REAL Dick Leinenkugel!

Thank you to all the friends who let us invite ourselves over during our ‘Merica Tour!Another huge thank you to all of our friends who came to see us in Germany. Family has a biological commitment to follow us around the world…your commitment is completely optional. We enjoyed sharing our small slice of Europe with you and hope that Joe’s quiche, salsa, and guacamole offset the time, energy, and money you sacrificed for the journey. Remember your “house guest assignments”? You will see them again soon…I promise!! 🙂

‘Merica Tour 2014: Parents

To be perfectly honest…we did a pretty poor job taking pictures of our parents on this trip. With them, it was more about hanging out and catching up, than taking pictures. How it should be, really. It doesn’t mean we love them any less!!

We did capture our first Moscow Mule though!

moscow mule

And the “boot garden”!

Where boots who have lost their sole mates go to find a second chance at love!

Where boots who have lost their sole mates go to find a second chance at love!

And the sardines that I hauled all the way from Portugal and forced my parents to eat!

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To our numerous Moms and Dads – Thank you for all your love and support over the past three years. We are so glad that our first state-side visit with (most of) you didn’t involve cows, shoeless princesses, crowded trains, lost luggage or hospitals! A success in our books!

‘Merica Tour 2014: Siblings

Siblings are the best, for sure! Especially when they have hilarious offspring. I’m going to let the pictures do the talking here…because explanations would entail a lot of “you just had to be there”.

Before.

Before.

After. That’s right…the prior picture was taken in a state of complete soberness!

After. That’s right…the prior picture was taken in a state of complete soberness!

When a big sister makes an inappropriate joke about raspberries, this is what it looks like.

When a big sister makes an inappropriate joke about raspberries, this is what it looks like.

Before.

Before.

After.

After.

Waaaaaay After.

Waaaaaay After.

Baseball ready!

Baseball ready!

Why is this child so friggin' cute?!

Why is this child so friggin’ cute?!

Chivalry at its best!

Chivalry at its best!

Ummm......

Ummm……

Well....

Well….

Only one missing is my bro. Sorry we didn’t take any pics! I enjoyed watching you eat Portillo’s though!!