Bye-bye to friends

So, usually when a post has this title, someone is moving. Thankfully, that's not the case this time, but our friends are taking an extended vacation up to the Pacific NW. Aside from the fact that I'm soooo jealous (have I mentioned we love it up there??), my friend Lea and her two boys--Daniel's bestest friends in the whole world--are going to be gone for two months this summer AND the whole middle of Scott's deployment. I tried to tell her the timing just didn't work for me, but for some reason, that didn't factor into their decision?????

Her husband has been up there for a few months now for work & has been able to come home every 3rd weekend or so. Now that it's summer, Lea & the boys are going to stay with him for the last 2 months of his training. We headed over there last night for dinner & to say good-bye. Of course, we had to take the obligatory kiddo pictures. Looking at these makes me kind of teary! We really can't do anything around here without one of my boys asking if Luke & Will are going to come, too. And, when you say "Luke and Will" to Colin, he grins madly! Luke loooooves babies, and in true baby fashion, Colin loves anyone who pays him attention :) Check out these pics of the two of them:

From Big kid pics

Colin has recently learned to hug:

From Big kid pics

And, Daniel with Will:

From Big kid pics

The Three Muskateers (I really do think sometimes they think they're triplets!!)

From Big kid pics

And, all 5 boys, being....well, BOYS!

From Big kid pics

I explained to the boys yesterday that Luke, Will, and Ms. Lea were going to be gone until after William was already in Kindergarden & would come home when Daniel started school again. I think that Daniel has had too much leaving the past few weeks, b/c he had a meltdown at dinner last night (not that that's TOO unusual), and after we got home & he'd calmed down, he told me he didn't like Seattle and didn't want to go there "never, ever again". I think my poor little boy is going to miss his friends, and I KNOW I will!!