a morning with dear and darling friends

yay for saturday mornings with kind and interesting people...and adorable kiddos...and scrumptious food...and ice cream at noon. my kind of day.

over the weekend we met up with kate and cooper and their little darling of a boy, roman. we have gathered with them before (and another time for crepes which was never properly documented on this blog of mine) to enjoy a tasty meal and good conversation and this occasion did not disappoint. sadly for us, we are losing them for a spell as they embark on a new season in little rock and elsewhere. military, man. i have such respect for the sacrifice that these servants of the red, white, and blue make for our country. their boldness and dedication is remarkable. and military families are a special breed. that is tough stuff, to be separated for long stretches like that...especially with a little one! i can't imagine the strain of all that. physically and emotionally. for those who leave and have to miss those moments at home. and for those who stay and have to endure the daily grind and celebrate the special things of life, alone. we lift those families up in prayer. and we are blessed to know this sweet family. they have such strength and love. and it doesn't hurt that they have a hefty dose of southern charm. we really like being with them.

you know how there are some people who are just easy to be with? it feels effortless and natural and pleasant. no pretense. no expectations. none of that junk. just talking and laughing and sharing stories and "me too!" moments and hurts and trials and joys. being on the same page and discussing differences. encouraging each other. celebrating each other. that is what these two are about. the amazing thing is that we just met a few months back. before that, it was just a series of likes and comments on social media. and here we are, hugging in the parking lot of a restaurant and just settling into conversation and mealtime and dessert and baby swapping. like old friends. what a cool thing when people like that come into your life. it is such a rare thing and so nice. we are excited to follow their adventures from afar for the next stretch of time and know that God will sustain. and then! we anticipate their return to AZ so we can meet up again. oh, the places we'll go!

p.s. elinor even curled up next to kate in the booth with her snuggles blanket and just sucked her thumb and relaxed, totally comfortable and at ease. like they were best buds. so, yeah. good stuff.

and now for a totally mediocre picture of us with our littles. the light was terrible. we are in an ugly parking lot. elinor and i are making weird squinty faces. and mr. roman is not really into the photo opp. oh well, at least we managed a picture of us this time. success. and of course, kate looks fab so...there's that.