fun was had by all...

we had a blast. We knew we would. Our friends always take glorious care of us. Although... even just an evening in the backyard with the kids playing and all of us eating, chatting, drinking... really it couldn't be any better than that. Oh and IKEA. I sing the praises of Ikea once again. Where else can you buy an end table that is living room worthy (in our home anyways!!) for $12.99. No, seriously. It was $12.99. I remember going there the first time with Janet and being absolutely floored by the cheap-ness of it all. I bought end tables then and thought to myself "self... for under $15 even if these tables only last for one year it was worth it." I am now replacing that same table with one in a different color. 5 years later. I'd say we got our full $12.99 out of them. And really? It's wonderful because I don't have to be one of those people who twitch if you don't put a coaster under your drink.
So we're back 'down south' again. We miss our Northern friends, but not our old neighborhood. We drove past the old house and the new owners don't seem to be giving it much love. It isn't horrifying, just sad. We saw our old neighbors. Our kids loved them, we did not. They haven't changed a bit. The kids were happy to see them so that was nice. We just drove away shaking our heads and being thankful to be out of the neighborhood. The house across the street is still for sale. Has been for 2 years now. We were lucky to escape when we did. It was a nice awakening though. With all the quirks that our new neighborhood and set of neighbors has to offer, we are MUCH happier in our new surroundings. If it wasn't such a long drive to visit friends, it would be perfection. Though still, even though we have been separated by so many miles and months, we fell back into laughing, chatting, whining about our kids and husbands, etc...just like the old days. It was a good weekend indeed.