So Surreal...

Part one of this post begins with my childhood friend Barb Mitchell. (she is now Barb Werner) Anyway, I've known Barb for as long as I can remember....literally. We grew up running the streets of Sunset Drive with a dozen other snot nosed kids, and I don't think we could have had it any better. Barb and I could (and do) laugh for hours at the memories we share of our childhood....so funny. And the memories are like a bottomless barrel....guess that's what happens when you've known someone your entire life. :)

Part two can now explain that this childhood friend, that I grew up with in a VERY small town in Missouri, now lives less than two hours away from me in Italy. Surreal, isn't it? Her husband, Pat, is in the Army and got stationed at an army post in Vicenza. They're still in the "settling" stage of their move, so I haven't seen Barb yet, but I can't wait to make more memories with her here in Europe.

Part three is today's event. Barb and Pat's son, Allen, had a baseball game in Aviano today. Unfortunately, they don't have their car yet, so Barb and Pat were unable to make the game. However, I was more than happy to go, and was really excited to watch Allen play and cheer him on! And I have to take a moment to brag about this young man. (keep in mind that I haven't seen Allen in over five years...and even longer for Ramiro) He walked over to us after the game and immediately thanked us for coming. We stood and had a short conversation about the game and how good it was to see him. He was genuinely engaged in the conversation, incredibly well mannered, and just an overall good kid. In fact, as we were walking away, he told us to have a good day. Ramiro and I were so impressed with his behavior and maturity. So refreshing to meet a teenage boy with such a good head on his shoulders....good job Barb and Pat!

So here are a few pics from today. Allen did great, had some awesome plays, and won the game!

He's in the red and white jersey.