Why We Moved Away from All of Our Friends

Almost 2 years ago, we moved away from all of our Charleston, SC friends.  Some had been leaving us: Jeff and Bri had to leave for career purposes, Seung Lan had to leave because her husband got stationed in Okinawa and Vernon left to pursue a higher degree closer to his son, just to name a few.  But others are still there and we miss them dearly, The Watkins Family, Betty and Larry's MPPC choir friends come to mind quickly.  (Sorry to "all y'all" who aren't mentioned individually!)

But we moved so that Abigail could grow up to know her family, so that her aunts and uncles could be almost like second parents to her, be close to her and not must be some strangers she saw twice per year.  

And a night like tonight, with Abigail nestled between her Aunt Kim and Uncle Dean, awake an hour after bedtime, adorned in Penguins gear, eating brownies she made for her Uncle's birthday, learning to cheer and yell at all of the right times like any other deranged sports fan, waiting for the next fight like any typical hockey fan, makes me happy. (Not the sports, of course, but the bonding.  The sports are insignificant compared with their shared experience.)