two redheads, a brunette, and me

One of the only times I've been excited to move since we got married was when we moved from Fort Lee to Fort Campbell. I wasn't attached to anyone at Fort Lee and I had a "friend" at Campbell. It was a very loose friendship because after all, she was off the internet and you never can tell about those internet people. (Said the girl who met her husband online.) I was slightly hesitant about giving her my phone number but decided that if she was a mass murderer out to get us, I could always switch phones, change my identity, and join the Witness Protection Program. 

We met in person on May 25th, 2012 and much to my joy and relief, she wasn't a mass murderer. Fifteen months, countless visits, and more than 5,000 texts later, she's my very best friend in Kentucky/Tennessee/southern part of the country.

I think we all know by now I'm talking about Jenn. 

Here we are the day we met:

And here we are reenacting the photo a year later. I have more chins, Jenn is looking all fit and trim (she's basically a super-marathoner) and Molly still refuses to look at the camera and acknowledge she's associated with us.

Everyone needs a Jenn. She introduced me to Chick Fil A, took me to the pumpkin patch and Christmas parade, introduced me to Aggie the Awesome and her munchkins (my other best friends here), convinced me to get on instagram and told me about new blogs. For weeks I would go over to visit every Friday afternoon to gossip. We gossip on other days too, Friday was just our big day. We've even kept lists of what to discuss. She asked me to watch her kids while she sent Steve off to Afghanistan and had me over for supper the night he came home. Because of her I can spell lieutenant properly. She let me come to her house at midnight when there was shooting at our apartment and Christopher wasn't home. She wanted me to pick her up from the airport even though we almost died on the drive there the day I dropped her off. We went wogging (walking/jogging) together. She discussed in detail the pros and cons (mostly pros) of working on a Josh Turner tour. She let me eat all manor of gluten free foods from her pantry and told me about the best gf chocolate chip cookies at the commissary. We had a movie night which turned into recording ourselves attempting to plank. That's when I learned this:

As if all that didn't accurately convey our friendship, here's a short list of reasons why we're perfect for each other:

* we both married transportation officers

* we both have curly hair

* we both have a father who owns a business
* we both have three brothers and one sister

* we both have a sister named Elizabeth

* we both have siblings who are twins

We're pretty much the same person.

Steve and Christopher were basically forced to become friends. (Don't all grown men love when their wives set them up on play dates?) During our first visit, Jenn and I "toured the upstairs" which meant we stood in the hallway to discussed relatives and placentas and our mutual love for subpar blogs while the men talked downstairs. Talked is a very generous way of putting it. They occasionally let out a few words with VERY LONG gaps of complete silence in between. When we went over for supper a few weeks ago, the men stood out by the grill talking for hours while we ladies stayed indoors. They've come so far.

Sammy screamed bloody murder the first time we met. By the third time he saw me, he marched into my house like he owned the place and spent some quality time sniffing all my seasonings. He's gotten so accustomed to having me around that I've even been mentioned in his bedtime prayers. He probably mostly likes me because when I'm around he gets to play in the CFA play area, but I like to think he enjoys my natural charm and the knowledge that he's among my favorite little boyfriends.

Molly was just a ball of chub and red hair when we met, and not too much has changed except somehow she's become an even cuter ball of chub and red hair. I love her so much. Jenn said I could keep her when they move to Korea, but she went ahead and got Molly a passport so I guess that means she's going.

Monday we met at CFA for supper. It was the saddest visit ever because I had to tell them goodbye before they move 62 million miles away to Korea. I told myself not to cry right there in the middle of the parking lot but of course I did. I also told myself that this is EXACTLY WHY I should never love people so much and from now on I will live in a cave like a hermit.  

Thanks for being my friend, Jenn. Don't let the Asian ladies take my spot. You know it's impossible that they have the same blog lists we do! Just as soon as we get the Army to finalize the paperwork we'll be over. In the meantime, keep my guest bed open. I love you more than chocolate!