Friends

At 9:30am last Wednesday morning she opened the door. We were just standing there. She couldn't comprehend that Dianne and I were on her front porch at that moment and she simply started at us, looking from me to Dianne and back again. Finally, after about 10 seconds, when her brain caught up to her optic nerve, she covered her mouth and squealed, our cue to start laughing and shrieking ourselves. She fell back on the stairs, in a moment of pure, Victorian drama, and began to tear. She pointed at me, "YOU emailed me last night!" (Expressing, again, my remorse at how I was going to miss her big day because of my Stupid, Stupid Job.)

"Yup... from the airplane."

Group hug and crying.

Her mother-in-law, Janine, and nanny, Esperanza, came to see what all the commotion was about. She grabbed them, "These are My Girls! Paige and Dianne, who said they couldn't come!"

"SURPRISE!"

Group hug and crying.

There were tears and laughter, hugs and squeals.

And then we woke the baby up. And got reprimanded by Esperanza.

Bronwyn put on a fresh pot of coffee, while telling us how, regrettably, she had to be somewhere at 11am, but that we could catch up until she had to shower.

At 12:30, Angie, Dianne and I left her house so she could get on with her day.

But in the course of those 3 hours, we had caught up on the past 2 years worth of chatter. We hadn't all been in the same room since our trip to Hawaii in May of 2004. There was a lot to say.

For the rest of the week, Dianne and I moseyed around Coronado, eating breakfast out, shopping, taking walks, and sitting by the pool, where we had our own slave waitress to bring us Pina Coladas and Mudslides whenever we so desired.

Except on Thursday. Thursday was the reason for our trip. At 10am, Dano had his Change of Command during a ceremony that always has me in tears from the moment the colorguard marches the flag to center stage for the National Anthem. But I can be like that.





At 2, Tiaras properly donned, we headed to the Hospital for Bronwyn's Retirement ceremony. It was a beautiful ceremony, ripe with Tradition, Honor, Laughter and tears. Twenty years is a long time to dedicate to any one task, and Bronwyn accomplished it with Grace and Finesse; Style and Strength while at the same time being Navy Wife and sometimes even a Commanding Officer's Wife. Both big jobs, in their own right. While any ending is bittersweet, this one is more sweet than bitter. Bronwyn became Mother to a beautiful, beautiful baby girl last fall and so begins her True Calling.

But before she could start that, we needed Esperanza for one more night. The night of the Retirement Party! Behold:



Dano on air guitar. Air guitar? Inflatable guitar.












Ohana Annie








Paige, Dianne, Annie, Angie







Cara & Bronwyn







Hula Paige & Bronwyn







Matt & Dianne








Laura & Paige