Insta-friends

Nora and I met about a month before the 8th grade graduation. It was her son, Ivan, who was Lucy's co-presenter.

I liked her instantly. With her beautiful winning smile, I found her easy to talk to and within minutes of being introduced we had already found that we not only had the homeschooling thing in common, but we also had the Spanish thing in common (she is Mexican).

The next time we saw each other was the day of the actual graduation. Again, as Lucy and Ivan were rehearsing, Nora and I were finding out more about each other and it felt like we had everything in common.

How could that be? Making friends is a complex process, isn't it? Yet, our friendship seemed to be happening instantaneously.

So when she invited my family to have dinner with hers the other night, we agreed. I was looking forward to a pleasant evening and I figured she and I would gab and our families would just have to suck it up and be polite to each other. =D

Wow! Was I wrong!

No, wait... that didn't sound right at all... what I meant to say is that not only was everyone polite, but because they are amazing people, we all got along beautifully.

Amazing, I tell you. Both Nora and Brian and their two handsome and witty sons, Adrian and Ivan were interesting and funny and thoughtful and the most gracious hosts.

From the moment we walked into their spectacular beach front home, we felt completely at ease, (which was quite a feat considering that our entire home would probably fit into their main floor, but that's not important right now). 

There was never, no seriously, not one dull moment, not one lull in the conversation. The kids were off playing down on the beach, again as if we had been doing this together forever. The dinner was fabulous and we ended the evening with s'mores cooked in the fire pit. And of course, I brought some pastelitos de guayaba. It just doesn't get any sweeter that this. ;-)

We (the Darbys) were all thinking "where have these people been hiding? They are such a TREASURE!"
Not once did any of the kids give me that mom-how-much-longer-til-we-can-leave look. In fact, we didn't want to leave at all.  Our conversation was stimulating and rich. (I swear we didn't even discuss the weather because we had so many other interesting topics on the table) Seriously. Did I mention there was not one dull moment?

I know. I'm gushing. In fact, we gushed about them all the way home.

[Thanks, Brian and Nora for your generous hospitality. Thanks for opening up your hearts and your beautiful home to us.  We just LOVE you.  And I swear, we were (all of us Darbys) completely captivated by you.]

BONUS:  they live right on the beach and they surf, too... Insta-friends. Just add water. =D

This 15 second clip says it all...