An Overdue Dedication

It is time once again for one of my dedications. This one is long overdue though. So if you all remember after we decided to make the move to North Carolina that it was a dear friend who helped us settle things, get info and just give us the real lowdown that only the locals would know about. That dear friend was Paula.
I am not really sure what made us click so well together. She would probably tell you that it is because we are both crazy Portuguese woman with too many kids but the truth is that it's so much more than that. Yes, we are crazy...beyond words. Yes, we are Portuguese...actually both 100%. Yes, we would probably both tell you that we have too many kids but neither one of us would trade them for the world....which only emphasizes the crazy part...lol. There is something about Paula that I felt connected to from day 1 and honestly I feel as though she feels the same way.
Her real name is Teresa-Paula. Right from the beginning she told me what her name was and told me that her family called her Paula. How could I start calling her something other than what her family called her. Ironic that now down South, most people call her Teresa and I just can't bring myself to do it. She is Paula to me..now and forever.
Oh and did I mention that she is from RI too...Pawtucket to be exact. So as you can tell, we had so much in common right from the start but that certainly doesn't justify a friendship and certainly not the kind that we have. She went above and beyond what any normal person would do for another...a stranger none the less. That is right Paula, I am saying you are not normal...and neither am I for that matter. There was something different about her though. It was her genuineness and her kindness that was just beyond words. She even opened her home to us when we came to visit. Now before I tell you the famous story that she loves to tell everyone, let me say that although we had never met, we had spent countless hours on the internet together, on the phone together, our kids were friends already as well and although it was quite a gamble, on both our parts...it couldn't have been anything but her mother that brought us together with the help of God of course. Even before meeting each other, I had gone to Lasallette the day after Thanksgiving to visit her mother's plaque for her. It just felt like the right thing to do.
So the famous story goes like this:
We went to NC to visit and we stayed with Paula and her family. When it was time to go look at houses, she offered to stay with the kids. Knowing damn well that I wouldn't be able to get much done with three kids in tow and seeing how well all the kids got along, we agreed to let them stay. After we left, Paula decided to traumatize my children...lol. She asked Larissa if I had ever taught her not to talk to strangers on the internet and she said yes and then she proceeded to tell her that she should teach me...lol. She said that I left them with her and she could have been a murder. She definitely scared Larissa for a minute but she soon realized that she was just kidding.
With that being said, she invited strangers into her home too and we could have been murderers as well so there you go sweetie...we are both insane and out of our minds...and to think that Jose and Rick went along with it all too...lmao. We are definitely a crazy bunch.
It's two years later now and I can't imagine my life here without her. We have both had our ups and downs and will continue to have them but it makes it so much easier knowing that we are not alone. Saturday I was at Paula's with the kids (Jose stayed home thanks to his unhealthy addiction to the computer). And it was really nice to catch up. It had been a while since we spent time together. Internet, text messages and phones are great but there is nothing like just relaxing with a dear friend. It was nice complaining about our kids, our jobs and even our other halves but most of all, it was nice just knowing that we can do this anytime. It doesn't matter how much time has passed but our doors are always open (not litterally)..btw, you still need to come see the new house !
I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being crazy. Thank you for always being there. And thank you for being such a great friend !