USD Dental Hygienists German Invasion!

Germany may not have known it, but they had a dental hygienist invasion.... a University of South Dakota dental hygienist invasion!

My good friend from college came to Germany with her boyfriend.  They had a two week vacation planned but stayed with us for a day and night before venturing out into Germany, and then spent their last day before going home to the States with us too (they had hoped we could tag along for parts of their vacation but Eric was not able to get leave or a pass for the time they were here...such a bummer).  Eric and I picked them up from the airport and from the second Shannon and I spotted each other we didn't stop talking.  I'm not kidding.  We talked the entire day and night!  

Shannon and I were two parts of a 4-gal group in college who commuted from where we were living to hygiene school (about a 50 minute drive).  Those gals got me through the dental hygiene program.  We studied together, cried together, laughed together.... gosh, for two years we did just about everything together, they even helped me with my wedding planning.  When one of us would fall apart, the other three were there to pick her up.  I would not have gotten through that program without them!  It was so great to see Shannon four years after graduation, now settled into our careers, into our lives, getting to spend a few days talking and catching up, without the stress of college.

In honor of #TBT ("throwback Thursday") here is a picture of our super awesome group just a month before we graduated.

It just so happens that my backyard neighbor and good friend is also from South Dakota, also went to the University of South Dakota, is also a dental hygienist, who also works in the same dental office I do, and is also named Melissa!  {What? Are? The chances?!}  She has become one of my closest friends here.  There's just something about her that my little heart needs!

I had had a little too much to drink by this time- sorry for the blurriness, I was trying to focus.

So when Melissa and her husband came over we commenced a typical South Dakota party: too much alcohol, stayed up waaayy too late, and never for a second did we stop gossiping and talking!  We were too busy talking, laughing, and having fun to worry about pictures, so I don't have great pictures to show you, but trust me we had a blast!

Class of 2003 & Class of 2010 in GERMANY!!  Go 'Yotes!

After our super fun night we all nursed hangovers and then Matt & Shannon left for their vacation.  They kept us posted throughout their travels and I am so so so excited because they got ENGAGED while they were here!
  

  
Eric and I are so enchanted with our lives here.  Isabelle is thriving, we're seeing the world, and we're happy!  But, I didn't realize how much I miss home until I saw a familiar face.... it was comforting having a friend from home visit and I had a blast showing them how normal life is for us here.  I think we've convinced these two that another European vacation before we PCS in 2016 is a must!