Dita's Darlings: Marla

These two Texan love birds flew into town to celebrate

a long St. Patrick's Day weekend in New York City.

On Friday night, JR* and I met Marla and Derek smack dab in the middle of Times Square.

We took them for a whirlwind NYC tour though the City on our way downtown

for a wonderful evening of tapas, sangria and lots of laughter.

There were only two things missing that night...

and luckily they showed up on Saturday afternoon!

These two couples share a very special bond of friendship.

Not only do they have a slew of gorgeous kids between them;

one child in particular, Baby Reagan, prompted Marla to leave her 4 children (and her hunky husband)

for 2 whole weeks to travel across the world with Lisa to China to bring Lisa's daughter home!

JR and I have been fortunate to spent lots of time with Lisa, Pat and even with Marla
but this was the first time we met Derek in the flesh.

(and the first time Pat and Lisa met him too!)

Take if from me....the man did NOT disappoint!

Oh what fun we had together.

The weather was unseasonably gorgeous making it a great day to just walk around and explore.

Watching Perfect Pat, Dynamite Derek and my own Hot Colombian (HC as Marla has dubbed him) together had us scratching our heads wondering if perhaps they were long lost frat brothers.

(Cherries anyone?)

The playful, easy way they interacted seemed as if they'd known one another for years.
There's no question our "boys" could get in quite a bit of trouble together.

I hope they don't decide to do a guy's weekend 'cause I don't think we'll be able to afford the bail!

We ate and drank ourselves silly (not necessarily in that order)

and though there's no doubt we all adore our children;

I truly don't remember us speaking about the kids at all.

We had so much fun together as couples....just what the doctor ordered for all of us.

And, if you need proof of that...it is evidenced by the fact that even Lisa barely took out her camera (a real first!) and told us to put ours away!

(Yeah, lucky for YOU I didn't listen!)

Our sweet friends from Texas and Pennsylvania are back home but we will remember this weekend as the very special one it was....until the next time!

It's Black and White Wednesday!

To see more of our NYC weekend and some wonderful images from

so many fantastic photographers,

click on over to

The Long Road to China

*Special shout out to JR for being such a good sport and joining us both nights despite the issues he's had with his eye this past month. He told me he wouldn't have missed it for anything!

Two weeks ago Friday, the Darlings and I spent the evening with three very special friends...

Lisa, Pat and Marla.

Lisa and Pat have spent the last 4+ years waiting to hold the daughter from China they dreamed of when they married nearly 6 years ago. During those waiting years, they were blessed with the opportunity to share in the joy of raising their son, Nick, and watching their daughter, Sarah, another very unique miracle in their lives, blossom into a precocious little girl.

As the years passed, they both knew that their family was not complete and never would be until the little girl from China who visited them in their dreams was home safely in their arms.

Now for Marla.

Marla is the stunning Texan from Fort Worth, wife extraordinaire to Derek and mom to 4 J's (Jakob, Jacey, Jaden and Jack) all 11 years old and under. Marla is an amazing woman, wife, daughter, sister, photographer and the most incredibly giving friend one can imagine.

Marla heard that our friend Lisa was going to travel to China alone.

Having been to China twice to bring home her two beautiful Chinese daughters,

Marla just wasn't having it.

Apparently, friends don't let friends go to China without them!

So, she pulled out her Superwoman cape, juggled like no other and put together a calendar that even the Secret Service would envy. With Derek, the ridiculously handsome and very capable right hand man she married, having her back...

she actually jumped on a plane to China with Lisa for 2 weeks.

(yes, 16 hours straight each way!)

I know, kinda makes you wonder if you'd have

the guts and the gumption to do the same, doesn't it?

Selfless generosity!

So, 2 weeks ago, on the eve of these two special girls heading over to China for Operation Reagan, we all gathered along the Hudson River for a bon voyage dinner.

The evening couldn't have been more perfect, unless of course, they had already been and were sitting there with Reagan in their arms across from us.

Here are some shots of that very magical night.

Note the delectable cocktails!

The specatular view!

The emotions really ran high that night with the gravity of what was about to happen to the expectant couple and their family finally hitting each of us.

China was a whirlwind those two weeks for the girls.

They saw and experienced so many new things and chronicled them for us all in true blogger fashion. I (along with so many others) felt like I was experiencing the trip first hand as I'd read through both of their blogs each day. Click here for Lisa's Blog and here for Marla's Blog

(you will not be sorry you visited but you might smack me for getting you addicted!)

The images and sights of China, through their stunning photos

and eloquently written words, really speak for themselves.

The highlight of the journey was, of course, meeting Reagan for the first time.

Lisa has compiled memories and images that will last a lifetime; hers and Reagan's!

This past Friday night, two weeks to the day we saw the girls off,

the Darlings and I had the privilege of being present at the airport

when the girls returned from China...with Reagan at center stage.

There really are no words that can express how much joy we felt being a part

of that very special moment....

when The Long Road to China finally intersected at Happily Ever After.

We are absolutely overjoyed for Lisa, Pat and their beautiful family of 5.
We are so in awe of the gift of themselves that Marla and Derek

so graciously bestowed upon them.

Here's a little sneak peak of that very special day...