Our Last Week

I realize I've been off the radar for the last three weeks (a first for the blog), but we are alive and made it safely to Utah (thank you Mandy for the phone call to check in on us!). Here's a brief recap of our last week in Lincoln, our beloved little town!

It seemed like we were trying to cram in all the goodbyes and lasts of everything. These are my 'Time Out for Women' ladies. Ever since TOFW over two years ago we get together every so often for a birthday dinner and have a lovely chat over burgers. Our group has dwindled as others have moved, and now with Karen and me leaving, Suzanne and Wendy will be left alone to carry on the tradition! A great evening with great conversations, and great friends. Andrew had his last day of preschool and it was sad to think that he won't see these little friends again. They are such cute kiddos and we've loved doing our preschool co-op with these kids.Andrew also had to say goodbye to his most admired friend, Noah. Andrew continues to ask if he can play with Noah "after we're done moving." Oh, it's so hard to explain to him that he won't see him again! Breaks my heart! Having fun with the sold sign!Our sweet and adorable neighbors planned a wonderful neighborhood party to say goodbye to our family. Independence Day is a big deal to the S. 30th Street family, so Marcy and Julie recreated the holiday so our family wouldn't miss out. The celebrations were complete with the parade, potluck BBQ, water balloon fight and fireworks. It was such a fun evening to chat with everyone and just relax in our commons area. Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures. Marcy, I'm counting on you to send me what you have! This picture is out of place, but I'm too tired to figure it out. Mike and Andrew drove the truck and it was so cute to see Andrew's little blond head way up high in this big truck. He was so happy to get to ride in the truck with his daddy!Our kids had a blast with the house in boxes and all torn apart. Tanner was so excited to see the the kitchen table was just at his level once the legs were taken off. Moments before the Yankee Hill Ward Moving Co. showed up, he was walking all over it and was as happy as could be! Goodbyes are so hard, and I'm not very good at them. As our last day came to an end my heart felt heavy, and my body felt and looked tired, and the reality of everything started to hit me. Ryan and Suzanne have been such good friends to us, they've been like family. It was the kind of goodbye where you hug tightly then both turn around before the sobbing starts. I'm sure our paths will cross again, but not soon enough.The moving truck provided lots of entertainment for our children, as well as the neighborhood kids. Andrew was especially in heaven. To be three and get to sit in a huge yellow truck!The day we moved in, Marcy and Julie were standing at our door introducing themselves and bringing dinner, and the kindness hasn't stopped for almost four years! After we packed the truck and the crowd had gone home, Marcy, Julie and I laid on Julie's hammock in the dark of the night and reminisced, laughed, hoped, and enjoyed one last neighborly-- more like sisterly, conversation. It was just what I needed, and of course they always know just what I need. Sometimes it was a meal, a break from my kids, a knock on the door at 7 a.m., a sidewalk chalk message, a phone call, an email, a silly poem, cookies, a girls night out, parenting tips, or words of encouragement. They just know. They went in late to work the next day so they could be there to make us breakfast, gather the last few things, and wave goodbye as we all sobbed and I drowned my sorrows in the box of Lamars donuts Marcy had picked up for me. My heart broke as we drove away from these ladies. They have helped me through my first few years of being a mother and have loved me as part of their own families. The morning we left, Marcy gave Andrew the most adorable book of ABC's she had made for him. It's full of pictures of Andrew and the neighbors and our family. He loves it and it is such a treasure!

Here we are, all packed up and ready to go! We moved into this house with just two of us and a moving truck half this size. We left a family of five with a whole lot of stuff!

As I walked through the house one last time it tugged at my heart. I suddenly saw us bringing Andrew home from the hospital and we whispered when he slept. I saw him stretching to reach the knot in the wood on our fireplace (which is now at his eye level )and taking his first steps across the front room. I remembered so vividly the pack n' play in the front room with two tiny babies and toddler Andrew running laps around them! I saw Tanner and Reid get stuck behind the curtains when they were learning to crawl. The flood of memories overwhelmed me and even typing this I get choked up. Our first little house was perfect for us, and while it makes my heart ache to leave, it's exciting to move on...to student housing! There are exciting things to come, and an unknown future that gives me the good kind of butterflies.