Feeling the Love and Saying Goodbye

Ugh. This post has been looming over me. The past six weeks have been spent putting my heart back in my chest and I knew that looking at these pictures again would bring it back up to my throat. But these pictures represent all the love and life that we left behind. It only hurts so bad because we loved so deeply and felt that love in return...

Right before we took Aric to Boston our sweet friends put on an Open House for us to say goodbye and show their love and support. This first picture is of the amazing Julie Craig. Everyone needs a Julie in their lives. There is no end to this woman's love and generosity. She made me the most beautiful quilt that I will treasure always. She also hosted this very crowded party for us...I could never be that relaxed and gracious with that many kids running through my house!

One of the things I love about my church is how we get to serve in various capacities that give us the opportunity to get to know the other members of our congregation. I have found that it is impossible to  not fall in love with the people you serve. These are some of the people we have fallen in love with...

We love Mary!

Shelley and Brookie

Todd and Heather

Christine and Kevin

Mark and Cami, Kelly and Jen

Shanna, Rachel me and Edes...

Brielle and McKayla...Love these girls! I got to have them as my Primary kids and then I got to be with them when I served in the Young Women's program.

Madeleine and Zoe...Love these girlies too!! 

My kids were blessed to have some of the best leaders/teachers on the planet...Christine with the girls.

Maya with Amanda

The food was YUMMY! All of my favorite treats...this picture makes me so hungry...

The kids just couldn't stay away from the table...I can only imagine the sugar highs that were going on.

Thank heavens Julie has the backyard to handle 238 kids with sugar highs!

Maya and Gabe. I love this picture so I had to include it in the post...

Ben is Camden's best friend...C has no idea that Ben is like 11 years older than him. He just adores him.

 There are always some crazies that crash a party and here are some that showed up to ours...

Really G...nice creeper face.

I love this action shot...Mel cutting, Meg talking and Shelley mothering...

Adam and Aric

It was so great to see friends that we made almost ten years ago when we first moved to Liberty Lake. Sariah and I moved in the very same week! 

Mark and Kerry...we have been through a whole lot of life together.

This is Fawn and her sweet baby and husband. I first met Fawn when she was 16 and I helped teach her the discussions, what an awesome experience it was to be a part of her life and watch her grow up into such an amazing mom and wife.

Seriously, I was blessed with the greatest friends I could have ever asked for...

Melissa, Rachel, Heather and Erin

Cami

Penny

Ashley

Jen

Jess S, Meg, Cami and Julie

The Nebs

To have so many people that I love in the same place was awesome!

(Ryan and Jessica were out of town but the kids represented well)

Staci and Sydni

Me and Baby Dude (Jude)

Gabe just couldn't get enough of us...we gave him lots of love and affection to fill his cup before we left.

This party, that meant so much to us, was Meghann's brain child. She even made a book for us that she kept track of for weeks as she passed it around the ward. She made sure everyone that we were close to wrote us a farewell message. Another precious gift that I will treasure always...

A special thank you to my lovely friend Miss Jess took these pictures for me...thanks babe.

My heart is so full of gratitude for the amazing people that have become family to us. The love runs deep and just because we are no longer together in our day to day lives, the bonds are strong and the love will always remain.