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.

Aric Had A Birthday...

Needless to say our lives have been turned upside down and the past few weeks have been a whirlwind. We have hardly had time to sleep but there have still been some blog worthy moments and Aric's birthday is surely one of them!

So we sort of celebrated Aric's birthday on his birthday. I made him some cinnamon applesauce muffins...from scratch....for breakfast. (That is love.)

Then I went to pick up the kids who had been in Oregon with my parents. Sadly Aric had his last night of class so as soon as we got home he ate and ran. He did get some pretty sweet luggage for his gift. No pictures.

Then we celebrated with friends the next night.

Before the party I sent out some questions for everyone to answer. A couple of buddies couldn't be there but sent their answers  Here are a sampling of some of the questions and the answers...

If Aric were an animal what would he be and why...

A Sasquatch.Hey that's kind of an animal. And of course it's because he could make all of Camden's dreams come true:)

I think he’d get a kick out being a Sasquatch, not only because he's a believer but I think he'd have a whole lot of fun scaring the crap out of anyone and everyone he could. Imagine what a rush he'd get from jumping into peoples' window wells as Bigfoot.

Liger - because Aric is the perfect blend of rugged manliness and feminine sensitivity.

If Aric had a theme song constantly playing as he went through life what would it be...

"Stayin Alive" and he would walk really slow in his size 4 women's bell bottoms with a creepy mustache and sunglasses.

I can't go for that..by Hall and Oats

Hold On - Wilson Phillips

(Mike and A)

If Aric had another life what would his occupation be...

He would be in the magical alliance with Gob Bluth and would be an illusionist.

Reality TV Host

Something manly like construction.

(A getting cozy with George and Randi)

If Aric wrote a book or an autobiography what would the title be...

"The many faces of Mustache Man" A Memoir

"The Brotherhood of the Traveling Mustache"

"My Life as a Prankster"

(Adam and A)

If Aric were the lead in a movie or tv show which movie/show would it be...

Biggest Loser:) J/K No he would definitely be the creepy nightline guy on Saturday Night Live.

Gigli, he is tall dark and handsome like Ben with his little latin spitfire on his side. 

It would be a sitcom about six "friends" in their thirties living in posh apartments in Manhatten trying to adjust to life in the "real world." One would be a paleontologist, one would be an actor, one would be a chef, one would be a masseuse, one would be a waitress, and the other would be Aric. No one would really know what he did for a living, but he would be the ultimate "funny guy" and would do anything for a friend. He would eventually marry the bossy, overly-dramatic, neurotic friend, which would be completely different from his real life.

Bad question...we already know he IS the real Phil Dunfey.

(A getting smooched by Mark and Cami)

If you had to pick a nickname for Aric what would it be...

Well the nickname that I do call him is A-Rick. 

Vanilla Jalen. He will never stop talking smack...and he'll back it up too.

“A” because Aric loves texting curse words abbreviated by their first letter.

 (A and Jessica kissing Ryan's guns)

If you had known Aric when you were growing up, would you have been friends...answer yes or no and explain...

I would have been his best friend. He would have loved me because I would have made him only the second scrawniest kid in school.

Probably not, because of his filthy mouth:)  For some reason, I think he would have been a bad influence on me.

Absolutely. Although it’s better for my criminal history that we weren’t.

Yes - he would have enjoyed the brand of mischief propagated my me and my idiot friends, and we would have welcomed his quick wit and high energy.

Our relationship would mirror that of two young African lions or bull elks: bitter rivals, competing at large (and maybe to the death) for the ladies. 

(Kyle enjoying some love from A hoping Ashley won't notice)

If Aric were bff's with a celebrity, who would it be...

Ashton Kutcher. He would come up with the ideas for Punk'd.

Chuck Norris' beard. Not Chuck Norris, just the man's beard.

Jennifer Lopez. He seems to do pretty well with the Latinas.

(J-Lo has nothing on me!)

What do you see Aric doing 30 years from now..

Whatever Jessica tells him to.

Being the best heart device rep in the country, living in St.George in a mansion with unlimited mello yellow on tap and hanging out by his pool eating chips and salsa.Oh did I mention that he would be doing this with his neighbor Garrett?:)

Remodeling something in his house - shirtless.

Trying to be a sports agent for Camden...

The Dishes

What will you miss most about Aric once he has moved....

Stuffing our faces with chips and salsa late into the night. Either that or his creepy drive bys out our front window while we are eating dinner.

A good laugh in any conversation he's in. He is one funny guy and you always know it will be a good time when Aric is around.

His drawings of ward members.

Watching him wander up and down the aisles at church pretending to count the congregation while is really sizing up the crowd to determine if this the Sunday that he leads the coup to overthrow Bishop Nebeker and topple his puppet regime.

Having someone across the street on whom I can rely for anything. Someone who will hear me out, help me with moving/home teaching/blessings/etc., distract me from life's stresses, give good advice without lecturing, leer into my front window while I'm eating, bring me cans of forbidden soda, pass me notes at church, touch me inappropriately while playing basketball, show me crazy things he's Tivo'ed, etc. etc. etc....oh boy, this is going to suck!

(G and A eskimo kissing with Rachel trying to get in on the action)