Friends: Saying Goodbye Part II

After our neighbors had a party for us, it was time for me to say goodbye to my best friends. This was brutal. These girls... oh these girls. These girls own a piece of my heart and a piece of my soul. Forever. There is no distance I could move that could ever change that. We have been through everything together. Marriages, divorces, pregnancies, babies, loss of a child, loss of parents, loss of pregnancies, moving, new jobs, spiritual milestones, joys, ups, downs, highs, lows, Holidays, Birthdays and tons and tons of laughter. I truly love each of them very much for what they have brought to my life and my children and I am blessed for having known them.



The girls and I got together for dinner at Cantina Laredo. I tried to go around the table and speak with and take pics with each person there. Looks like I missed getting pictures with Stephanie, Trish and Danielle who came later. :(


Susan (and baby #3 on board)


Brooke


Keely and Tanya


Kim


Nina and Michella


Jessica, Nina and Erin


Adrianna


Sue


Paulina

After dinner we went next door so I could have FROST Gelato for the last time (cry) until I come back to visit that is...


Clockwise from L-R: Brooke, Tanya, Susan, Sue, Nina, Paulina, Me, Kim, Jessica and Michella

I fought back tears most of the night. I couldn't even read the card they gave me that they all took the time to sign. Many of them gave me gifts that were so thoughtful and touching. I got a Phoenix Mug so I will "never forget where I came from" ha ha (My Boston friends may disagree with that one) and a small colorful cactus as a reminder of Phoenix. And lastly, a framed heart cut out of the City of Chandler on Google Maps which shows exactly where my neighborhood was. I LOVE them and cherish them. But better than the gifts were the loving words of my friends in speeches, phone calls, texts, emails, FB rants, and cards that literally left me speechless. And those of you that know me, know I can TALK. It was so incredibly humbling to have people telling me how much I meant to them, that I was the glue that held them all together, and that I had touched their lives in ways that had impacted them forever, that I NEVER knew. I thought I was the lucky one to have these beautiful souls in my life, and they were sure to tell me they felt the same about me. It is these words and well wishes and cards and notes and CDs that I listen to when I am missing them all. And I am thankful for Facebook that I can stay in touch with them all daily and still feel like I am just down the road.

I love you all like sisters. I love your children like my own. That will never change no matter where we end up in life. I can not wait to see you all again in February when I come visit for Sue's wedding :) xoxoxo

Family: Cross Country Adventure Part 1

This morning I cried. A lot. For the first time. Just cried and cried. The kids and dogs were in the car. Everything was packed. And I was standing in my empty house. And this was my view.



The night before we had celebrated our last night in our house with one last dinner and swim with our besties.





With one last beautiful sunset in our backyard.




Sparklers...



And lastly, with camping in the living room.



I thought I was ready. But as I stared at my empty house, and the toys, drawings and notes we were leaving for the two children who would be arriving soon, it hit me. It would be their laughter that would fill that home, their heads that would bob up and down in the pool in the backyard. It would be their cries and boo boos, their playdates, their Halloween fun, and Christmas mornings in this house, and not ours. It was a little overwhelming, ok a lot maybe, and the tears just started flowing.

"It was a great house" I told Jimmy through my tears. And it was. The first house I ever owned. The house I was married in, had my babies in, had tons of parties and friends in. And I felt like I was leaving a piece of my heart and a piece of my soul, to live on forever in that house. To keep loving it from a distance for all of time. I came out to the car and Ryen could see my tears. And then she lost it. Just started crying and crying about how she didn't want to move and didn't want to leave our house. I felt bad for triggering this response in her. Not as if I had any control over it.

She was over it soon enough and we were cruising on the highway on our way to New Mexico! Our first stop was lunch at Burger King!





Here was another one of our pit stops in NM. We were ALMOST there :)




Some of the scenery along the way.



I tried to get Ryen to fall asleep the entire 6 hour drive but she would not. Until the last 10 minutes of our car ride to the hotel. (ha ha- of course)



Finally checked into our hotel in Las Cruces, NM. The girls couldn't wait to get some time in the hotel pool and hot tub!



The next morning we were out of New Mexico...



Feeling ready to tackle Texas.



Such a long state it was going to take us 2 days to get through it.



Our first stop was Midland, TX and there was not a whole lot to see on the way except for some of the oil fields.




Another crappy lunch stop today... Subway in the car! At least the girls got creative and had some playtime during lunch, so I could spend some time with Daddy and the doggies in his car :)



It was a little crowded...



The girls were so excited when we finally made it to the hotel they had a dance party.



Then we hit the pool and hot tub again for some relaxing!



The next day it was time to tackle the rest of Texas and head to Dallas! We were ready!!



I thought the girls deserved to have a decent lunch and not something on the go, like we had done the last two days. So we stopped for lunch at The Olive Garden. Poor Daddy had to sit in the car with the doggies :(



Here is some scenery we saw on our way to Dallas. We even saw some windmills, which reminded us of our old drives to California.




In Dallas I got some yummy take out from a local Mom and Pop Italian/Pizza place and we had a fancy dinner in our hotel room. Followed by more swimming, then tv time, and Mommy snuggles in bed.



Loved the way Ella and Ryen shared a bed on this trip!



In the morning we were finally going to get out of Texas. Now we were already in Central Time baby!! Almost there... Stay tuned!