Goodbye-ing Part 1

What a huge blessing it is to be sad to leave a community.  We have been extremely thankful for SO many dear friends here in CA over the last few years.  We have reconnected with old friends and made a lot of new ones, too.  Our church, especially, welcomed us so warmly and has loved us through these last few years, even as they knew we likely not staying here long.  Among the packing and errand-running of the last week, we've done a lot of goodbye-ing, too.  This time of leaving, I have finally done a better job of taking pictures of people!  When I made our Scotland blog book and our Barbados blog book, I was really disappointed in my lack of friend picture taking.  Not this time.  I've learned a thing or two about moving, I'm glad to say.  

 We went to a children's museum w/ friends from church.  All of these women and their families have blessed us while we've been here!  I truly admire each of these women for the way they do life - in faith, in love, with eyes open for ways to serve and love others.  I miss them already.  Rebecca, Katy, Kari, Erin, and Becca.  Great women.  Great mommies.  

Isaiah and Seth giving each other big goodbye hugs.  These 2 have had a great time together especially in the last few months.  When we first moved here, he would call Isaiah "Eliza".

I got to have a "girls morning" with the women from our small group.  Coffee, treats, and good conversation in this lovely little garden w/ a waterfall.  What a great Saturday morning!  Kim, Kaelie, and Novita have been precious friends to me these last 2 years.  We really felt like the Lord pulled this group together and we've been able to encourage and love each other through similar life stages.  I'm going to miss these gals!

The Calderons invited us out for play time at the park and treated us to Baja Fresh.  We really enjoyed spending this time with them.. and wish we'd done more of it!  They are a special family and a blessing to our church.

Luke and Dr. Highfield.  It's been neat for Luke to be on staff w/ his former professors at Pepperdine.  This pic makes me laugh as it's very accurate for Luke.  He's professional, academic Dr. Tallon, and a sippy-cup-holidng Daddy, too!

A friend from church.  Jolene is one of many of the women at University church that I admire and am trying to emulate in my own mothering!  It's been fun to watch her in action w/ older kids after watching her w/ young kids when we were here before.  Great mission-minded, joyful, authentic family.

Angie has been one of the old friends that I've been able to reconnect with.  Having husbands in the same field, job hunting and kids the same ages has been bonding for us.  She's a strong woman and I've so enjoyed our chats at CBS and various events.

We had our final small group.  Sniff, sniff!  As much as the weather and the daylight allowed, our group met at the park.  So, a final night there was only fitting.  We had hot dogs, conversation, and prayer.  Sweet finale.  Here are Tim & Novita and Nate & Kaelie.  It was a huge blessing to spend (almost) weekly time with them over the last 2 years.

The men of small group - Tim, Chris, Luke, and Nate.  These guys are pretty funny when they are all together.  I'd have to say that one of the best parts of our small group has been the laughter.  Funny people.

Ah!  Last time with the Magos clan!  This was a sad one!  Katie and her troop - Elias, Jonas, Tomas, and Mattias have been such dear friends.  We have been in the same school group and have had such good time together learning, lego playing, talking, praying, teaching, eating, laughing, and sharing life.  We are really going to miss this dear family and are already scheming for a way to camp with them in the future.

Noelle, Tomas, Elias w/ Mattias, Isaiah w/ Lucy, and Jonas.  What a great crew of kiddos!  

Last night has been on the calendar for a long time - a final night out w/ Kim and Becca.  Not that we've had that many nights out w/o the kids... but we've had a LOT of time together w/ the kids!  As soon as we sat down for pedicures, I just felt the dread of "I'm not ready for pedicure and gelato night!" and I started crying.  The pedicurist was so sweet.  She rubbed my leg and in her Asian accent said, "Oh no!  You scared?  It's ok!"  So funny.  Here we are post-toes.

 And here we are with our gelato.  I am going to miss these dear friends immensely.  God provided me such dear sisters in these two.  They welcomed me into their friendship immediately upon arriving here in CA and we've been tight ever since.  Our kids LOVE each other, are so comfortable together, and have had hours upon hours of play together.  Isaiah, Noelle, and Lucy are really going to miss this crew.  As we prayed and cried after gelato, we were all in awe of how good the Lord is, how He provides just what we need, and of what a gift this time together has been.  It's sad not to be able to do daily life with this amazing women anymore, but I am so thankful for their friendship and the blessing of being connected to them across the miles.

And here is most of that crew I mentioned.  Noelle, Evelyn w/ Ewan, Isaiah w/ Lucy, and Bailey.  Marianne and Cassia didn't make this shot.

The mommies and babies!  One of the sweet elements of our friendship has been that we have all had babies in the last 2 years.  It's been fun to watch each other's bellies grow, hold these babies as newborns, and help each other juggle newborns PLUS older kiddos.

 This series of pics deserves another post - and will get one.  We have also said goodbye to the beach.  After many years of living on the coast in 3 different countries, we're going to be land-locked for the first time in 15 years!  I still don't love the beach, actually, but the kids always have a great time there and they aren't all burdoned by the pre-beach preparations and the post-beach clean up.  They just get lost in the crab digging, splashing, exploring, running, seaweed gathering, and dolphin-watching.  I wish we could be here long enough for Lucy to take her first steps on the beach...

Still to come is dinner tonight with the Teetzel fam in their new house, a going away picnic from the church, our going away blessing for the church, and a couple final play dates.  And maybe one more time to an awesome local bakery.  We're weary and thankful.  The Lord is good.