Our last few weeks in Utah were spent having many dates with friends we were about to leave. I only captured about half of the outings - there were so many good people to fit in.
We had a belated New Years' Eve ice skating extravaganza, complete with Waffle Love.
We visited neighborhood friends that have celebrated birthdays and holidays and countless playdates with our boys.
These four boys were born exactly nine months apart, like some crazy, unplanned relay. My friend Steph and I took turns being pregnant; when one baby was born another one was immediately on the way. I think it's safe to say that trend is not going to continue.
Crew went over to play with Bella while the movers were loading the truck.
I died laughing when her mom sent me pictures of Crew trying to sit in her Barbie chair.
We said a tearful goodbye to the family that sat by us at church every Sunday. I could not have survived the last two years alone with four kids on the bench without this awesome family. They made my job so easy. On our first Sunday at our new church congregation, Blake said, "I don't know if I can do this without the Guevaras." I hear you, buddy.
When I picked Blake up on his last day of school, every one of his first grade classmates gave him a high five on the way out the door. Blake held back the tears until we were safely confined in our car, and then he sobbed. It was heartbreaking.
His classmates each made him a card with well wishes.
I especially liked Kate's.
We also had one last dinner with the bishopric Troy served with for two years, a lunch date with friends I grew up with in Michigan that now live in Utah, one last book club, a work outing with many colleagues that Troy has spent the majority of his time with over the last seven years, one last round of haircuts from my cute neighborhood friend with a salon in her home, a playdate with Blake's best friend from school, and one last typical triple date with our best friends, hopping from a Thai food joint to another restaurant for dessert.
Although it was sad to leave our home behind, it's really the people that we are going to miss most. We made wonderful friends who enriched our lives. They helped us through our worst times and our best times. We went through some tough times over the last few years, but we always looked forward to escaping with friends on weekend nights, where we would be guaranteed to laugh, no matter what.
I'll never forget swinging by the hospital last year on Valentine's Day to pick up a hobbling Troy from the ER. We were bound and determined to go out with friends that night, and not only did Troy crutch his way into a nice restaurant in sweatpants and excruciating pain, but we told our friends that baby #4 was on the way as well. Now, we can look back and see the humor in that whole crazy situation. There sure were times where we were a mess and our friends were the bright spot in our lives.
Moving carries with it the stress and fear of "starting over" in a new place. It is hard to move into an area where people have known each other for perhaps many years, and then step into it, wondering if you have anything to offer them.
It took time for us to feel settled in Utah and we know it will take time to feel like we belong in our new home as well.
If only we could skip over moving month(s) and instantly go from one life and be nicely situated in the next.
No comments:
Post a Comment