{Our last week in Texas}

This post is hard. Hard because it is the last of the pictures I took before leaving Texas. The last 24 hours with our dear friends. Editing these was particularly painful. I miss home. 

On Tuesday Gabby had organized to have me kid napped. us girls went to the Spa & to dinner. We always have such a fun time. We tried so hard to be quiet in the spa & act like adults. That proves hard for us. We crack up at the slightest thing. Gabby had brought yummy grapes & cheese to the spa that we snacked on in our own personal waiting area. Fancy to say the least. We all avoided the topic of being apart. 

Then Friday Gabby & Brian hosted a going away party. Break my heart. I cried the whole time. The minute we walked in I was tearing up. Then Natalie played a slide show she had worked so hard on & that's when the flood gates opened. These babies have all grown up together. They run from house to house. They learned to ride bikes without training wheels together & became more independent together. We have so many wonderful memories. I passed out little photo books i had made for each family with images from our 4 years together. Its neat to watch through pictures how the kids grew closer together & how us parents did too. We ate & the kids played red rover (& Ronda too.) & us girls got silly trying to come up with our TB neighborhood gang sign?! I dunno. We are goof balls. That night was hard. 

Saturday we made plans to play as much as possible! We went to the pool. & then before sunset we all met at the rock at the culdesac for the real goodbye. We had put it off & put it off, but this would be it. Last hugs, last tears. Gabby grabbed me & we cried & then we all came together in a circle & my heart said a prayer that they would continue to take care of each other the way they always have. The love in that circle was strong. I was overcome with emotion. These girls are such a comfort to me. They were just next door & we would text through out the day & meet up in the street. We were sisters. I know i will never have this again. What we had on our street was something special. so many of us & we all got along so well. These ladies have big hearts & they welcomed me with open arms & embraced me when I left. They have sent me so much love via telephone these past 3 days away. I feel their love even now. I am eternally grateful for the families we lived with in Texas. 

Sunday at 2am I awoke to rain. It was appropriate for the occasion. I carried sleeping babes to the car & we drove away. It felt so surreal. We had made the 16 hour drive to Arizona so many times, but we always came back to our home in TB. This time there was no return. I went through an entire tissue box that drive. I listened to sappy songs that only fueled the sadness. But I wanted to feel it in some strange way. I wanted to mourn what I had. I hope those little ones & their parents know just how much I love them. I always will.