Goodbyes

I do believe Blogger hates me. It ate my last blog post and hasn't given it up yet, so I think it's gone for good. And I don't have the energy to post all those pictures again. Suffice it to say that life has been good and we are eating lots of chocolate chips and watching lots of Friday Night Lights and Downton Abbey, and enjoying the springtime weather (except for the allergies that unceasingly plague Harry's nasal passages).

Speaking of goodbyes, which we weren't, let it be known that I can't stand them.

Another school year is ending for our family ward here in Stanford/Palo Alto/Menlo Park, and it's all shades of depressing.

I was visit taught for the very last time today by these two fantastic ladies.



We all moved into this ward at the same time two years ago. We're all the same age and all graduated from BYU, but never knew each other while we were there. And they have been my visiting teachers since we moved into this ward. They've brought me cookies and always made me feel so loved and made it clear they were looking out for me. They helped us move, mourned with me while I looked for work, prayed for me when I kept getting sick over and over again. And in the next 2-3 weeks, we're all moving away. While Harry and I will be back for one more school year after this summer ends, these two will be on to bigger and better things, like the Bar exam, doctoral degrees, and this elusive "setting up roots in a permanent place" thing that people do when they aren't students anymore.

This is happening all over our ward right now. Women I have become good friends with and have looked up to over the last two years are kissing student housing goodbye and moving with their adorable families to other parts of the country, into actual homes (with actual dishwashers, laundry machines, driveways, garages, and multiple bedrooms). And while I'm so happy that everyone has a bright and cheery future, it's completely crumbling my heart into tiny grainy pieces.

And I'm really bad at saying goodbye to people in these situations. I can't stand it. It's probably not a good quality but it's easier for me to just let all this moving away happen without any big hurrahs. But let it be known that I will continue to blog stalk all my wonderful women and watch their kids get even more adorable and plentiful, and I'll be even more thrilled I got to spend a chunk of my life in their company.

If there's a Menlo Park Ward Alumni Association in Heaven, I hope there's a big party planned for when we're all there someday. I will bring chocolate chip cookies or a bundt cake or lemon bars.