so many people to love // the hard good-byes

Good-bye morning ride to school group, precious neighbor girl and little brother we all love too
 (and on this day, John's best buddy joined in for the last special ride and Isaiah and Marian hopped on the back too.)
And…. good-bye coolest ever, Trusty-Rusty three wheeled electric bike. 

Good-bye sweet Chinese teacher who stepped in during our 6 week need for a teacher….  she's a gem!

Good-bye adorable girls who all played as Marian's ballet students (for her to recap all she learned from the amazing you tube- homemade ballet camp she got to participate in several weeks ago.)

A few nights back, I talked with a good friend of mine about how this move is affecting our kiddos, and I looked up to see Isaiah playing alone with toys while his buddy was in the living room.  Not normal. These two are pretty inseparable.

So when it was time to go, I mentioned to Isaiah that he could tell Jaden how much he loved him.  It didn't even take him a second to think it over.  Isaiah went straight up and told him, "Jaden, you're one of my best friends" and then he broke down in tears and heart ache.  (And both mamas did too.)  Jaden, being the fantastic seven year old that he is, wore those words like a Congressional Medal of Honor, his whole face beaming….. but then he slipped into saddness with us too.  

We've talked about how the Lord loves His people and how getting to see how much we'll miss people, is a way of seeing how much we love them.  It's also been sweet to talk about how good it is to express our love to friends as a way of helping ease our sadness and bring joy into the middle of our grieving.  Friends to love really is a gift we can celebrate!  God has given us his people to love and we can love them a bit like he does because His love is so lavish!  Getting all wrapped up in the love of God is such comfort, like a healing balm for our weary hearts. 

Good-bye precious house-helper and good friend….  This woman loves the Lord so dearly.  She was John and Vivi's first Chinese teacher in our home on the mornings I had language class too.  

Good-bye precious, precious, precious friends.  We love you guys! 

Good-bye Tuesday afternoon "Sports" crowd of cool and crazy kids.  What a joy to have spent these afternoons with you!

Good-bye Coach Matt….a hug from all the sports kids

Good-bye…. Nope.  So glad the six of us are moving forward together!  I am praying lots that the Lord will mark this move in our kids hearts and lives especially (as well as Matt and I) to be a time where they deepen dynamically in love for the Lord, for the lost, and for each other….  Oh for grace for this!

There are so many precious pictures in my head …treasured people, delightful moments…. The sweet teachers at art school, the preschool teacher who read aloud for bilingual Story club at our house years ago,  who taught each of our kids at preschool since then.   The lady whose bracelet was smashed when our little buddy (who we were babysitting!) hit her in his early days of bike riding… that neighbor who told us she'd rather buy our apartment to rent to us than let our landlady sell it to anyone else!  oh… and our fruit and veggie vendor friends who I haven't even told yet that we're moving….  

And even in the midst of all these tears, there has been great joy too…..  Matt and I celebrated TEN years together and I have no idea how I've ever been so blessed as to get to be his wife. (The line from Anne Bradstreet comes to mind:  "If ever wife was happy with a man, compare with me, ye women if you can…")  Since one of the coolest families in the world, who happen to be our very own dear friends, moved into our building a few weeks ago and offered to watch our kiddos, Matt and I got to steal away for an overnight together.     #purebliss.

Then my man turned old….  37.   He told the kids he should get a cane for his birthday but no one followed through on it.  John asked me last night at bedtime if I would still be able to talk when I'm old?  We discussed the possibilities and then I asked if he'd finally be able to listen when he's old too?  Then John brought it all home with the bottom line, "At least, mommy, Daddy will be old before you."  Yep that's right.  He's going to get there three months before me.  (Good thing!)