So Hard to Say Good-bye

...so we didn't

We just said See Ya Later!

Our last Sunday in Maryland was hard.

We had lived there for 8 years,

that is the longest we have lived anywhere since we got married.

We had seen so many friends come and go,

and now it was our turn to move on.

It shouldn't surprise you that I took my camera to church with me,

and then forced people to take pictures with me and the kids.

Now normally I prefer to be behind the camera,

but this time I stuck my face in pictures with a lot of people.

Just looking through these pictures makes me miss them all so much!

Yes I know there are a lot pictures...and I didn't even get everyone I wanted!

Some people weren't there, some left before I got the chance...what can you do...

The first picture below is of me with the wonderful ladies that I served with

in the Relief Society Presidency.

Bob and Dresden, the picture just below that one, with the Johnsons, is just to make you jealous :)

 I also had a tender mercy that day that really meant so much to me.

The kids and I had hung around for quite a while after church visiting

and saying goodbye see ya later, and it was time to go.

I got in the car and turned to Noah and sighed.

I was really disappointed that I didn't get to say

goodbye to the Bishop, and I didn't get to take a picture of 

Mike with the Bishop and Brother Thomas.

(Mike had just been released that day from the bishopric

and this was just a picture that I wanted.)

Noah told me that he was disappointed too because he really

wanted a picture with the Bishop and wanted to see him again before we moved.

Oh well, we both knew they were in a meeting and we didn't want to bother them.

So I put the truck in reverse and started to back out of the parking space.

Well, something was wrong...

At first I thought maybe I had a flat tire (oh great!)

Nope...then I thought, well the power steering has gone out...(wonderful!)

I had no idea what was wrong, but I was not happy!

I didn't know what to do, so I did what I knew to do :)

I went and knocked on the door where Mike was.

The door opened and there was Mike, Brother Thomas and the Bishop

going over things with the new counselor.

I told them what was going on. Mike was right in the middle of something with the

new counselor, so Bishop Martin and Brother Thomas both came out to help me.

They couldn't figure out what was wrong either.

Finally Mike came out and looked at the truck, 

tried to drive it and immediately figured it out.

One of the kids had accidentally flipped a switch for something.
(I can't even remember exactly what it was, I think it had something to do with the 4-wheel drive.)

I was so relieved that it was such a quick, easy fix...just turn it off!

 ...and now I had right in front of me the very people I had wished I had a picture of.

Noah also got his wish.

It may seem like such a small thing to someone else,

but this was something that meant a lot to me.

An answered prayer.

Mike with Bishop Martin and Brother Thomas

 I found out later that my friend Michelle had really been hoping to get

a picture of her son Mikey with Mike. Mike had really 

been able to create a bond with her little boy when few people could.

Another answered prayer.

I'm so thankful for these tender mercies.

Heavenly Father really knows and cares about what is important to us.

It really strengthens my testimony that He loves us and knows us individually.

And that He wants us to be happy.

We had some more friends stop by the house later that day,

My friend Haleigh even brought us a yummy dinner.
Me with Haleigh and Karen

Our kids with the Vance kids

 Mike and I with the Beals and the Thompsons
Such a flattering picture of Jason and Mike :)

 Later on Salena and her boys came by to help us get some more things packed and cleared out.
She is pretty much a saint!

Her teenage boys were happy to help us get rid of the food in the fridge.

We were so blessed to have so much help from so many people!
We can't possibly thank them all enough.