It's Official

I have less than a month left to remain in Alaska! We fly out for Seattle a month from yesterday. We will be out of our house a month from the day before yesterday.

The only thing hard for me is leaving the church. I love the church I go to, I love the women in the church. Besides my family, I have never met a more wonderful, loving, and godly group of women. Mama Joyce claims to be in denial about our departure and won't accept that we are leaving until we are gone. I'm going to miss Mama Joyce. She is an absolutely incredible woman of God. She has been a "surrogate grandma" for me while I lived so far away from mine.

I will miss Adam, Rachel and Tirzah. Rachel has been my closest friend since I've been up here. She and I trade off babysitting. She has always been so gracious and eager to help with the boys if there is somewhere I needed to be. I, in return, would watch Tirzah for her when she needed it. I always felt guilty for the unbalanced trade; she had to watch three extra kids for me; I only had to watch one extra kid for her. But the kids love playing with each other and have fun when we are together.

I will miss Gil and Rosi and their little Kaio. I have just recently been getting to know them more and I am very tempted to pack Kaio in my backpack on the plane just to force Gil and Rosi to move also! They are both so passionate about their faith, their relationship with Christ. They are a blessing to be around.

I will miss Mindy and her family, whom I was also just starting to get to know and enjoy. I will miss the Allens and the Kings as both of them are also leaving this summer, off to wherever the military takes them. I will miss Lenore and her heart for the children in the church. I will miss Tina, the women I went to college with. Tina was a special "welcome" gift from God, a direct connection to my past here in my present. I will miss Pastor and Alice.

And I will especially miss how everyone in the church adores my kids. Not that they don't adore all the kids, but there is nothing better for a mom than for her kids to be adored by people who are not required to adore them!

Well, I am supposed to be getting clothes for the boys so I can get them dressed, so I better get going. Hope everyone has a blessed day. And please pray for me today that I get more accomplished in the packing department.