The farewells began with a girls night out with my best friends and neighbors. Carrie, Ashley, Tonia, and I had a fun time at a restaurant and bar called Coyote in Carlsbad Village. It was nice to get out and talk and relax without a kid interrupting 8765873645 times. We attracted some old men, so our husbands are reassured that they need not ever worry about us going out solo!
The next night, I had a great dinner at Fidel's Mexican in Solana Beach with my best friend, April and her youngest, Adeline. Wow was the food good, but the company was better! I was reflecting on how hard it was in Florida to say goodbye to my first best friends that I shared my life with on the daily for two years. I was devastated then thinking we might not ever see each other, but then being stationed again with 2/3 of them again makes me feel pretty hopeful that these goodbyes are more like, "See you later!" I wish now that April and I would have taken a picture together, but here's an oldie for fun!
The week before Quinn's last day of school, her teacher, Mrs. Grove, had a going-away party to which Quinn also requested an early birthday celebration to be held simultaneously since she won't be there for her birthday. Chris and I were invited to come and I was greatly moved by the love she was surrounded with on a daily basis at school. Each of her classmates surprised her with a letter and picture. They each got up to read what they had written to her and it melted my heart! After that presentation, the teacher started a group-prayer to send her off and when Mrs. Grove asked, "Who wants to pray for Quinn?"every student's hand shot in the air as you'll see pictured below.
The next week, the kids' last week of school, was filled with playdates. Quinn played at Quintin's house and Grace's house and Rylan got to play at Lacey's house, his best friend from preschool. We said our last goodbyes to my BSF group and Growth Group and the boys had last hugs and prayers from their BSF leaders. We are so incredibly blessed by all of the people God has put in our lives while we were stationed at Camp Pendleton. Feeling the sting of goodbyes lets you know you made great relationships worth missing, but also worth maintaining, even if from afar.
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