Farewell

Today was such a long day. My body aches and I am emotionally exhausted. The morning began with back to school haircuts for the boys. They both looked so grown up when I had finished. Their hair was super long and needed a good trim. What a transformation!

Afer their baths we quickly went to the store for a few more boxes. We then dropped thank-you cards to the primary teachers who have influenced our kids so wonderfully these last few years. As I stood on the Payne's doorstep and thought about how they taught Hyrum a few years ago, and how patient they've been with my crazy Finley this year, I found myself in tears. I thanked them for their service, she hugged me tight and I quickly wiped the tears away.

Next, we had a playdate lined up with a friend who secretly invited some people from our ward to meet us at the park for a visit and picnic. As I pushed Fin on the swings and looked over at the seven or eight incredible women and the 40+ kids laughing together at the park, my heart swelled with gratitude. We have been truly blessed here and it is so hard to leave. It was nice to see everyone and to be able to say good-bye!

The little boys both went for a nap while I scrambled to pack some things and stuff the van full of boxes. The big kids tidied the basement while I did dishes. We got away a few hours later than I had hoped and still had a few errands to run.

With school around the corner we had to finish up some last minute shopping before heading out. I drove through downtown Calgary at the start of rush hour to make it to MEC. We decided to buy the kids good quality backpacks this year that would last them for more than one grade. We barely made it out alive and everyone was getting hungry. Traffic sucked all the way across the city and the kids were all picking on each other the entire time.

I definitely lost my patience a few times and my throat hurt from shouting. When we finally made it to the mall, everyone went pee, apologized and braced themselves for one last store. The older three each picked out a back to school outfit for the first day and had fun trying them on. We grabbed a bite to eat nearby and squeezed back into our over-packed van and finally left the city at 7pm. I had really hoped to be in Rocky by that time, but oh well!

The drive was long and I was so tired. We came inches away from hitting a deer and no one slept for the entire 2 1/2 hours. I was sure grateful for my mom who served me by putting jammies on little boys and helping with bedtime. Dad made me some toast for a tomato sandwich and we chatted way too late. I tucked into a cozy bed, next to Camilla who insisted on sleeping with me and enjoyed listening to the rain as I fell asleep. The room was pitch black and silent aside from the gentle sound of rain drops. I was able to once again feel peace and assurance. All will be well!