This chapter is coming to a close

Our layoff day is just a week away and its so bitter sweet.  I'm so excited to see our next adventure and broken hearted to leave so many amazing people.  We have been taken in and loved by so many these past 14 months - THANK YOU.  Thank you for loving on my babies, thank you for laughing and crying with me, thank you for including us in your family events and holidays. I pray that you feel as loved by us, as we do by y'all.

So, I have to tell you how we actually came to loving this little town.  We had been here for 3 months and just felt alone.  I decided to sign Aubrie up for gymnastic cause "hey...that's a great way to meet other moms" (not so much).  We had been attending for a couple of weeks and I was miserable. It was an evening class and it was chaotic.  Well... one day I went in early to speak to the her teacher and there was a women there wearing an awana shirt! Seriously yall, I think I squealed.  I asked her where she went to church, she said First Baptist Church on Main and tonight was their first night. I couldn't believe it.  During our conversation she mentioned her daughters were in the "homeschool"  class and it was basically a private lesson.  So when the owner came up front I asked to be switched to that class... to which he asked "do you homeschool?" huh... YEA...even though she was only 3 1/5 at the time. 

We left there and immediately headed to church, I remember texting Alston and telling him where to meet us when he got off.  I was so excited to have found an Awana program for Aubrie.  I signed her up, sent her and Ms Olivia off to their new classes and I went to the foyer to wait for Alston.  As I was waiting a man came by, introduced himself and we started chatting...after awhile he invited us to their sunday school class, than excused himself so he could get to church.  A few minutes later... I'm starring out the glass door watching a terrible rain storm waiting and watching for Alston.  I turn around and there were 4 smiling women (insert a slight nervous laugh... I definitely have one of those) The first reaches her hand out and says, we were asked to come find you and your husband and help yall find the sanctuary. So we chatted until Alston got there...than all 6 of us walked into the most precious sanctuary (swoon). 

After church we were walking to our trucks and Alston says to me... "you know...most people visit a church on a Sunday so they can sneak in the back and check things out first.  Nope...not you.  On a Wednesday.  You can't hide on a Wednesday. Everyone knows your new."

Not a single regret since that Wednesday night in August last year. 

A few weeks later is when we finally met our neighbors in the Rv park. Well... it was actually Aubrie who became friends first. And you know the routine...if you're going to let your kids play with someone elses.. you have to go scope out the parents.  It didn't take long for us to realize we were going to be very good friends!

The other sad side to our layoff is we will be leaving my parents.  They are 2 hours south of us right now.  We have gotten to spend the past 14 months just 2 hours from my family... that's really tough.  We never thought our first job would put us this close to them, THANK YOU LORD.  It has been such a wonderful blessing, we have spent every holiday and just about every other weekend with them.

This line of work is hard... so very exciting and rewarding...but its tough.  Your circle grows, your heart starts to love more people and than it's time for the next project. 

So... a heads ups to all our people.  There will be lots of tears (I know you aren't shocked) and a lot of hugs. But this is not goodbye, definitely not!

I have to share a funny story.  We have been painting rocks and hiding them with our neighbors.  I came home a few days ago and they had painted some rocks for us and left them on our porch.  With tears in my eyes (yea...yea... I was crying again.  I gave my disclaimer at the beginning of my blog about this), Alston steps out and ask if I'll be okay.  yea... I'm going to make it, it's just hard.  Alston looks at me and looks down.  We have been in the trailer park way too long... I'm standing here in nothing but a towel and your crying over rocks. we got to get out!  hahahahaha.

The rocks that made me cry.