Last October, God saw fit to move some of our very special friends out west to Oregon. 

I tried to post about this back then, but found myself too grief-filled to do it properly.  These folks, the M’s, moved to this area the same time we did back in 2007.  While we knew one another before that, our friendships grew solidly as each year of homeschooling unfolded.  We did just enough of the same things to keep us interested in one another’s lives; but did enough things differently, which kept us from getting stale.  I’d lovingly said many times in the last 7 years that God blessed the Butlers tremendously when he gave us the M’s as “neighbors.” 

I never dreamt He’d let them move away.

We shared lunch at Pizza Hut, “One last time”

And tried hard not to cry until we got back in the vans.

Even looking at these pictures now is So. Hard.

So before I fall apart I am going to show you pictures from the “surprise” visit we had in June.  I say surprise because Mrs. M & I knew it was happening.  Her younger two did  not know until the night before they flew out here that that we coming home for a visit.  Mine did  not know until E showed up in our driveway Saturday.  (I have to blog that in its own’ post b/c youtube and blogger aren’t good friends.)

But look at these beautiful kids!

I won’t pretend it was easy saying goodbye.  It was a grey day when they left and my kids and I cried freely when their Grandma picked them up.

But when they were here in my home again after 8 long months it was almost as if the longest winter in the history of my life was totally erased.  The measuring tape of our lives was picked up and the spot where October 2013 was touched right up against the spot where June 2014 was.  It felt as though they’d never left.  Thankfully, technology like “free” long-distance and FaceTime has allowed the kids to stay in touch. 

Our family is praying that Mr. M’s west coast assignment ends in June 2016.  None of us want to wish our lives away, of course.