The First of the Lasts

I remember my sister-in-law writing a post with this title as she prepared to move her family from Arizona. She wrote it after realizing one night at dinner that the "lasts" were beginning. The last time to do this or that before moving.

I'm using this title now because it is happening for us. We are moving in a month.

Yesterday Brad took his last test in medical school. Tonight is his last shift (he's going out with a bang: an all-nighter in the ER at Harborview). Friday is my last day watching Addie who has been my extra daughter for the past 10 months. Lainy only has three weeks left of preschool. And as I sat in a Relief Society Board meeting last week and discussed all of the Compassionate Service needs, I realized that I won't be here to help with most of them.

It's a bittersweet time.

We have lived longer in Seattle than we've lived anywhere. We have made friends here that feel more like family. We have grown to love this city. It will be hard to leave.

But we are so excited for what is in store for us.There will be new friends and new experiences. New opportunities to learn and grow. It is going to be an adventure.

I guess the best thing we can do for now is enjoy these "lasts" as they come. We'll try to make the most of our time left in Seattle. The enjoying part will be pretty easy, I think. The goodbye part, not so much. Still, my heart is full of gratitude for this time in our lives. It is coming to a close, but it is full of beautiful experiences that will stay with us forever.