to goodbye

this weekend, joey and i took one last trip back to south dakota before our drive to virginia a week from tomorrow. my niece and nephew turned three today, and we got to celebrate with lots of family yesterday afternoon as the kids splashed in a blue blow-up pool and jumped in a colorful bouncy castle until their cheeks were rosy and their bellies begged for cupcakes. kenley, always the leader and strong-willed adventure seeker spent the majority of her after-party (generously) apply and reapplying her new make-up - all of which wound up mostly between the creases of her nose and chin, not discriminating between skin and lip. three shades of lip stick and several hues of eye shadow creates a fascinating display smeared across the smacker of a three year old, but she wore it proud all evening. kaden, her timid sidekick, twin brother, and best friend was only slightly disappointed he couldn't share in applying lip stick himself. "i a boy!" he explained as he walked away, head held slightly low until he found one of his many new and fascinating toys to share with grandma. "wook at this grandma! it's a fwash light!"

i stole this picture from my sister-in-law's facebook. kaden and kenley turned three today! how is it that they already look older than they did yesterday?!

the day before, joey and i were spoiled with another going-away party, hosted by my grandparents. the day was packed with food, family, and fabulous weather - truly the best way to spend a saturday afternoon. it was great to see everyone before we leave for va. we left feeling incredibly blessed to have such an expansive support system that we know we'll get to come back to in only a few months.

it was a busy weekend, but the mild weather and flood of family made what could have been a chaotic 40-ish hour trip feel like a (way too short) vacation. until the last hour of our stay, i didn't stop smiling the entire time we were there. but then we had to say goodbye. and although we really will see everyone in just five months it was very hard to give those last hugs. big changes are coming for us, and the people we had to leave behind yesterday are the people we depend on to make big changes a little less intimidating. but technology right now, it's some earth-shattering stuff, and that 1,200-ish miles turns into virtually zero when we stay connected online and through phone calls. we're so lucky to be able to hold on to that.

we will miss you so, so much! we love you!