Thursday, January 19, 2017

Goodbye South Dakota

The west Texas dust has settled and new life is emerging here on the flat lands that we now call home.

I found it difficult to reflect all that was taking place during our move- we were overwhelmed with tasks, goodbyes, anticipation… It was both exhausting and exhilarating.

And now here we are on the other side of it all- looking back at our beloved time in South Dakota as it is no longer home but a memory of home.

The experience of stepping away from a place you love full of people you love can be described in many ways (as I’ve already done above), but most accurately to me as: sacred.

Sacred. So often we are numb to the beauty we live in. We are ignorant of the gifts we’ve been given. We take for granted the people that make up our little world. When I realized the move was inevitable- I saw before me a whole host of blessings I had been given in the last 4 years.

There are moments I will treasure always and they are:

1.   The Saturday evening before we moved the Jacobs had us over for dinner. Allie and I shared the piano for an hour as I taught her ‘Heart and soul.’

2.   The Monday night before the movers came and Toby, Ava & Jaydn piled into Reese’s room to say goodbye one last time. I said goodbye to Nichole while the sunset lit up the sky pink.




3.   Gathering handprints for Reese’s goodbye book from all of her friends at school, church, everywhere.

4.   Our last Sunday at church. I read a goodbye letter to the congregation which was what I needed to say thank you to the church that I love. The childrens choir sang “Friends are Friends Forever”.  Dillon got a standing ovation. After church there was a reception and we were presented with a framed painting of the Chapel in the Hills, a framed photograph of Sylvan Lake, a basket of goodbye cards, a photo book of memories. People lined up to hug us.


5.   Hiking up ‘Sequoia Mountain’ (the hill just across the street from our house’ with Reese, Lee and Brenda while the movers loaded the truck.
6.   Going to the park around the corner from our home one last time (shortly before #2 above). I pushed Lee on the swing and made lots of mental memories of this place we came so many times.




7.   Goodbye dinner at our friends The Kahlers. They were able to share with us their exciting news (pregnant with #3) and we stayed out past bedtime playing nerf wars with all our kids.


8.   Goodbye dinner with our friends The Kenners. It was so wonderful to meet their newest member Miles, a child we have prayed for, for years. Cherished friends.


9.   Goodbye dinner with The Johrings at Murphys. We love this restaurant and these people so much. Mark and Tina have a true gift with children and Reese and Lee adore them.


10.                 Goodbye to my dear friend Sunny and her son, Reese’s friend Crosby. We walked around Wilderness Park with her new baby Ruby, and ate packed lunches. When it was time to say goodbye as we got in our cars, Reese yelled from inside “Crosby you will always be my best friend!”
11.                 The Saturday before we moved, the four of us drove up to Mt. Rushmore one last time (we have been at least a dozen times over the years. We did the short hike around the presidents and ended with ice cream.