Bittersweet

James and Laura had a little get-together for Matt and I. In the midst of our packing and tiring day we were able to have an evening of fun and relaxation.

:)











There was a water balloon fight... that turned into a hose fight. After two glasses of wine... it was hilarious!













Then, everyone but Beth and Amber played volleyball. Beth's top kept falling off... not a good thing in team sports!

This is Laura attempting to give Rick a high-five... very nice!













Laura has been my best friend and sister in Cincinnati. I will miss her so very much. Never will another friend fill her place.













Amber and Brian just moved in together, and they are a dear couple. Amber joined us for Gatlinburg and I feel I got to know her, just in the nick of time!













The boys (Drew, James, Adam & Matt) all played the Wii for a large portion of the evening. They were so loud, we could hear them outside.













We also had BBQ burgers and fat free hot dogs (for Laura... Rick liked em' too!). In spite of the hot weather and funny little bugs, we had a great meal. Thank you Laura and James!


:)










Becky is going to have that baby any day now. I am so very bummed that we are leaving just as she and Bobby are going to be new parents. Good thing she has a friend like Laura.

How Kind

With my resignation at work, a party was held in honor of Ashley's upcoming wedding and my resignation. Oh yea... we also celebrated our Department Head's birthday... but who cares about that anyway?....

My boss, Marcia made a very cute and tasty lemon cake and we all brought our favorite entrees. We ended up eating a lot of fruit, cheese spread, and crackers. Yum! Ha ha.


Laura and I took a "self-portrait"... for Laura, this means sucking in as much cheek and chin as possible... weirdo. I tried it too... not a good look for us.
:)
Ashley getting busy with some fruit and I am enjoying some tasty corn chips...

Diana is the funniest Mom out there... I will miss her for sure!

Our department photo... notice the ladies on the left, and compare them to us girls on the right... hmmm. Schmidt told us she would "rather not" have Gavin pressing herself against her back. I thought that was pretty funny.


I guess I'm a little sad to leave... actually, I am really sad to leave... my friends that is.
:)

Family

Well... the Family is all on their way to or already in Oregon and our tiny little apartment is quiet. It's a little lonely and Matt and I are wondering what to do with ourselves... I am sure we'll come up with just a few things.
:)

Here are some last minute pics of the past few days. Dad took some spectacular photos that we'll have to view at a later time... but these a few nice one's to enjoy for now.

Half Day Cafe... Andrew had water dumped on his potatoes, but other than that... breakfast was great!


What?! We just woke up... don't ask us any difficult questions....


At Matt's grad party... Andrew and Dad spent a lot of quiet time out on the deck... we were all pooped by the end of the night... what a great time!


Mom and Beth helped a lot at the party... It wouldn't have been so beautiful had it not been for their kindness and generosity. Thanks you two!

Mya keeping cool in the shade of Dad's booty!... smart kitty.

Graduation

Matt graduated yesterday, and we were joined by Beth, Andrew and both his parents. It felt really special to have everyone here to share this special day with us.

I was so proud of Matt and still can't believe it's over. Praise God for sustaining us and allowing Matt to succeed in this great challenge!

Whirlwind

Matt and I are preparing for quite a bit in this month of June. Matt's family comes into town next Thursday, He graduates next Saturday, we have a rockin' grad party next Sunday, and two weeks later.... we move back to Portland! Wow! I am so overwhelmed right now... but also have a lot of excitement in my heart. I cannot believe it's been almost three years since we've been married and moved to the Midwest... it's crazy. At times it has felt like hell, and at this moment, I don't know if I am emotionally prepared to leave those I have grown to love and adore in this funny city. Just thinking about leaving them makes me want to cry. With all of this in mind, I undoubtably know that much promise lies ahead for us. Our family is growing (Julie and Derek are having a baby!), Matt's career is blooming, and we can finally rest for awhile. Living in transition is challenging and the past three years have been "temporary." We look forward to not have temporary conditions anymore. Wish us luck... and I will post many neat photos!