the friends we made

This group of little ladies ran close all summer long!  So fun to see them grow to love one another -

A few more minutes all together on the morning of the day that everyone started leaving...

(not sure where my little guys were when I was taking these photos!)

and the girls with one of their leaders from the summer!  They had such amazing staff who invested countless hours in relationships with my kiddos - I'm so grateful!

By the time the final final hugs rolled around these girls were silly-sad-silly.  Couldn't really figure out what they were feeling and how to respond.

We watched a few more heavily loaded vans pull out of the parking lot this morning and now it's officially JUST US still here at the apartment complex/commune.

In a way, it's good to be left.  We are often the leave-ers, the go-ers, the ones who pull out of the drive or board the airplane.  It's helpful to experience life on the other side of the picture, the ones left behind.

We had a few tears, and a few harder moments, but also sweet to watch them all play together, just the five, for the first time in almost two months.  And then we went to play putt putt golf and ride bumper boats.... so it all turned out ok in the end :)

Early early tomorrow morning Matt and Dad are leaving to south west to a trailhead and an attempt to summit a 14,000 peak.  It'll be me and the kiddos holding down the fort here and waiting on my cousin Julie to arrive with her kiddos!

Tonight I'm thankful for all the amazing friendships from this summer (and wondering why I didn't get pictures of me with the moms of these great kids - because they became sweet friends for me!)  I'm thankful that we have a few more days before flying out to Asia.  Thankful that wherever we go and whatever direction we head, the 7 of us stick together.

(pic of the two of us walking in to the building where we had class all summer)