One Last Party

We are sad.  Everyone is leaving us.

Let me set this up for you.  Nick and I were born and raised an hour from where we currently live.  We may have come and gone a bit for school and training assignments, but ultimately, we came back.   We have been in this area for nine of the ten years that we have been married.

You would think that we have friends and family here.

Ok, ok, let's not discount the friends and family that we have.  I said that more for shock than out of truth.  But there's at least some truth to that statement.  Let me 'splain.

All of my best friends from high school live far away.  Many live in other countries, on other continents.  I grew up nextdoor to my cousins.  My six cousins.  My parents and their parents owned those homes for about 30 years.  But now every one of them are gone.  Again, one is in England.  Of my own siblings, most were still around until recently.  My oldest brother just left for three years in England, taking some of our favorite cousins with him (We love them all.  I'm just playing with the word, "favorite.")  Now I just have one brother left in the area.  My parents are still here though, and will probably stay forever.  Phew.

Nick's family is as large as mine.  Of his three siblings, all but one were around here until recently.  The youngest is newly on a mission in Las Vegas (we couldn't be happier... but we miss him).  His parents threaten us with a love for Arizona, where Uncle Casey lives, and just recently, Trish and Josh (Nick's sister and her husband) announced a move to Phoenix.  These are the cousins who have a matching child with each of our oldest three.  Twin cousins.  And just to rub salt in the wound, they are pregnant with Piercy's little pair, and just learned that it is even a boy.  Four for four on matching genders.

We had one last, long sleepover with the kids while Trish got the move ready.  I don't know why I assist and support these things.  Except maybe because I love these people.  But that is the only reason.

There was a lot of dressing up.  This picture is the curtain call of a play they put on for me.

 

I made them sherbet floats in Strawberry pop.  Whoa!  We are not accustomed to that much sugar.  That'll last me a while.  

Here are all the cousins.  Together.  It's going to be a while.

And here are the pairs.  These pictures make me happy.  And sad.

Could anything be better?  No.  Not even a job and sunshine, right?  Right?

Why do I feel like I am talking to myself?  Who turned out the lights?  Hello?