Saying Goodbye...

My mom was the last of the family to leave.

I had tried to be really brave through all of the other family goodbyes after the blessing -

but holding it in was never a good strategy for me.

First, a mother daughter moment.

I tell you what, this woman is a rockstar.

She has flown all over to help her girls with babies, moving, and the works.

My Mom has absolutely no idea how much it meant to me this time around.

She almost single handily packed our apartment up in California.

Took me to St. George with her for a week.

And then got me mostly settled here in Charlotte... with lots of travel in-between.

Oh, and she drove around a rockin' crown vic rental car.

And then she maneuvered a kitchen table into the trunk of said crown vic,

 by herself, in the 110 degree weather.

And much, much more.

She was in every sense of the word, a lifesaver.

When I dropped her off at the airport, I tried to act strong.

While I had done an internship and a study abroad far, far away -

they were both temporary.

I don't care how right it feels or how adventurous you are, 

living far away from family can be tough.

It makes you grow up 

and its character building

and its the right thing for us right now 

and yada yada...you know the drill.

There is no way around it - it's hard at times.

I cried the whole 15 minutes to the airport.

And then Annie and I both ugly cried the whole way back.

Don't worry, we got ourselves together shortly there after. 

It just took us a minute.

To my dear Mom...

Thank you for getting us through the mayhem.

And thank you Dad for giving her up for 2 weeks.

When I talked to my Grandma about our big move she reminded me 

that she was just a young girl when she packed up her bags 

and her little babe to follow her husband in the air force.

She called herself a "country bumpkin" to be exact.

No place to stay. No phones. No computers.

Just herself, a baby and the open road.

Now if that doesn't give you the nerve to do new things,

I don't know what does.

My Mom reminded me of this story when she left.

So, I took a page out of Grandma's book, put my chin up and haven't looked back since.

Not one more single tear.

And honest to goodness -

I am falling head over heels with our life in Charlotte.

Me, James and Annie. 

Its just perfect.

I wouldn't change a single thing about this whole crazy wild ride.