Hard to say goodbye

I haven't posted for such a long time because I'm having a hard time figuring out what to write. We just moved across the country. We left an amazing neighborhood that we lived in for over 5 years, where our kids were all born and we made many friends. We left family who we love and who have supported us and cared for us. We left everything familiar and all the people we know (not to mention a passing up a great job opportunity in Utah). We drove for 3 days with 3 kids in two cars and arrived in a city with no place to live and no one to help us (except for my Dad who drove out with us and watched the boys while we hunted for apartments- thank you dad!).

Needless to say, it's been physically draining and emotionally difficult to adjust to all the changes. It is especially hard to say goodbye to the people who have always been there for us or who we met over the last few years.

There are many in the university village apartments that I will never forget and will be forever grateful to for their dinners, babysitting, kid-watching, friendship and service to us in endless ways! I love the preschool gang, the women who have served me and with me in church callings, the people who just lived by me and helped me the most! It seems so strange to think that I may never again see these amazing people who have done so much for me. I hope you know how grateful I am!

It is also hard to leave family that has been my greatest support over the last few years, especially since the arrival of the boys. They are the people that I know I will see again often, just not as much. I love all of my family and Wade's family and have enjoyed the time we spent together in Salt lake. I'm just going to say that Nancy has been my all time best friend and it has been very hard to say goodbye to her. We've done everything together and she has been an example of all the good things I want to be. Hope to see all of you soon!

We arrived here to a not-so-warm welcome (starting with an unpleasant hotel room, a moving company that won't park the truck without approval from the apartment office, an apartment office who won't give approval to park the truck, and a dishonest apartment company who won't refund precious $), although it has warmed up as we've met more people. We did find an apartment and moved all of our stuff up the three flights of stairs with the help of a lone ward member (so much for my hope that I wouldn't have to move much-seems this is the Vanderbilt ward and we're one of a zillion families needing help moving in) . We are very grateful to him for his help and I'm sure that he and his family will turn out to be good friends. Luckily, the babies were happy and Pete just hung out while we ran back and forth to move things.

We met the grumpy people in Nashville very quickly, but I have also met some of the friendlier ones like the Nelson's (he's the one who helped us move in), some nice people in the main office of our apartments (Kathy who let me use the office phone and gave Peter fruit snacks and took him to see the Coi while I tried to figure out the moving fiasco), Professor Chuck Sanders (who Wade is working for) and his wife who stopped by with a homemade apple pie. We've met several kind people in our new ward and apartment complex.

Things seem to be working out and getting better every day. I'm sure by the time Wade is finished here, we'll be sad to leave the new people we meet who become old friends.