Saying Goodbye to Friends

 The absolute WORST part of moving is having to say goodbye to all your good friends. :( I missed pictures of many of them, but here are a few.

Tina and I

 I met Tina the first week she moved to Clarksville(about 6 years ago) through one of our mutual friends, Linda Howe! We instantly became friends. Linda, Tina, and I were inseparable for the first year she was here. Then Linda moved and the ward boundaries changed. It was sad when Tina and I ended up in different wards, but it didn't matter. She will always remain one of my best friends. We've both been through good and bad times, but she makes me smile no matter what is going on. She is one of those people that I know I can talk to about anything and she will always make time for me and never judge. We have had a lot of good times together and I look up to her so much. She is amazing. I will miss her so much!

It was supposed to be a silly face, but it was still sad. 

Tessa with the Young family

Molly and Cassidy

This is one of the only pictures that I have of Molly, but I didn't want to leave her out since she also was among my closest friends in Clarksville. We served together in the young women program at church for about the last four years and spent a lot of time together in that respect. She is a hard worker, very motivated, humble, kind, caring, and spiritually strong. Especially the last year we lived there, she was a great support through all the moving and selling our house chaos. It's nice to have someone who is going through the same things and can relate to you completely during times like that. She always had good advice for me when I asked and was great at sending me that text of appreciation or support exactly when I needed it. She also kept me motivated to keep exercising even in the thick of things with the move and homeschooling.

 Cassidy Taylor has been a close friend of our family as well. Alex and Cassidy were very close friends before he left on his mission. Cassidy and I become close when we served together in the young women program and Eric was close to her as her bishop. The girls also became her friends. She is a great young women and has always been a great example for the girls.

A couple days before we moved, Jesikah went on a last outing to Holiday World with some of her good friends

More Holiday World

Leaving Holiday World

Jesikah, Isley, and Alyssa on the Turkey ride

One of the girls' last church group activities, the girls and leaders did a going away party for the girls that were leaving. All the girls wrote things they liked about that person on the chalk board and they got their picture next to all the words.

The gifts that the leaders made for the girls!

The whole group of girls and leaders together

Silly faces

Going away potluck

 On Tessa's last day of school, I went and got a few pictures of some of her friends.

Katie and Tessa

Brianna and Tessa

Zaden, Brianna, Tessa, and Katie

Tessa and her bestie, Tiffany

Jarem with his best friend, Josh

My good friend, Priya, and her girls left for India a couple of weeks before we moved, so we had a little photo shoot the day before they left for India. Priya has been one of my closest friends in Clarksville. Her daughters, Pramika and Divya, have been some of the girls best friends too. They were the first friends that we made after moving to the neighborhood.

Bracelets Jesikah made for all her friends to remember her.

Tessa and Divya being crazy like they always were. :)

My sweet friend, Priya

 Priya and I started walking together every day about 5 or 6 years ago. Through the years, we walked, we jogged, we hiked and we talked and talked. :) We walked through every type of weather: rain, snow, heat and bitter cold.We talked through everything during our daily walks. She knows more about me than almost anyone. She always made me laugh and gave me good advice and comfort when I needed it. She would go out of her way to bring me meals or whatever I needed when I was sick or in need. I always knew I could count on her for ANYTHING!   She knows the daily happenings of our lives. She has been there for me through the good and the bad times. I will really miss her.

Jarem bringing the scooters

 Jesikah wanted to do a remake of a picture I took a long time ago of her and Pramika. I will post the original at the end.

Best friends

I would be amiss if I didn't mention my good friend, Laura Richards. We served in Primary together when I first moved in the ward and later we served in Young Women together at church. We spent many hours talking together as she cut and colored my hair every few months. She loved, served, and helped our family on numerous occasions whether it was bringing a meal after Micah was born, dropping off a bunch of things to help me when Micah was having crying spells as a newborn, bringing chicken noodle soup and a green smoothie from Panera when the boys and I were not feeling well, or sacrificing her own time and lining up women to help me when I was drowning in packing and moving chaos and up against a deadline. She always knew when I needed a hug. I love and appreciate all the good times we've had. Even though there were a couple of rough patches the last year, I will always consider her a good friend.

Her husband, Loren, was one of Eric's best friends. He also served our family on numerous occasions no matter what we needed. He especially helped us with all our car needs. There was never a time that he knew of a need and didn't do all that he could to help. Thank you to the Richards family for all their love and service.

This is an old picture when Eric first got called to the bishopric and had to say goodbye to serving in the young men program with these two great men. However, these two men remained two of his best friends throughout our stay in Clarksville.

I believe that we are put in places for a reason. I'm so grateful for the people who touched our lives in Clarksville. This just brushes the surface of all the good people and friends that we had in Clarksville.