Minnesota, USA

Saying goodbye would be easy if we didn’t have amazing, supportive families.  And saying goodbye would be easy if we didn’t have a neighborhood full of friends.  But we do have those things, and saying goodbye was harder than I can ever put in to words.  The month leading up to our departure for China was very busy as we sorted and stored our belongings, sent off our shipment, and packed our suitcases.  But we also spent time with the people we care about the most.  We are all very thankful for the people that went out of their way to spend time with us.  We are surrounded by amazing and supportive friends and family, which is why saying good bye was so difficult.

Nola and Ivy had a great time playing soccer through the Shoreview Community Sports.  The best part was having Nola’s best friend, Katelyn on their team.  They also enjoyed many trips to Pop Yogurt for frozen yogurt after games.
We were fortunate to get a great weekend camping near Owatonna, MN with the cousins.  We stayed at Rice Lake State Park, got some great hiking and swimming in, and even spent some time with extended family during this weekend.  I am thankful that Nola and Ivy have a close bond with their cousins and I know the memories they have created will keep that bond strong.  We love time with family and this camping weekend was amazing.  It was also a perfect way to say goodbye to our pop-up camper.  It has given us many happy camping memories over the last 8 years.
Our AMAZING neighbors had a party to say goodbye to us and it was a fantastic night for everyone.  We did what we’ve been doing for the last 4 years, sat in the McAffrey’s driveway while the kids all ran around and played!  The night ended with some sparklers and fireworks, which the kids loved.  We will miss this group of neighbors and friends more than they will ever know!
We spent some time hanging out at Como Lake Pavillion to say goodbye to family and friends.  We were honored by every one that came to see us off and knew that there were more that wanted to be there (but traffic was awful that night).

Thank you all for making our lives better by being part of it.  We had fun talking to our friends and family, but it seems like there is never enough time to say it all.  (somehow we didn’t get a picture of one of my best friends, Laura Burrows or my awesome big brother, Matt Durand!  Sorry guys!)

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!