Good Bye West Family!!!

We are so sad to see you go. Your family has enriched so many of our lives. We have laughed with you, cried with you, and loved you these last 4 years. Danae and Brian you are such an amazing couple. Funny and down to earth. You are true friends. You stand loyal and willing to fulfill whatever need arises. I can't count the number of times I called at the last minute to drop a kid off or to swipe an ingredient for dinner. I felt more secure in my world knowing you were just a street away. Which is why this site brought tears to my eyes...

...but not as many tears as I'm sure the 6 occupants of this vehicle will shed over the next 1400 miles as they travel from Washington to Denver.

I am not the only one who shed tears today. After the expedition pulled away I went into the house and found Caden crying. He just kept say, "I want my friend back". It was heart breaking. All I could say was, "me too buddy, me too". My kids are losing some of their favorite play mates. I loved having these kids here. Ethan is so creative and always comes up with activities for the troupe to engage in. Olivia is such a little mommy. She is loving and always knows what is going on with everyone around her. Little Kai...such a funny bug. He is the sweetest dare devil you will ever meet. I have loved watching our kids grow up together. It is such a rare gift to find a family where the parents and children mesh so well. I cherished while we had it.

Silverdale 6th ward has been the softest place to land these last four years for so many of us. We have walked with one another through some of the most difficult trials we have ever faced. We were able to create a sense of community that was loving, accepting, and strengthening, but most of all just joyful. I have watched family after family move on these last two months and I know that more families are getting ready to leave. But today as I watched the West's pull away I had an opportunity to really reflect on how lucky we've all been to have been together for as long as we were. In the midst of the sadness I felt, there was a feeling of intense gratitude. Thank you to the Wests, the Fyffes, the Hawkes, the Roystons, the Nelsons, the Durbens, the Marks, and all the other families of 6th ward who have moved on but made these last years such a wonderful place to call home.