The Last Train to Denton

The past weeks have been a whirlwind.  I turned 32.  32? I think that's right.  I don't even know. Some of the sweet young women that I have worked with over the past couple of years set up a rotation to babysit for me one evening a week after the kids were in bed while Dan was out of town.  It was so thoughtful and helpful.  The night of my birthday was one such night.  I was cooking dinner at the stove when I heard a terrible thunk and an instant blood curdling scream.

I ran to find Ava holding Finn as he screamed.  She had been playing with him on my bed and he fell off and hit his head on the nearby dresser.  He seemed to calm down fairly quickly, but within a few minutes had blood coming from his nose.  Thus ensued phone calls and googling, and more phone calls.  I was admittedly worried and Dan insisted, from Colorado, that I take him in.  I knew this would turn the evening into a fiasco trying to find people to keep the big kids and get them to bed while I sat in the emergency room.  But the main thing holding me back was my fear of arriving at the same hospital with the same baby, with a similar head injury as our visit about a month before (remember the curtain rod?).  But my fear about his little pumpkin head won out and I took him in.

And he was totally fine.

And they didn't call CPS.

Happy Birthday to me!

I still ended up being able to have my little birthday celebration.  And I've been 32 ever since and I can't tell the difference so far.

I shared a tiny cake with the kids,

received some beautiful flowers from my long distance boyfriend,

and a page of coupons and a love note from Ava.

I was proud of myself for taking the kids all by myself up to the Frank Buck Zoo in Gainesville on their day off from school.

Finn has earned the title of StairMaster...

After finishing The Orphan Train for book club, I got totally wrapped up in Family History as I tried to piece together the mystery of my maternal grandfather and his trip on an Orphan Train.

Someday, when I grow up, I am going to write a book.  And it very well may involve pieces of this story.  Until then, I may write another post detailing what I know, but just as the book, it's a someday thing.

Ava saw my outfit one morning, realized that she could duplicate it, and we went around together like "twins".

Luke set a worthy goal for the new year:

"Benember (his version of remember) my Texas Friends"

After another marathon weekend of showings and thankfully pleasant weather, where we spent most of our days outside,

our house is 99% sold.  We've still got a few papers to sign but the movers will be here in two days and we will drive into the sunset on Saturday.

We close on our Colorado house tomorrow.

Mom and Dad made it back to Texas last Friday to pick up their van, speak in church, and have a doctors appointment.  They'll leave on Thursday.  My sister, Chandra, is in town for some training and will also leave on Thursday.  I love that I'm not alone this week as I anticipate our life getting packed up and moved.

Mom and Dad spoke in church on Sunday.  And it really hit me what they are about to do.  I am so proud of them! I am so happy to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life.  It matters to me.  It means something to me every single day.  I am different because of it.  I am different because of the principles that my parents taught me.  My mother and father have been ever faithful. I have never doubted that it mattered to them.  As they spoke, I realized it was the consistency they provided me year in, and year out, no matter the season or circumstance, that has made such an impact on me and my dependence on this religion, on my Savior.  I felt the love they are carrying as they prepare to go out in service of others and their God.  To all those who are not members of this church who may read this, have a soft heart towards those who so willingly give of themselves to serve missions, old or young.  They don't go to force people, they don't go because they think they're better than another.  They go because the gospel of Jesus Christ has made them happier people and they hope to help others find the same happiness.  It's like discovering the best chocolate chip cookie recipe in the whole world and feeling like you have to call every one you know to share it because THESE COOKIES!

I will miss them and the closeness we've been lucky to have for the past three years. I will miss our daily interactions.  I can't believe they won't see our new house for a year.  I will have to Facetime them through the house.

As our days here dwindle I have tried to think of the things I need to do or see before we go.

Every January for the past three years, we have taken the train up to Denton for lunch and ice cream.

So on our last full weekend as Texans, we did it again.

It's always exciting when the train rounds the bend.

2012

2013

2014

 

Lunch at the Mellow Mushroom,

Ice cream at Beth Marie's,

Hard to believe that after 14 years, nobody in the family will live in Texas.  As much as I never thought I would say this about such a freakishly hot and majorly ugly place, I am really, really going to miss it.