gone...gone...gone

 this past weekend was a tough one.  we had to say good-bye to amanda and her family.  they left for south carolina on saturday and i think they are still driving there as we speak....which means its really
 really really far away.

i'm excited for her and her family they will have some great adventures ahead of them, but the selfish part of me is already sad and lonely.  i miss her and her girls a lot.

 i've been told that i don't have any friends because i have sisters...(and the few friends i do have are just like sisters) but there is nothing harder than saying good-bye to a sister and friend. i hate having to say good-bye it is harder this time because now i have kids and can't just hop on a plane to come visit.  but we are already planning on the next time we see each other even though its not tomorrow, or tonight or next weekend.

don't even get me started on these three....oh its hard to move away.  these three known as the triplets have been best and worst buds since birth.  poor cy has been so worried that they have moved, he wanted to move with them, because everyone needs a brother.   he even changed his name to cy kemp, because the kemps were moving and he was going with them.

i find myself crying at the weirdest times...holding the girls, watching signing time, at church, driving home wondering if amanda is coming over for dinner.  i cry because amanda is such a great sister and friend and mom.  she really helped me learn how to be a mom and take care of twins! she has literally been there done that with just about everything! (bed rest, twins, moving away, working) and she always makes me feel like i can handle anything.  i really can honestly say she has taught me all i know about being a mom, and i always tear up when watching signing time, because if it weren't for her, my girls would have never heard of rachel, or signing, or sleep through the night, or eat with a spoon, the list goes on.  and i would never have made it through bed rest, not sleeping for 10months straight,
and pretty much everyday of  my life without her.

we did have a great time before they left, tony was auctioning of all sorts of stuff from their cupboards....some expired in 2007. but we laughed real hard.  tony is one of the best story tellers and jokers out there....he will be missed, and spence will miss his man time with tony.

this picture says just about how we all feel now that manda is gone.  bummed and pouty, and what she left?

we were able to celebrate ABBIE's birthday.....the night before amanda drove around the country.  abbie has always been an old soul, she is so beautiful and fun, the cutest cheerleader i have ever seen!!

and yes we will even miss you lilly, even though you clear a whole room out when you fart, which is about every 10minutes.  and we'll miss you shu-shu even though you fake a limp when you want attention.

i miss you manda. and i can't say more because it hurts too much.