Ciao to the Olson clan

The day has arrived. That inevitable day we all new was coming when the Olson clan would be leaving us. I cannot speak on behalf of many who also know them from here, but I believe all of whom I'm thinking of can agree that they will be outrageously missed. And in the back of my mind I'm also thinking: "Italy! How exciting!" (and scary) but in a good way. The things they will see and the experiences they will share as a family and as parents raising their son, I'm afraid, simply cannot compare to the lifestyle here in EAFB. I wish them all the adventure Bri can handle ;) and many more happy memories in their new home. FYI, I will do my best to keep my farewell to the Olsons blog at a minimum tear jerker level.

But may I take some time to spotlight on my new friend, Bri? I have labeled her as my favorite neighbor in comparison to the other two places we've lived lol. Granted we've only been here for just over 4 months, however; Bri was one whom I can honestly say made the transition a little easier. It all started with a borrowed air mattress and from there we eventually moved onto eggs and sugar. I will say some of my favorite things to reflect on would be our random, last minute or late night trips to Hobby Lobby, Walmart, or any other place Bri considered too creepy to go to by herself. Many chats on the porch and late at friend's house, get togethers at the park, refinishing her son's dresser, and Bunco with other great ladies are just a few of the awesome times I've had with Bri. And it's still hard not to laugh out loud when I think about the image of Bri chasing the moths that flew into our house while she was watching our dog, Honey. It certainly will be strange not seeing her around anymore. But she's not dead-she's moving. So let's keep this upbeat shall we? She certainly pulled a good prank on me the other night! I was half asleep awakened by a heart attack via text message not realizing it was my neighbor friend being mischievous. Good times...

I've already informed Jeff that if one of our next big vacations was to Italy I wouldn't be complaining. I'll admit, I'm relieved to not be the one whose moving there at this point in time. After the hoops they've had to jump through and all the deadlines to be tracked-it gave me a headache! Regardless, Josh and Bri are a strong couple. And I wish Josh and Jeff hadn't worked such opposite shifts. It's truly a bummer that we didn't really have a better opportunity to get to Josh as well as I now know Bri. Like I said, a trip to Italy would be worth it. Perhaps Josh's schedule will allow for more conversation between all of us! Oh goodness, listen to me, I'm already practically starting an itinerary. Arrive on Thursday, dinner with the Olsons on Friday, etc...maybe one day.

And, of course; I will be missing those times I spent watching Ethan, however brief or extended they may have been, it was always silly and fun! That kid is so cute and funny, you'd be crazy not to enjoy being around him. Speaking of Ethan, he says this phrase that has taken on a whole new meaning for me. In all the innocence of a child he'll say, "I'm happy." And not in that it's-something-he-picked-up somewhere kind of way. It's matter of fact and confident. Instead of many of us who are barely content at the end of the day when we finally start winding down. We continue to think about the next day and the rest of the week and all the happenings to follow. We forget that today is where we should be putting our focus, and that, like Ethan; it's okay to allow ourselves to be genuinely happy-even though we've only folded 1 out of the 4 loads of laundry we started. I'm not saying that I or people I know are necessarily unhappy. However, I question myself on the last time I just let go of the day (good or bad) and told my heavenly father, just as Ethan tells his daddy, "I'm happy." How reassuring it must be for a parent (even the All Mighty One) to have their child look them in the eye and tell them they're happy. Seriously, if Ethan can still poop his pants during the day and tell you he's happy at night-the kids got the right mind set. So, I am thankful for this handsome little 2 year old and for the example he has set: that living life with the innocence of a child doesn't mean your irresponsible or completely carefree, but rather that you are more real in who you are than you'd probably ever allow yourself to be in front of the One who ultimately created you...