At Last

There are so many lasts in this move. Maybe even more so as Biggest Brother has just completed Year 6 at a British primary school. I suspect we have had the type of send offs we won't again witness until he graduates from high school. A rousing production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (you've never before seen Lysander play the drums!), a Leavers' Mass, Year 6 disco. All have been great but tinged with the sharp understanding that it is our end at Our Sweet School.

If you have already graduated a small or two and think what we've endured in the last few days isn't going to compare, please spare me that truth. That news would surely give me a terrible tummy problem. As it is, I'm keeping busy going to the new house photos online (surely someone's stats from the UK are through the roof!) in some sort decorating zen/happy place/visualization.

Sunday found us at the Serpentine restaurant - our favorite spot for on a nice night. Picnic tables overlooking the water. Room to run and play. A walk to and from dinner through the park. Even if sometimes we (or Uncle Gary!) end up carrying a scooter or two. Then we ended up getting ice cream. And going to the Serpentine playground. On a school night. In that desperate, grasping way of not wanting it to end.

That last bit could characterize most of everything we've done in the last few days. It has been exhilarating, rewarding, exhausting, and completely and utterly draining. I felt fragile. Worn and frayed. Laughing through tears, but oh, my gracious it is hard to stop the tears. I woke up the other day with a raw face from my bandana having grazed it too many times the day before. It isn't pretty.

The worst possible had to be our departure from the park near school the day school broke up. The park where we forged our best friendships. All of us. Imagine the dearest friends times the six of us - clusters of smalls crying with our smalls in the middle while grown ups hugged and cried on the fringes. Then the circles would overlap which would trigger more crying, well wishing, embracing, promising to stay in touch and blessedly, laughing about the tears.

In the movie of our life that plays in my mind, I hope to always remember looking back through the gates at Paddington Park Gardens seeing our favorite Londoners holding each other and waving and cheering us on. Dorothy didn't get such a sweet send off from Oz. We are so incredibly blessed to have joined such an amazing community and exceedingly grateful for the home our friends have made for us here. If it is heartbreaking to leave, it means we have absolutely loved our time as Londoners and even more so, our beautiful friendships.

But now we are ready. While I suspect there will again be tears, we are indeed ready to turn the page, excited about what is ahead, and thankful for our lives and each other. We're counting on new friends not yet met being in Nashville waiting with open arms. We can only hope.

It is nearing the end of the packing here and we'll be out of the house by the end of the day. To a hotel after a pub dinner and wheels up in the morning. Prayers, well wishes, and good thoughts welcomed and encouraged.

And you can be sure before too long I'll be writing to you again. Thanks for coming on this journey with us. It has meant the world to share it with you.  xo