Goodbyes Are Never Easy

Six years is a long time, especially when you consider it's more than one-fifth of my life.  So when we made the difficult decision two weeks ago to move to Northwestern Virginia so that we could be closer to our families, I knew leaving Charlotte would be no easy task.  And so that's already proven true.  I've had several restless nights and bouts of doubt; yet, I feel a sense of excitement as we prepare to begin yet another adventure this year and also a feeling that Charlotte was always meant to be a temporary home.  But what a great temporary home it has been.

For the last six years we have found ourselves in the midst of a vibrant, growing city full of beautiful community.  It was here that we spent our carefree days as newlyweds, began our teaching careers, settled into our first home, felt the love and compassion of friends, and watched our family bloom from two to four.

And now as our lives have radically changed with the birth of Corbin and Hudson, so the place we live will change too.  Thus we will not only say goodbye to the Queen City, but also to sweet tea, wonderful hospitality, snow days for the threat of flurries, and a few (although not as many as I would have thought) Southern drawls.  But most importantly, we will bid farewell to a church that we have loved, friends who have cared and supported us, and a school that has been much more than just a job for Ben.

And so it goes--the story of our family will continue, but it will continue elsewhere, in a new city, in a new place, in a new home. Thanks for the memories, Charlotte.  Now it's time to make new memories . . .

A trip down memory lane:


Our first home

Ben's first day of teaching

First (and last) Nascar race:

Our first pro football game (Go Panthers!--well, not anymore)

Ben getting his Master's degree

My school family

Our church family

Our growing family