Good-Byes

One of the things you don't always think about when you're looking forward in life is that you have to end the current chapter before you open the next one. It's all part of the natural process but it still seems to sneak up on you every time. Leaving is exciting because we're looking forward to new things. But it still means that something is going to be over. We have to say good-bye to people, places, and things that have been central to us for several years.

We got a few pieces of that this past week. The folks at Matt's job threw a Going Away party for him this past Wednesday. Since Heidi's on nights, she got to come. She had never been on a chemical plant before, but she said it was like being on a field trip! Bruce and Kwa did a great job of roasting Matt - like he didn't know THAT was coming. Again, going forward is exciting, but looking back can be hard. He's been going to work there every day for over 10 years. Big change.

This past Friday night was Matt's 3rd to the last show with Todd, Tod, Trip, and Billy. One more on Wednesday, then Heidi's graduation party on Friday. Those guys have been like brothers and it's going to be very hard to say good-bye. Matt's been playing with Tod Stark for six or seven years. He's been playing with Todd Howard for five or six, with Trip for two, and with Billy for two or three. He and Billy even lived together for over a year. God has been very good to provide such great friends.

Heidi has finished her last full week of work. She'll go in Sunday night for her last regular shift and turn in most of her stuff on Monday. (She still has one more "coverage" night on Thursday, but...) The hope is that she'll be able to keep in touch with many of her work friends, professionally and socially, but it's still a good-bye in a lot of ways.

Pray for us to smile and say good-bye with the knowledge that we'll see so many of our friends again in eternity, if not before.

(The photo above is from our recent trip to Washington, D.C. in March... In case you can't make it out, it's us standing "in Guatemala" at the Navy Memorial there-- Thanks to Daryl for totally humoring us by taking the Metro to an extra stop just to snap this picture for us!)