The Salisbury Seven plus one : How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.

The last week in Albuquerque was a whirlwind of course. The movers came on Friday August 7. We stayed at our house Friday, Saturday and Sunday with all our stuff in boxes. Monday we moved over to the hotel. We had dinners with Friends every night (THANKS Wheelers, Wilcoxes, Andersons and Brooks!! I wish I had taken pictures!!) and after we weren't in our home anymore a million people offered to let us nap kids and feed us etc. play date, you name it. I wish we could have been in all those places at once, and I'm so sad there were SO many people we didn't get to say goodbye to--many were still on vacation, and school was about to start as well so lives were busy. Everyone took such good care of us I'm sad I won't have a chance to return the favor. Curt was still working non stop on the house, and thanks to Uncle Eric for coming and helping him hammer out all the painting that was left. Wednesday morning they came to get our cars. While we were waiting at our house the kids were playing on our tree swings just like they have for the past four years and Heidi fell off. The swing came back and hit her smack dab in the middle of her mouth and she was bleeding quite a bit. The swing had chipped her front teeth, loosened up her bottom two a little and scratched up her face. Friends showed up shortly thereafter and we met at a park for lunch. While we were there Kristine, awesome friend and our Bishop's wife offered to take Heidi to her husbands office (he's a dentist) to have her looked at. We didn't have a car, so other kids were passed off and Kristine and Heidi and I went to the dentist. Bishop Lines was so sweet with her, talking silly with her like only he can, helping her feel comfortable with letting him look at and work on her teeth. (The week before I had taken them all in for a check up with our pediadontist and she wouldn't even sit in the chair.) Her bottom teeth had bled some but no roots were cracked and he was able to file down her front teeth so they weren't so sharp. Her front teeth are a little diagonal now instead of straight across thanks to the swing, but won't be cutting up her tongue. I can't thank them enough for seeing her at a moments notice and without even asking for a penny. If we would have waited until we got to CA, it would have taken a bit to get her to a dentist and who knows if she would have even let them work on her teeth. That night we had dinner at the Brooks' and other friends came to pick up Nicole so she could go to activity days for the last time. Kathy even drove me and my kids to the hotel way down by the airport after feeding us dinner. All the wards we've lived in have been great, but I've truly felt the reason we call each other brother and sister in our Bear Canyon ward. So hard to leave. 7-8 years in one place, roots were deep.

The past few weeks in Albuquerque I was snapping pictures everywhere. "Mom why are you taking pictures of that?" Here's our temple that was 7 minutes away.

Driving home on Tramway

Alex and Isaac

Brett at our newly refurbished neighborhood park.

Oh these two! If only I could have recorded all their fun conversations and play dates.

Haley and Ryan

Ditto. Isaac and Adam

AND Ditto again! Nicole and Anna (The arm thing was to cover her cast so she could go swimming.)

One last swim at Eisenhower pool

all boxed up

view of our house from the side

Tuesday Cecy organized an aquarium, botanic garden day and quite a few people came at the drop of a hat-even rearranged piano lessons to come be with us. Cecy and Maria and sweet Kate below.

Heidi, Juliette, Eden and Lizzie

. . . and Kate!

Claire stayed as long as her little guy would let her but had to sneak out early so she wasn't in on the group shot below. We got to keep Lizzie with us though!

Me (the one with the puffy eyes from crying) Maria, Kristine, Nicole, Cecy, Elise. So sweet of them to come. There are at least 20 other people I wish could have been there! We almost exceeded the aquarium's capacity with all of our kids. 26 kids between just the six of us below.