more goodbyes...

As my sister Jill said recently in a blogpost, our lives are full of transition.  Along with these transitions will come MANY goodbyes.  A few days ago we had to say goodbye to a family whom we have grown to love very much.

Scot and April are on staff at NTBI, and our family has grown close to theirs.  Our kids have become such good buddies!  But they are leaving soon to spend  a few months in Texas--so when we get back to NTBI from our break, they will be gone.  So anyway...we said goodbye to them :( 

This is Jon Wiley.  He is a couple of years older than Kaine, but neither of them notice or care!  They are such good friends!  I have overheard them saying things such as:  talking about how they are "brothers in Christ"; talking about maybe being on the mission field together someday; and about becoming "blood brothers" (they actually asked us parents if they could cut themselves and become blood brothers!  So funny!  We persuaded them to make matching tatoos instead).   Anyway, Jon Wiley has been such a good friend for Kaine, and we have appreciated the influence he has had on him!

This is Madison.  She is only a couple of weeks younger than Halle, and they are such good friends, too!  Maddie is a very affectionate girl with a fun personality...she says such funny things!  I have always appreciated how much she enjoys Halle and how well they get along together.  Maddie and Halle were ballet buddies this semester, and it is always so cute to see petite little Maddie in her tutu and leg warmers!  She is so cute:)

And here is sweet Sadie.  She melts my heart :)  She says the funniest things, and she is always wondering where Layla is when we see her (she loves Layla!)  They are good buddies, too...they are in childcare together and it is so cute to see them hug when they see each other in the hallways at school.  What a sweetie.

A couple of weeks ago, Scot and April had Kaine and Halle over for a sleepover!  They had sooooo much fun.  (and no, Daisy didn't spend the night, too! this picture was earlier in the evening while Nathan and I were there).

Here is Scot with Nathan and Aaron...haha!  They were going to go out with Scot for coffee and showed up in their Christmas sweaters for a joke.  It was very funny:)

I am so sad that I don't have any pictures of April!  When we left NTBI today to come home for Christmas break, I was thinking earlier that I wanted to take a picture with her...but then I forgot.  Sigh.  Oh well.  April is a super godly woman whom I respect very much.  She has been a great friend for me at NTBI!

We are so thankful for this family blessing us in many ways.  As Jon-Wiley said to us one time, "Being a missionary is hard because you have to say so many goodbyes.  But it also means that you get to say more 'hellos'"!  Such a wise thing for a young boy to say!  But so true, too...and a perspective that I want to remember.