More goodbyes

We stayed with Javi and Annalece the last couple of days before we left town.  In between cleaning the town home and getting it ready to pass on to Kevin and Cassity we got to celebrate Celene's 3rd birthday!

These two were always the cutest little buddies!  I was so sad to think they wouldn't get to keep growing up together.

And we had just started getting to know sweet Carmen!  She completely stole my heart!

Birthday pancakes the morning of her big day.

We celebrated at her favorite restaurant, the Indian restaurant in downtown Provo. :)

Then we had Swig cookies (bucket list - check!) at the park for dessert.  We LOVED living close to Javi and his family for those last few years.   I was seriously second-guessing our decision to move at this point!  Why did we ever decide to leave?!

Thankfully, this guy is ambitious and good at what he does, and I promised him a long time ago I'd follow him anywhere.  So here was my chance to act on that promise!  And really, Orange County is nothing to complain about!  Here's to our future in CA!!

Saying goodbye

Moving is ROUGH!  And not just because the packing and physical moving is such a pain.  It's so hard to leave loved ones and memories behind.  We made so many amazing memories during our time in Utah, and especially in that little town home in Springville.  There's nothing I miss more than our big family get togethers!  Here are a few of the last pics we took...

All too soon, the town home looked like this, and the goodbyes became real!

Tearing these buddies (and hair twins) apart broke my heart. :(

We had one last Toone hurrah at the Riverwoods before leaving town.  We ate at Tucanos and then said our tearful goodbyes...

What can I say?  It was heart wrenching.  Not something I want to have to go through again.  Thankfully CA isn't THAT far away, but nothing beat being within an hour of my sisters and so many people we loved.  Thank goodness families are forever!  I couldn't have handled the goodbyes otherwise!

Family Time at Sundance

Something on Dad and David's bucket list was trying out the new zip line at Sundance, one of the longest and steepest in the nation!  The rest of us were happy enough just going to the canyon (something on MY bucket list) and meeting them safe and sound at the bottom.  What an adventure, though!  Look at those views!  

We enjoyed some good family time afterwards in the beautiful Sundance surroundings!

 

 

Matt had a little problem with his pocket knife, but nothing David and Grandpa couldn't fix.  

 

Family BBQ at Grandma Willes' house

Oh, the memories we have in Grandma Willes' backyard!  Since we'd be missing the annual 4th of July picnic, we had a family barbecue a few weeks early, just before we moved.   It was perfect - hot dogs, chips, fruit and Grandma's jello, of course!

 

Face-timing with Nathan...

Ending the night with nothing else but Hand and Foot!

And good old-fashioned wall ball! :)

Nothing beats family barbecues!