When I Think Back On Our Time Living in Kansas…

On Sunday morning, we’re hitting the road to make the 800 mile trek to Alabama with two very (very very!) packed vehicles. I remember when I drove with the girls down to Alabama in October, I hoped that the next time I made that drive would be in March (if we happened to be moving there for good). Sure enough, we’re about to be on our way!

I anticipate that once we hit I-70 I’ll feel elated, but I think that final drive out of town will give me all the feels. This place is not only home to me, but it’s absolutely home to our girls (I won’t say it’s quite as “home” for Jamie simply because he’s been in and out so much and hasn’t gotten quite as attached.) I love Manhattan, Kansas. I mean, I really, truly adore this city. I wouldn’t have been heartbroken if Jamie got a job here and we “had” to stay because this little city has been a wonderful place to live. Salt of the Earth-type people live here. It’s a hidden gem, I tell ya.

I know we’ll reminisce about our time here forever, and here are the things I’m guessing will always come to mind…

I’ll remember squealing with Jamie and practically skipping around as we did our walk through of our home, seeing it in person for the first time. We couldn’t believe that it would be ours the very next day!

I’ll remember making one of the truest, strongest, closest friends I’ve ever had, and how much better my life was because we were doing it all together.

I’ll remember that this is where we found out Sadie was on her way, and the tears of shock, fear, and excitement I shed on the couch at 5 a.m. before crawling in bed with Jamie to wake him up with the news.

I’ll remember that this was where both of our girls took their first steps as well as countless other firsts that happened during the baby, toddler, and preschool stages.

I’ll remember my MOPS group, my time spent on the leadership committee, and how much “life” we all shared together around those tables for 3.5 years.

I’ll remember my group of battle buddies who I went through the Kuwait deployment with. I’ll remember how close we got so fast. Almost all of us were either pregnant or caring for newborns, so we understood each other so well and stood by each other. Their friendships were (and still are) priceless to me.

I’ll remember spending so many summer nights at City Pool, paying just $1 per person to get in and having a ball with our little ones.

I’ll remember Crestview Christian Church, and how good they were to our family and how we grew in our faith alongside wonderful people.

I’ll remember how awesome our neighbors were and how much fun our families all had together. We learned that having great neighbors is really, really, really stinkin’ awesome.

And I’ll remember what a team Jamie and I had to be – as  the commander & FRG leader, as life group leaders, as parents during these exhausting years with little ones, and as life partners.

We’ll be back for you, Little Apple. Besides, I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to go without doughnuts from Varsity, a chicken and waffle tapas dish from Bourbon and Baker, an afternoon glass of wine outside at Liquid Art, or a sunset hike at Konza Prairie.

See you soon, MHK. Thanks for being so good to us.

PS: What I’ll always remember from our time living in Sierra Vista, Arizona