One Last Time (for now)

Well, friends and family, we are officially moved out of Florida.  For a station we had not looked forward to for various reasons  (Mainly not wanting to move away from Ohio and our friends there...and losing seasons...), we came to love our life in Florida.  I pretty quickly got over the season thing when our kids could play outside 12 months a year and I didn't have to wrap them up like the Michelin guy to prevent frostbite.  We loved our regular trips to the beach and being able to do last minute trips to Orlando.  And, over the course of those 5 years, as much as I tried to not make friends so that our eventual departure would not be as hard as Ohio, we made some wonderful friends.  We made some great personal friendships at work and in our neighborhood where many had kids our kids ages, but also that gold standard of family friends where wives get along with wives, husbands get along with husbands, and kids get along with kids.  In fact, there were 5 such families (insert joke about The Godfather here).  I know, because I invited them all to Will's birthday party without considering the total until the night before when I was attempting to figure out how much pizza to order (the answer was: a lot...I needed a lot of pizza).  They were just the people we saw regularly.  Just the people that made Florida feel like home to this Kansas born and bred girl.  To be honest, it hasn't hit me that they won't just be a quick drive away.  That we won't run into them at the store and have a quick conversation that gives us a laugh or two and revitalizes us to carry on,  or be able to text: 'Do you have a cup of flour?', "Up for Third Planet?", "Up for spades?", "We're on for Cribbage, right?", "Have you seen Molly?", "Headed to the library..see you soon!".

Writing this has made it more real.  Perhaps that is what I needed.  Denial isn't just a river in Egypt.   But, now I'm crying. 

Thanks for the memories, Florida Friends.  You will be in our hearts forever.  We'll see you soon!