The hardest goodbye.

Don't get me wrong, all of my goodbyes with my friends have been hard, and a close few were especially hard. But one was the absolute hardest and I'll tell you why at the end.....

JESS

Jess because we became friends when we were both pregnant with our first babies, which bonded us. The fact that Aidan & Austen became best buds and the A Team bonded us even more. Then we were pregnant with our second babies together again, and both the M babies were added to the mix. Mackenzie & Mason are fated to be married someday forever uniting me and Jess :) Plus if you know mine and Jess's parenting style, it's very similar. Instead of coddling an injured child, we both tend to say "Well, I TOLD you not to do that!!" Heehee.

MICHELE

Michele because let's face it, she's the best neighbor/friend ever. She was there when we had babysitter issues when Aidan was just one year old...and has been there ever since. From sharing cups of sugar to helping out when kids are sick (or even mommies for that matter), Michele was always there. I loved getting deliveries of fresh picked fruits and I loved sending over cookies and sweets when I baked too much! Her boys and mine get along famously and she will always be Mommy #2. It will be hard to find a neighbor/friend that will leave an impact like Michele has.

KRYSTA

Krysta because ,well, hell, a young energetic chick with no kids of her own who loved my kids and was willing to give up a Friday night with her friends to watch them so Ryan and I could go to the hospital christmas party and resident dinner each year? That's a keeper right there. My boys love her and she loves them. That's all a Momma needs. Oh and she likes Loopy, so she'll always be awesome in my book. She held my hand while I got my nose pierced and came to hang out with me the day I had my wisdom teeth out so Ryan could go in to work for a few hours. She was basically babysitting me that time ;) oh yeah, and she's fun too, I guess I should point that out as well ;)

SARA

Sara is the most recent addition to my close friends, but it doesn't mean I'll miss her any less! Always someone to have an afternoon cocktail with me and always around to hang out when I think the kids might just be pushing me to my limit. In fact Sara was my breathing coach when the boys were pushing my buttons. "Steph, breathe in, and out" LOL. I'll miss having Colton's blue eyes on my Photoshop editing queue and I'll miss hearing Sara come running up the steps of the deck looking for someone to have a glass of wine with.

However as much as I love all my friends there is one in particular that was EXTREMELY hard to say goodbye to.

LISA

Lisa has been there for me since I first arrived in Allentown, PA not knowing a soul and starting my very first job as a medical laboratory technician. Lisa has been the friend I have had the longest while in PA and I feel I have a special relationship with her that makes it that much harder to say goodbye.

When I first got here and was training on dayshift (I was hired to work 2nd shift) Lisa knew that Ryan wasn't around a ton since he was busy being abused as a surgical intern and that we didn't have family here. The only way I can describe what happened next is that Lisa took me under her wing. She took me out to get ice cream and nachos with her little girls (then 6 & 9) and from that point on a great friendship formed. Not only would I consider Lisa a great friend, but since there's a 10 year age difference between us I consider her somewhat of a big sister too. She's already been through the baby and toddler stages of parenthood and is always there when I need advice. Hell even now, when I was still in tears from the pain 5 days after my wisdom teeth were removed, it was Lisa's simple text of "did you call the oral surgeon?" that lit a fire under my ass and got me to call, thus finding out about my dry sockets.

I've thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her and her family....Emma is 11 now and Allie is 14....it is so weird to think about how little they were when I met them, and how grown up they are now. I love watching how they interact with my guys like they were their own little brothers :)

                            taken last summer

While I said many of my goodbyes last week, I didn't have to say goodbye to Lisa just yet because I knew she was watching the boys for me last night so we could go to Ryan's graduation dinner. So picking up the boys this morning after their sleepover was finally the time to say goodbye. 

It sucked. 

Many tears were shed and I even sobbed a "what will I do without you?". 

I must admit seeing Allie and Emma crying was tearing me up but when I finally tore myself away from Lisa after the 100th hug goodbye, and I saw Allie sitting on the front steps crying as I drove away, my heart was absolutely broken. It's hard enough to be sad as an adult but for these sweet girls to be sad hurt so much more. I tried to call Ryan to tell him I was on my way back to the hotel but I was sobbing so hard he actually asked if I needed him to come drive me back. I was still fighting back tears with all my might when I got back to the hotel...and still fighting them back now. Like I said, it was the hardest goodbye.

As we said our super tearful goodbye this morning she handed me a letter. I still have yet to bring myself to read it because I know I am going to bawl....just like I bawled when I read the collection of quotes she had gathered for me last week. 

I know that luckily she'll always be a phone call or text away, and with facebook we'll be able to keep up. And hell, I know I'll have to come back to do the girls's senior pictures anyway ;)

I will miss everyone here in PA that I became friends with, and rest assured even if I didn't mention you personally you are in my heart. My time here in PA would not have been the same without the friendship of each and every one of you all. From playdates to slacking off at work together I'll miss all the good times!!

So long, PA, you will forever be in my family's heart.

And now if you'll excuse me I'm going to have a good cry.\