Bittersweet...

As the upcoming move gets closer by the day, I am having so many mixed emotions. I thought the blog would be a good place to put them all down, so that one day I can look back and remember.

I am so excited for the move--to be closer to our families, back in the midwest, and living in an amazing new house. But Macon has been a home to me for 4.5 years now, and I will truly miss this place. My whole life with Chuck, as a wife and then a mother, it has all happened here. This house was made a home by us. We lovingly painted and decorated our children's bedrooms, rocked them to sleep in the early morning hours, gave them first baths and first meals and first...everythings. Leaving will be hard for me. It feels funny to say that now, because when we first moved here I was SO unhappy and convinced that I would never like it here. But time passed, and I was fortunate to make amazing friends, discover the beauty of living in the south, and become more confident in my skills as a wife and a mother. Starting a new chapter in my life, in our lives, will be exciting, but it is certainly bittersweet.

I will miss my friends the most. I've been so amazingly fortunate to meet a truly wonderful group of moms who I never would have survived the past 4 years without. Susan, I will miss you most of all, you have been such an amazing friend to me and I know we'll stay in touch forever. I will miss the spring in Macon, because the cherry blossoms, the pear blossoms and the wisteria are simply breathtaking. I never knew spring could be as beautiful as it is here. I will miss the Cherry Blossom festival, because it is amazing to see the city come together for a week to celebrate the unique beauty of Macon, and it is such a fun time. I will miss Lake Tobesofkee, because I have amazing memories of fun-filled mornings with my kids and husband.

I will miss this house, this home of ours, where my memories of tiny hands and feet will always and forever be etched within the walls. I will miss long walks through the neighborhood, our driveway where our son learned to ride a bike. I will miss pushing my kids on the swingset in the backyard, or taking them swimming in the hot tub. I will miss watching them ride on Chuck's lap while he mows our enormous lawn.

But, truth be told, there are things that I will NOT miss at all. I will not miss fireants and giant cockroaches and spiders and bugs that live all year long. I will not miss the sweltering summers that start in early May and end in late September. I will not miss our terrible neighbors with their awful barking dog and 35 stray cats that use my yard as a litter box.

I'm lucky to have taken about a million pictures over the past 4.5 years, to document our time here as our family of 2 grew into a family of 4. This place will always hold a special place in my heart, and I hope very much that we can make it back someday to visit our friends that we are leaving behind. I love all of you so much and appreciate you all more than you know. Macon, I will miss you...always.

P.S. I know I still have 4 weeks left, but I had to let it out tonight! Feeling a little sentimental, I suppose, so humor me, lol. ;)