Totally Bummed Out

And on the tenth day they left. Not all good things should have to end this way. Really. We knew to expect a little sadness but this? This feels like we just said farewell to our very best friends...soul mates...pieces of our own hearts.

The Peters left a few hours ago, hopefully traveling safely back to Michigan. I do know they are anxious to get back home especially since they've not seen their two teenagers in nine days. Us? We all wanted to hang on just a little longer.

Just to cast a little more blah on this Monday, the kids will be meeting their teachers later today. School starts tomorrow for Jessie. Middle School. Just go ahead and gag me with a shovel. The unofficial end of the summer...what a bummer.

I promise the next few posts will be more cheery especially as we peruse over 400 pictures we took last week. And despite trying to share our memories with you there is no way to explain the connection our two families now have. It truly has been an incredible experience and it was quite possibly the vacation of a lifetime.

The only way to relate the experience is through two things that crossed my mind this morning. Honestly this was the first time Joan and I can ever recall being around another family for any length of time and not once wanting to get away from them for awhile. The second is that last night I left Joan, Jim, & Gretchen in the den watching the Olympics without saying goodnight. I couldn't do it because I knew how hard saying farewell would be this morning. Two goodbyes in a short period of time is just too much.

So here we are waiting on a phone call tonight letting us know that a part of us has arrived home safely - a part of us that we don't know exactly when we will see again. Hopefully sooner than later.

The photo is of Jessie snuggling with Simon.