A goodbye to great friends. The Roses move to China.

Lets see. Can I get through this post without crying.  Even though this all happened back in July, it is still fresh and sad in my mind.  Some of our very best friends IN THE WORLD, The Rose family, moved to China this past summer.  Wait...not just friends.  They were FAMILY.  The Rose family have been intertwined in our lives ever since we moved to Florida 6 and a half years ago.  Sara was the first friend I met and has been like a sister to me.  Our first boys (Carver and Luke) became best friends the minute we moved here. Then Sara and I were pregnant at the same time and Gavin and Cooper were born 4 weeks apart...and they are like brothers.  Emma is our honorary little sister, and Eva...IS OUR ADOPTED BABY!  What an amazing opportunity for this family to move to China for 18 months for Matt's work. We are so happy for them, but sad for us :(  We were able to spend some quality time with them right before they left.  Oh the memories.  Sniff. 

Carver and Luke.  Friends since they were in diapers (or almost out of diapers I should say).  Soccer buddies, best friends, brothers, and they share the same sense of humor (of crazy 9 year old boy stuff).  I love their influence on each other.  We miss you Luke.

The weeks before the Roses moved to China were crazy for them. They had just returned from a 2 week trip to Utah, and they had to pack up their house, moving most of it to storage, and then packing boxes to ship to China, as well as suitcases to take with them. I know Sara was stressed, but she did it all with a smile. It was such an undertaking with countless obstacles. I was truly amazed all all that she had to do and how she did it.   I put my energy into being positive and trying to help her (which I am sure I didn't do enough of), instead of thinking about what life would be like in Florida without Sara.  And now I know what it is like.  I miss her so much. We miss them all. 

Before the Roses left, we were able to have one last hurrah at the beach, our favorite gathering place. Bittersweet for sure.

Let me tell you the kind of friend that Sara is.  When we moved to Florida, we had to live in a hotel for 6 weeks waiting to get into a house. It was a difficult time of uncertainty and adjustment.  I had met Sara at church, and I honestly have to say, after I spotted her, I thought to myself, "I think she is going to become my best friend". She is just that kind of person.  People are drawn to her.  Well, she invited me over quite a lot while I was in the hotel, and also took me to ward events and helped me meet so many people. The day we moved into our house, who do you think was there?  Yes, it was Sara, with her two small children in tow. She stayed with me all day and kept me company while the movers brought everything in, and then she helped me get settled.  John and Matt quickly became friends, and soon our families were intertwined.  Many holidays were spent together, many special occasions were celebrated together. They became family.  Sara and I served in YW in church together and I learned so much from her.  She was always willing to do anything for me.  When we were out of a job for so long, Matt and Sara helped us in countless ways, many of which were probably meant to be anonymous, but I know it was their kindness.  Sara and I laughed together, cried together, and just "got" each other. She is the kind of person that made me a better person.  So giving, so loving, and so non judgmental.  I could go on and on about her.  I truly miss her in my life every day, but I am also so happy for her the she is experiencing so many amazing things with her family. 

Oh goodness.  The separation of these two boys has been painful.  Cooper and Gavin.  Gavin and Cooper. I think they were inseparable for these last few years.  Partners in crime.  Loving brothers. Soccer buddies. Cooper almost boycotted pre-school this fall because Gavin was not here to go with him.  Cooper talks about him almost every day.  How wonderful to have a friend such as this. 

Emma is greatly missed too.  Once she told her mom that Kinsey was her new best friend.  And she has been an advocate of Kennedy babysitting even when Kennedy was only about 8 or 9.  "Mom, Kennedy could totally babysit us...all she needs is a chair so she could cook dinner".  And then there is Eva.  Our sweet baby.  We miss her so much and can't believe how much she is growing. She was my "baby girl fix". 

So many of us miss Sara and the whole Rose family. But ultimately, we are so happy for her and love reading about her daily adventures on her blog (she chooses to update weekly or daily...instead of the once every six months like me. hee hee)   I just wanted to make this post as a tribute to this wonderful family that we miss so much.  They have changed us for good.