41 Months...and Goodbyes

Before we get to all the newsy stuff, it's Tuesday, so it's podcast day!! This week we bid a fond farewell to the Bekah-mobile, after 13 years of {mostly} faithful service, and we offer up our favorite things learned from the big move!

Click here to listen

Yesterday marked 41 months of marriage for the two of us. And as so often seems to be the case in the "warmer" Indiana months, it proved to be a monthiversary in which December in Florida was warmer than this summery day in Indiana. 

To celebrate, we went out for coffee {because of course}...

 ...and then we made our final pilgrimage to our old house. We are scheduled to close on it this week {and would love your last bit of prayers to push us over this hump with hopefully no complications}. We wanted to mow the yard one more time, which was fun since it rained that evening, and we also needed to say our final goodbyes.

Before we did anything and got all wet and bedraggled looking, we took our monthiversary picture: the last last last one ever in front of our trusty backyard tree.

We have taken so many pictures in front of that tree. So many photographic memories in this spot. We're still working out our new spot at our new house, but we did one final shoot in front of this one.

And then off to mow. Ryan informed me I am an "angry mower." He said I look flat out mad when I push the mower. I told him it was probably because I don't enjoy mowing - especially in the rain. HA!! But I did smile for the picture.

He did a little mowing too!

{And trimming.}

He was gracious to me and while he finished packing up the last couple of things in the garage, I went into the house to say my initial goodbyes.

Got a little teary-eyed sitting in the room that served as my bedroom when I first moved into the house. Later, it was our office, and between the two, God and I had more than a few talks in those walls. I have so many thoughts that I'm eager to share with you about this whole process of goodbye, but I have to do a bit more of just that: process.

Ryan came in and we did the little project I found on a blog post last week: signed our names on a floorboard in the attic.

We closed up the attic and walked hand in hand throughout the house, crying and remembering the moments we shared in each room. So many memories in just over three years. So. Many. Memories.

One last dance, to the song Ryan chose. He picked Life is Beautiful by The Afters, and as we danced and I listened to the words, I decided it was the most perfect song ever for saying goodbye to a house you loved. 

This was the room where we used to have a goodbye dance every single night before Ryan went home. I cried through all of those because I didn't want him to leave. I cried through this one because I was overwhelmed at the beauty of what we shared there and what we have yet to share where we are now.

We prayed together - thanksgiving and sorrow and blessing for the future. It was a sacred moment I won't soon forget.

And then it was our last goodbye.

Goodbyes are hard and bittersweet. We are so excited for the new owner. Truly, giddy excited for him and for all that will take place as he begins his life there. We don't second-guess our decision to leave and we adore our new home and our new city. But Shafferland began here. Our first three seasons happened here. Beautiful memories that we will always have and always cherish.

It seemed right, somehow, to say goodbye on a monthiversary. To mark the day with a pivotal moment. Forty-one months may have been lackluster in weather and interesting in celebration choice, but it will always be remembered for the beautiful goodbye.