a fond farewell

the beautiful ice cream cake that I only had 1 teeny piece of and had to gobble it down in a mouth-freezing frenzy so I could get back and help load the trailer 

Pastor Karl

Paula

Ashlynn

Larry

a lovely slideshow of memories

almost the whole church turned out

Lori, Marthanne, Melissa 

Lori picked the verse

the 2 Wendys

Wendy B

Danielle

These are some of the gifts, that I now have packed in my car...

I think someone knows I love to sing...haha

for the burry cold Michigan weather

a lovely framed picture from the church with personal notes on the back - so nice!

It was a beautiful farewell luncheon at Preakness!  So many years, and so many memories... and they all come to a screeching halt at one afternoon celebration.  I won't even begin to elaborate on the many realms of emotions running through me as I drove away from the church on Sunday, thinking perhaps I'd never see most of those people again until we meet again in heaven.  Sad indeed, but my life is better for having known them.  I hope at least some of them can come visit me in Michigan.

I will miss many of the things I've come to know over the past years there... but I know that God is taking me to a new place of new experiences.  I am ready for these changes, even though they don't come without a deep level of pain.