Maybe it’s because I moved a lot.

Maybe it’s because I’m ridiculously sentimental.

Maybe it’s because the people with whom I have the privilege of sharing life with mean the world to me…

But no matter what the reason; I hate good-byes.

And I may secretly avoid them like the plague.

Because if I just don’t say it – maybe it won’t happen?

Yep.  Time to grow up.

For the past four years, some incredible college students invaded our lives.  They became a part of our family.  They got to see just how messy our house can be and they loved us anyway.  They endured and entered in to hours of Just Dance Kids with us, watched as our kids cover themselves in chocolate chip pancakes, listened to long monologues about “The Little Mermaid”, pretended like Lightning McQueen was the coolest thing ever and even came to the hospital when one of them was born.  They have laughed with us, cried with us and shared countless polka-dot mugs of Chai with us.  And we would have it NO other way.

And now…it’s here.

Graduation.

They are headed out to various places. (at least one of them is coming with us to Georgia!  This comforts me to no end!!!!!)  They will go out into this world and love people like crazy, throw dance parties and hopefully still drink lots of Chai.

And oh how we wish we could freeze time and take them with us.

Since we can’t, I just wanted to post some of my favorite pictures from the past year.  There are more from last year, but it’s nap time and that would require me getting out the back-up drive and at the moment…that seems like a difficult task.  So – enjoy some snapshots from this year.

(And Catherine, Remer and Laura – consider yourselves TOTALLY called out for not coming by on profile pic-palooza day this year…  Still love you though!)