Noodles, Swimming and Farewells

The past week has marked the beginning of our farewells. Special play dates. Dinner guests. Sleepovers and gatherings.

On Saturday we met our friends the Stockwells one more time

at our traditional meeting spot - China Magic Noodle House.

Chef Quing Zhang pulls noodles by hand.

It is amazing and most delicious!

Lilly and Claire always get mango smoothies with their noodles!

And our Wuhan boy puts the noodles away! Seriously!

This is a tradition we will surely miss

Pearl and Charlotte have been friends since we moved here.

And at dinner together on Saturday, Jim told us that it was at a church campout

our first year here that he watched little Claire for the weekend

and decided it would be a great thing for his family to adopt, too...

and we got to watch as precious Lilly was enfolded into their family!

God is good - He knits hearts together in unexpected and beautiful ways.

We were also blessed by a gathering of special family friends as a farewell send off.

The kids in this group have grown up together at school and in a small group at church.

Kyle Navarrette stopped by - one of our favorite teachers.

He has poured into our older kids' lives in an amazing way.

Whether he was teaching Bible, Literature or Latin.....my kids LOVED him.

He is a remarkable man

and my kids both share their testimony of faith with mention of Mr. Nav!

He was that influential!

We praise God for our time at PVCP and for teachers like Mr. Nav.

We're thankful for men who upheld one another in Bible study and prayer and companionship

during the years we were here in the desert...

And these dear friends have been faithful from day one.

What a blessing it was to have an evening together to recount good memories

and watch our kids enjoy each other's company one last time!

My dear friend Laura has mentored Meredith, meeting with her on

a regular basis since 2005! They will go for ice cream, a burger or starbucks...

and talk about important things.

Laura is selfless that way - making a difference in people's lives!

Meredith and I will BOTH miss her!

I have been asked what I shall miss the most about Phoenix.

The answer?

Simple!

Friends. Good friends!