Summer of Change: Part One

Preface: I am one of 6. Number 2 of 6, to be precise. I have always loved my family and been very close to each of my siblings and parents. When John and I got married, my family was spread through out the world. (In birth order) Cami was in Colorado where she'd been since she married her husband Brandon. John and I were in Provo. Timothy was on his mission in Chile. And my parents, with the 3 youngest Todd, Cara, and Jonathan were in Costa Rica. Since then my parents have come home and moved to Orem, Utah. Timothy also moved back to Utah, found a rare girl that actually fits right in to the family and they now have 2 boys. Todd left for a quick 2 years in Spain, but came back to us, somehow found another girl that can keep up with us and they now have a baby boy. Cara graduated from high school and has been at BYU. 2 years ago the gravitational pull to Utah was too strong and we sucked Cami and Brandon away from Colorado. They moved into a house 2 blocks from mom and dad. Todd lives across the street, Tim lives about 3 miles north. With Cara and Jonny still at home, that puts us living the furthest away, a whopping 6 miles! This has been a dream. We've shared graduations, weddings, pregnancies, babies, birthdays, holidays and on and on. And if that wasn't enough, my mom has hosted dinner for us every single Sunday. We see each other at least once a week. Between the 4 married siblings there are 10 grandchildren. Pure heaven, I tell you. Being one of the oldest I get to watch the others go through high school, serve missions, go to college, find spouses, find careers, have babies. It's like this front row seat to your best friends lives.
I knew it wouldn't last. Every Sunday for the last few months I would look around and burn the images in my brain...pregnant bellies, newborn babies, teenagers texting, toddlers dancing, big kids riding bikes, never ending conversation and laughter (provided by me of course- if I can't be the pretty one, I have to be the funny one! See you're laughing right now). There's just nothing better than these bonds.
So getting to the whole change part...Timothy has a great opportunity to get into the health care industry and really get his career going. We are so happy for him, but this great opportunity is in Arizona. So they're gone. I ignored my feelings about them moving and barely wanted to talk about it, but as we drove to their house on Tuesday to help pack the van, I just started to cry. I had to dig my sunglasses out of my purse (even though it was over cast) to cover my red eyes. When we got there and I saw the empty house, I started to cry again. After one last All-You-Can-Eat wings meal at Winger's, I hugged my little brother, who is bigger than me, and I hugged his wife who is as much a sister to me as my real sisters, and the tears flowed freely again. I cried all the way home and had a couple more bursts through out the day. I went to bed with a massive headache! I am so sad that Hudson won't be in on the Sunday night dance parties. Tim won't be telling us his hysterical stories where his incredible memory comes into play. The "mothers lounge" will be minus a mother and baby. And when I think of how big these boys are going to be when I see them next, I want to cry more. But I'm just being a big ol' selfish baby because this is such a great thing for them and their little family, so I really really am happy about it. Don't let the tears fool you.
I guess I did leave a little cliff hanger for you last week, so I had to explain myself and why there were so many tears from a gal that really isn't a big crier.
Jonny leaving on his mission to Bolivia is another part of our summer of change. There are also a couple other exciting things that are too premature for me to say anything yet.
I will tell you this...The John and Kimberly Jonas family are not going to add to this Summer of Change thing (You're welcome, Mom). We're staying put!