Dramatic Farewells

So we'd played and toured and napped and endured...

and by the following picture...

It was clearly time to go.

I think Josiah had been on everybody's shoulders but mine!

Is it fatigue?

Is it a front flip?

Is it football?

It's football.

CLEARLY it was time to go.

So we headed to the parking lot.

It was at this point that I noticed that something was wrong....

the little pink sequined hat was hanging a bit lower than it should.

There was something about her shoulders that warned me...

She knew that it was goodbye to her cousins.

Oh how this dear little girl hates to say goodbye.

If, however, you like dramatic farewells...

she's your gal...

My older kids were sad but more controlled...

Everybody was feelin' it though...

...Some more than others....

Yep, crying on the inhale...this was gonna be a big one...

lots more than others...

Yeah...she was wailing by the end...

she wailed all the way out to the highway.

Timmy was explaining to Addie how he had his adnoids removed.

Just kidding.

But it would have lightened the mood...

Aww...Lily hugging my sweet brother.  I'm sorry I let my husband tell Ally all that stuff about Abe Lincoln.  I don't know what gets into me. 

Josiah was stoic.

The last hug's for Grandma.

Bye to Grandpa too...

Wait!  What's this?

Is he laughing?

...or crying?

I know the answer.

But I can't tell you.

A few hours later in the middle of Iowa....

the sorrow had depleted us.

Andrew Andrew Andrew

Ah...he smiles....

And Katie?

I love having teenagers.

And we still have the football with us.

I think I shall name it.

I shall call it John.

No....Duke.

Duke the Football.

We overcame our sadness with these babies.

This is not a color enhanced photo.

The relish was truly that color.

Scary.

Bravery.

And the cheesy dog.

....the face...

someday I'll do a whole blog post of Timmy with food on his face.

I've got a lot of material!