I am sad.  Usually I am able to completely live in denial of impending changes.  My brain gets all the organization and such done, but I don't let my heart feel it, until after the fact.  That is getting harder and harder to do, since I have had to say too many good byes.

In the past little while, and especially in the past few days, I have had to say a lot of good byes to a lot of amazing friends.  I am so sad.  I have been so blessed to have found some amazing women who have been my family while I have lived here.  They are, like Anne of Green Gables would say, "kindred spirits."  In fact, I feel as if Heavenly Father placed them in my path specifically to bless my life.  I love them all so much, and they are the only reason I will regret leaving Savannah.

You see, we have really been wanting to move, and are looking forward to this change, but it doesn't make leaving them any easier.  To make myself feel better, I try to think about the things I won't miss here, like: living in an apartment and sharing walls with people, all the smokers everywhere, the nasty sand gnats, how flat it is, the way the town is taken over by tourists during the summer, the horrible drivers, and constant j-walkers.

Not to say there aren't things I don't love about Savannah.  I love many things about Savannah and will especially miss:

• Pralines – the ones from The Savannah Candy Kitchen are the best anywhere!
• The beautiful Oak trees and how they stretch over the roads like a canopy.
• The winding rivers and marshes.  They are so pretty, and are also the only open areas here.
• The long stretches of beach and the WARM ocean water, even if it is silty from all the rivers.
• Downtown Savannah, with it's history, beautiful mansions, and great places to eat – my favorites being Mrs. Wilkes, Alligator Soul, and The Mellow Mushroom.
• Having a beautiful swimming pool at our apartment complex, and warm enough weather to use it from April to October.
• How green it is all year.
• Very mild winters.
• Lily's amazing piano teacher, my fantastic dentist, and great chiropractor.  Why can't they move with us?
• The Young Women I worked with.
• etc, etc, etc

So, I guess you could say I have mixed feelings about this all.  However, I really can't wait to get to North Carolina and be with my husband.  I can't wait to live in a home and have a yard.  I can't wait to live near some friends I haven't seen in ages.  And I am excited for this new adventure.

So, as of Thursday morning, my final good bye will be to Savannah.  Thanks for four great years.

PS. I need to post about the piano recital last week, but the video cable I need is in a box packed away, so it will have to wait until after we unpack – sorry Mom and Valerie.