It's not Goodbye, It's See You Later

If you're counting, you know that this weekend was our last in Denver. What you may not know is that it was immediately preceded by Finals Week. Mix in a heavy dose of whatever cold/flu virus that is going around, and the related medication, and the result is that, well, we weren't prepared for this weekend. In any way.

I have been so busy cramming for my last three finals, and adding to our moving to-do list, and generally looking past the leaving part and towards the move itself, that I hadn't yet stopped to think about what we are leaving behind. We are leaving behind our first year and a half as a married couple. Our first house together. Our church, and our amazing church community, in which we found our place together. The only friends that don't know us any other way but together. (Not that I discount in ANY way or love any less all of our other friends, scattered about the country, who have known each of us separately for many years and now know "us".) But we moved to Denver, just the two of us, and took root, intending to stay "indefinitely." And it's just....bittersweet to leave.

And speaking of those friends we've made.... What amazing friends they are.

On Friday night (after I completed my LAST final, and thereafter received my DIPLOMA!), the Fisks hosted a "Farewell Lewises" dinner at their home. There were yummmmmmmy french dip sandiwches (for the record, one of my favorite dishes), handcut french fries, beverages, and Ohhhhhh the Pies. The pies were scrumptious. And so, we spent the evening with the Fisks, Whitneys, Hansons and Leppkes, chowing down, catching up and enjoying good company.

The ladies

The guys, playing Wii

Thank you, friends, for a thoughtful and lovely sending off.

On Saturday morning, after tackling a few items on our to-do list, we headed to our friend Syd's house, where she made us a deeeeelicious brunch, complete with a dutch baby pancake with fresh strawberries, bacon, coffee, and mimosas. We will sorely miss Syd as a friend and as a hostess.

After brunch, the three of us headed to our old 'hood -- Old South Pearl Street -- for the Winter Wonderland. We bid farewell to the ladies at our favorite pet shop (The Whole Cat & Dogs Too!), and to the cupcakes at Mulberries cake shop.

This morning, we attended our last service at Denver Community Church. We can only hope to find a comparable church community back in D.C. It has been amazing to watch our church grow in size and in spirit, gaining a reputation as a church that cares for its community and is proactive in helping those in need. We have been so fortunate to be a part of that community. After church, we had lunch with Jarrod & Amy Hanson and Heidi -- fitting, since they were our very first friends at DCC.

I hate goodbyes (must be hereditary), and because I KNOW that we will be back to visit at every opportunity (and our door will be open to Denver friends who come to our home back east) and I HOPE that our journey someday leads us back here, I refuse to say goodbye to all of the amazing friends we've made. So instead, it's See You Later.

Now, it's back to the actual packing...the movers will be here bright & early.