Off to Belgium...

So this may seem like a blubbering mess and may not make much sense...but that's where I'm at right now...as you may already know, our good friend Jess if moving to Belgium! We had to say goodbye to her tonight...and it was HARD! We have LOVED having her live here in Colorado and have enjoyed having her be a part of our family! I said goodbye to her once already when Mark and I got married and moved to Colorado. We lost touch a bit while living across the country and really were only Facebook friends for those years. And then we were so blessed when 4 years later she decided to move out here too! And I now I really DO NOT want to say goodbye again!

Jess and I met when I was a sophomore in college. She was a freshman and moved onto my floor- 2nd Heyns. We were instantly attached at the hip and both loved all things dorm and all things Calvin! We spent a ton of time together around campus, at basketball & baseball games, ate almost every meal together, and had a lot of good laughs! We enjoyed staying up late, being CLOSE, and dressing up! Mark and I even got engaged on her family's sailboat in her hometown, Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

Jess has been a truly important part of my adult life! She is a wonderful friend, impressive servant, loving heart, and F-U-N! Since she has moved to Colorado it has been so nice to have someone here who really knows me, who knows who I was before marriage, who knows who I am as a wife, who knows me as a mom, who knows me as a friend, and on and on. I have loved having her here to chat with, to watch T.V. with, to have dinner with, to play with the boys with, to be goofy with, to gang up on Mark with, to laugh, and to cry with! She knows me! And now I can't imagine life here in Colorado without her!

So here I am at 11:21 p.m. after a fun night celebrating Jess and saying goodbye to her, trying to get all my thoughts about her into just one blog! And I just don't want to click the (PUBLISH) button because then it will really be real. She'll really be gone. So, instead, I leave you with this mumbo jumbo about a girl who I just can't tell you enough about...and a lot of pictures. Some good, some bad, mostly funny...of us through the years! Check it out...it's well worth it!

Jess...I hope you know just how special you are to me, to Mark, and now to our boys! They L-O-V-E you! You are just so fun and make them feel so loved! And it breaks my heart just thinking that you will be so far away and won't be here as they grow and change! But I know they will have a blast Skyping with you from across the world! I hope that you have an amazing experience and make the most of your time in Brussels. This is your time to follow the Lord's leading in your life! Live fully, love deeply, and just don't forget about us! We miss you already! Thank you for blessing us with your spirit for the past 3 years!

And I'll leave you with this...when Jess and I would say goodbye to each other we would shout down the hallway of our floor in college a loud: "LOVE!" and be on our way.

LOVE!!! to you Jess

-"Gail"