Good Bye!

"Good Byes" are never easy.  Especially when you are saying them to those you love.

Saturday morning, bright and early, my mom and sister came over to help get the last minute items loaded and hugs in.  After the last 24 hours of re-planning, we are ready to start the trip to Spokane.  I got a nice big rental for me, Allie and Lucy to ride in.  Jake's car is loaded up and carrying Owen and him.  I'm putting the final items in mom's car, leaving the hamster for last.  I even cleaned Hammie's cage out yesterday so he won't smell in her car.

My sister is here with her close friends to cheer her up after we depart and are hugging the kids outside, so I run in to grab the hamster and his belongings.  I pick up the cage and notice something odd.  He isn't moving.  He ISN'T moving.  HE ISN'T MOVING!!!!  Are you kidding me?  The hamster DIED!!!!  I quickly put the cage down to double check.  YEP!  DEAD!  So I go outside to bring Allie in to let her know, but not in front of everyone.  She took it good, but was still very upset. Thank goodness this didn't happen while we were traveling!  My sister and her friends let me know they will take care of the corpse.  She's my life saver.

Now with a little more space in mom's car we pack some extra items.  We get our hugs in and take one last pic in front of our house.  The home we built 11 years ago.  It will be sad when we think of the life we built, but we are very excited for this next chapter.  As we pull away, Allie is petting Lucy in the back seat telling me, "I don't think I'll get another hamster.  I want Hammie to be the only one.  He can be THE LEGEND."  I love that girl.

I wish I could say that this was the ONLY hiccup we had on our first travel day...but it wasn't.  I will elaborate next time.