End of a (neighboring) era

Sniff, sniff. Jason, Angie, Bree and Jesh, our wonderful and close neighbors for the past four years just moved. Ok, so it was only across the neighborhood. But when you have been literal next door apartment neighbors and then just upstairs a few (well, 10) flights' neighbors, on the other side of the neighborhood feels a LONG way away.  We have been so thankful for these great friends who drop everything to watch our kids, bring us a meal, have us over for a meal, lend eggs and flour and cauliflower whenever needed, share weekly Friday night pizza nights. We call each other in the middle of the night when husbands are out of town.

This sign greeted us when we returned from America after we just all had moved in next door. It is still hanging up, despite new neighbors.

While I am sad this is their third move since we all moved in here four years ago, am really thankful they were able to find another apartment in the neighborhood. (I need a whole other post on why so many of our friends move so constantly- unreliable contracts, a never ending housing boom, buying and selling happens frequently and renters pay the price.)

However, we cannot just send things up and down the elevator anymore that we need to borrow or give...

After they moved up to the 10th floor two years ago, we started this system of passing things back and forth in the elevator (don't worry, the cauliflower is wrapped in plastic). We did it one more time for old times' sake, the day before they moved out. I could hear Angie laughing all the way down on the first floor as we both took pictures of the cauliflower :).

Or send our kids over to play. Or leave together from our building to carpool kids to Chinese school (yes,  I will actually have to leave the house with Lucy to take them to the gate when it is Angie's turn to drive). Or so many other things we have been privileged with.

But we are so thankful for their long standing friendship that will of course continue even if they are across the neighborhood!! I am so thankful for all of the community I have here and how special it really is.  It is gold, really truly gold.

 

First joint backyard party, not long after we moved in. Bennett's 2nd birthday. They were so little!

Cuties!

 

Austin's 4th birthday at Chinese school, not long after they started going.

 Pajama time!

Fish day...when our neighborhood let's kids release goldfish into the ponds.  A super fun tradition.

This was their first reunion after we all returned from a summer in America. We have lots of goodbyes and hellos here.

 Last pizza night with us all in building 8.

First there were 4, then 5 and we are so excited for JT to make 6 and join our pizza night...they are adopting a little brother!  We are praying, praying they can get him before we make a trip to the States at the end of June. Do not want to miss his homecoming.