Despedida

Don't look too closely at our faces or you will notice we were crying a lot the night of our "despedida."  A despedida is a goodbye party and we've given a ton of them over the years, but this time it was our turn.  We always have said it's harder to stay behind than to leave.  We changed our mind after our own despedida.  I think we cried more tears in the last two weeks in Ecuador than in the last five to ten years combined.  By the time we left we were sure we were "cried out" but somehow the tears just kept coming with each visitor who came to say goodbye.  So hard.

I can't really express what the Whiteheads have meant to us over the years.  We have been blessed to live and work with them. 

The Alonso family.  Danny was Josiah and Olivia's cross-fit trainer and a great influence on the kids.  His encouragement meant the world to the kids and made them work harder. 

Josue and Bailey stopped by on Bailey's last day.  They are now married and we were able to celebrate their wedding in Florida.  

The Williams family always make us laugh and have been a joy to work with for many years.  

Chet praying for us as we cry.

I'm sure Jonny just said something funny.  He had us all worried when he got up to recount a favorite memory from each year with Josiah.  We knew we couldn't make it emotionally through the whole thing.  Thankfully it was a setup for his dad as Shem.  

Randy Umble even came in character as "Shem" from Pennsyltucky.  We laughed as his song morned the business the coke salesmen was losing with our departure.  

The Bilimeks made our last year special and it was good to know our "goodbye" for them would be short.