Goodbye Phoenix!

I know we were only there for 3 months but the place really grew on me! I loved the heat, I loved the temperature of the water, I loved the big city feel, I loved that there were no mosquitos if you wanted to be outside, and I especially love all the people I was able to spend time with!! Goodness it was so good to be able to just play with my friends all summer long! Sam seemed to have a fun summer too. Even though he was working hard, he was with friends. And he always tried to make some time for playing as well to keep a good balance... 

2 girls that I was soooo happy to be able to reconnect with are these two beautiful ladies:

Allison and Samantha! I've only been able to see Allison a handful of times since we graduated high school and for all 3 of us to be together? It has been years! I didn't really realize how much I've missed them in the past until we were able to hang out a couple times this summer! And I miss them again already! It was so fun to hear about their lives and what they've been up to. I'm so glad I had someone snap this picture at the last minute when we met up for the last time before we left. Good luck in Columbia Sam! and Allison, that baby of yours on its way is gonna be so darn cute. ;) You are going to be an awesome mama! Love you girls!!

Another person that I am REALLY going to miss is my amazing friend Christa. We first met when she started dating Andy, who was Sam's really good friend from their mission. Well, after her and Andy got married a couple years ago, us 4 became best friends. But I'm pretty sure that if Christa and I had met before we were married to Sam and Andy, we would've become best friends anyways! Anyhow, this summer was awesome because somehow we were able to live in apartments right next door to each other (Sam and Andy were managing together and that way it would be easier for them to do a lot of work together).. I was a little hesitant at first wondering if there was any chance we would get sick of each other but it was quite the opposite! It was so nice to be right next door so we could cook meals together, craft together, and hang out with our babies whenever we wanted without having to walk anywhere haha! And Christa is so darn good at sewing and helped me a ton with my projects. I don't know what I'm going to do without my mentor! ;) But even if we weren't doing a thing at all, it was still awesome just to be able hang out together. Ok ok I'll stop.. I just wanted to write this all out because I really did have so much fun with this girl. Love you Christa dear!

Our last day in Phoenix, boys playing their sand volleyball:

 Look at their chunk-o-love baby David!! He is such a cutie! Ivy still says what we figured out is her word for baby. Sounds like bah-bee. She would say it a lot when we were around him.

We went to our favorite vietnamese restaurant nearby for our goodbye dinner with the other couples (plus Nate, haha). We had so much fun spending time with our good friends Rob and Cerani and Scott and Michelle as well this summer! It really was a great group we were down there with. One of our best summers ever, I'd say!

Crazy to think how we are all moving on to our next stages in life after the summer. Gonna miss all of yall!! Later on we had sort of a make-shift party to say goodbye to all the salesmen who weren't at dinner.. didn't get any pics but know that yall are missed too!

And here is Ivy in our empty (and dirty, lol) apartment just after the movers left. On to our next phase in life!! It will be so so different, but in good ways, I'm sure. :)