Goodbye for now

My brother Cody and his sweet wife Laci headed off to Seattle this week, leaving their Utah roots and their loving families behind. I am so excited for the opportunities that await them in Washington, but I won't lie...it was a little rough knowing that we had to say goodbye. Living close to my brother has been great for me, and Cody and I have grown pretty close over the past few years. Not only that, but I absolutely adore my cute sister-in-law. I am really going to miss them!

Guess who else is going to miss her uncle Coco and aunt Laci??

 

Anna adores Cody. They have a really developed a cute relationship.He loves to play with her, and she with him.

 

Before they left Salt Lake, Cody and Laci stayed with us for a night. Cody rocked Anna to sleep and I caught this cute picture.

I tried to take Anna out of her Coco's arms and put her to bed, but she woke up and cried. "Coco!" So they both fell asleep in the recliner.

Anna and I were able to head up to Logan to spend a few days at my mom's house before Cody and Laci left. On the way up there, we had to stop at Cody and Laci's house to grab something they left in the garage. It was a little strange to see the clean empty garage and the "For Rent" sign out front. Anna got excited when we pulled in the driveway and said "Coco and Laci's house. Go see them?". When I told her that Cody and Laci didn't live there anymore, she said "Coco and Laci move to Seattle. I cry." I just sat there, a little bit stunned with her knowledge of what was going on. I had never talked to her about what was happening. She had obviously paid attention to the adult conversations that had been happening around her for a few weeks.

When we got to Logan, Anna spent a lot of time playing with Vega. Vega was a little bit stressed. I think she knew that something wasn't quite right. She spent a lot of time in her favorite chair. Cody and Laci have plans to fly back to visit, but we aren't sure when we will get to see Vega next. Anna is going to miss her Vega friend!

So is my mom. She loves her grandpuppies.

Vega is so good with Anna. Even though I know I will see Laci and Cody when they fly back to Utah, I don't know when I will get to see Vega. I guess I will have to plan a trip to Seattle!

We didn't do anything too exciting in Logan, just spent time as a family and ate a lot of really good food. We did manage to Skype Brandon and Maday  in Phoenix one night. Anna was fascinated with being able to see them on the computer screen. She loved it...until we had to end the phone call. When we told her to say goodbye to Brandon and Maday, my sweet little daughter lost it. She reached for my mom's laptop screen and cried "I have them, I have them!" 

The tears started to flow. 

Yes, Anna was crying, but those are not the tears that I am referring to. It broke my heart to see how badly she wanted her Brandon and Maday. She didn't really understand that they were still far away. Not exactly the easiest thing to watch when we all knew that Cody and Laci were leaving the very next day. I think my mom, Laci and I were all in tears.

The next morning was a little rough, but something I will never forget. The tender moment between Anna and her Coco as she gave him a great big "bug hug" and told him "I miss you" will be etched in my heart forever.

Good luck to you, Cody and Laci! We really are excited for you. I know that you will thrive wherever you are. At least Seattle will be a cool place to visit! Love you both!