See ya, Malibu

Our last day came quicker than we expected. We knew the day would eventually come and we always said that it was going to be very difficult to leave. We spent the week packing, having dinner with neighbors, golfing, and still floating on the news of the twins. On our last day, we packed the remainder of our things and planned to walk along the beach to have dinner at Paradise Cove. Around 5:30 p.m., we did just that. We started our walk and slowly took in the beach and all its sounds, smells, and beauty. We would take several steps and then turn around to take it all in again at every angle. All the while, marveling at how fortunate and blessed we were to have lived there. There have been so many great memories. Too many to name but they will stay with us forever.

As we walked, we looked back on our years and talked about how we both knew that this chapter was ending but that another one was beginning. God could not make it more clear to us that we are to go! He must have known that it would take a lot for us to do so :)

Being that it was during the week and in the off season, the restaurant had the fewest amount of people we'd ever seen. We sat at a window table and enjoyed a delicious meal and splurged on a scrumptious dessert. As we strolled back, the sun began its decent and gave way to a crescent-shaped moon. It was the perfect ending.

The sadness of leaving the Bu was overshadowed by our excitement for what is to come. Many new experiences await us. We won't have the beach but we'll have the mountains, the clear nights, stars as far as the eye can see, snow- capped mountains, golf courses galore, a new house, new memories, and of course, our girls. There is no comparison and there are no regrets, just an enormous amount of gratitude. Our prayers have been answered. It was time and we were ready. We'll be back to visit, especially in the summer months. We're looking forward to the day when we can bring our girls back to the beach. They'll one day be able to see where our story began. For now, we won't say goodbye just yet. We'll just say, "See ya, Malibu."