Aloha 'oe to our Favorite Neighbors...favorite family...EVER!!!

This past month or so has been a rough one in terms of saying goodbye to wonderful families we love that have to leave the island. We know it's part of the military life thing, but that knowledge didn't help our breaking hearts (I know, so dramatic, but so so true!). Not long ago we said goodbye to our friends the Feiders (my amazing photographer friend & all her sweet kiddos that were best pals with my sweet kiddos). Just this last weekend we said goodbye to our next-door neighbors the Whitakers. Adam and I don't often feel like Kennedy's friends are a better influence on her than she is on them, but in the case of Ali and Daniel, they couldn't rub off enough on our precious daughter. These three have been inseparable for the last year or more, and their departure hit us hard.

This is a picture of one of the worst moments for us on this island. I imagine the only one that will top it is sending Daddy off to the desert for a year. Here we're leaving Heather, Ali, & Daniel at the airport. I was balling with the best of them.

Kennedy couldn't be consoled even after we came home from the airport.

Sweet Schaffer tried consoling her--here he's checking out the wet stuff coming from her eyes.

The only thing that could put a smile on her face was a last-minute "emergency" sleep-over with her friends Sarah & Savannah (this is Savannah & would you believe she's two years older than Kennedy?)

So why exactly are the Whitakers so special? Well, Ali & Daniel are seriously guileless, not one selfish or ill-motived bone in their bodies. Some kids can be a little sneaky & even manipulative around adults, but these two wouldn't know how to be dishonest. We were always entertained by their creativity, whether through little crafty gifts, ways they thought up to help others, or fun little shows or "parades" like this one:

We'd just had the sister missionaries & our new member friends Alanna & Jasmine to dinner that night. They were more than willing to join in as the audience!

And Schaffer found a way to try to participate as well (we'll have to get him a very un-pink jeep in the future).

They were pretty much permanent fixtures in our home. My favorite part: how sweet they were with little Schaffer. Ali in particular was always looking out for his safety & best interest. And oh how he loved his Ali. One of his first words (or rather, "baby-talk" version of a word) was "Ahh-hhh" for Ali.

These kids were always coming up with funny ways to make us smile.

Here is a very formal "show" they put on for us recently. A Kid's Bop concert that we had to get on video:

And don't get me started on their mother, Heather. I've had friends, and then I've had truer-than-true, never-gonna-let-them-lose-touch-with-us, friends. I happen to enjoy giving. It's just kind of how I show people I care & give them a little boost if I can. I like to think it's a talent, and it can be learned & developed. Some people also like to recieve (& my friends usually have to learn to be good at that!) Well, Heather puts me, as a "giver," to shame. I can with absolute fortitude say that I'd never been "out-done" in my giving until I met this amazing woman. And her moral compass? You can set your watch by it. She is honest & trusting & loyal to the upmost. Of any person I've met, I'd like to emmulate her & have that selfless honesty. Her kids come first in absolutely every instance. And check her out: can you believe she's newly single? (I mean, dang!) Yeah, her ex is an idiot, but we won't dig into to that well of schmuckiness.

Here's a good example of how ridiculously giving she is. After doing very little to help them with their move, she sent us this insanely over-the-top basket of yummy fruit. I know!

These last pics are from one of our last excursions with them; an evening at Shark's Cove that I'll never forget. They made such a difference in our lives here in Hawaii (& forever) & I don't know what we'll do without them.

We love & miss you Ali & Daniel & Heather. Take good care & always stay in touch with us!