As much as we knew that this was the right move for our family, it still was very hard to say good byes to all of the wonderful friends. Ben's co-workers threw a wonderful party for him on the last day of school, and gave him some wonderful gifts including a Granby, CT mug, a Connecticut tile, and a signed yearbook from his school that was signed by all the teachers and students. These are some great memories that Ben and I will cherish forever.
It was hard for me to say goodbye to all the friends who have been wonderful to me over the years, and all the co-workers I have kept in touch with. It still has not set in that I can't just call a former co-worker to see if they want to go to lunch. I'm no longer just down the road at ING working alongside people I've worked with before, instead I am several hundred miles away working at a new company with nobody I've ever worked with before. Still very very strange.
AEGON, my new employer took care of all the moving arrangements, which was really helpful. The packers from the moving company came 2 days before we left for the midwest. They packed everything that we had into boxes. I had this done when I moved from Michigan to Connecticut and as I told Ben, you better watch out, they pack things you think they wouldn't even pack. And sure enough that was the case. By the time they got to the office, they wanted us to put the printer ink into a sandwich bag, at which time I informed them that they already packed our sandwich bags into a box!
Alex and Olivia were in day care up until the day before we left, mainly because there was going to be a lot going on at our house, and I wanted to keep their life as normal as possible. As the packers finished up, our house was beginning to look so empty. Here are a few of the last pictures we have of the inside of our house after the packers had started:
Every personal belonging packed in a box, labeled with our name, and barcoded.......
I was very concerned about how the kids would react to the house being filled with boxes and a lot of things packed away. The furniture was still there after the packers had been there, so it still looked a little normal. They were completely unphased and thought the boxes were sooooo cool!
The next day (our second to last day in Connecticut, for a while), the moving truck came.
They spent all day moving all the boxes, and all of our stuff that wasn't in a box (furniture, tv's, washer and dryer, etc) onto the truck. And when I say all day, I really mean all day. They seemed to move so slow, and if I would have been given the job, I swear I would have been done a few hours earlier than they were.
The truck also came to pick up our jeep to transport it to Kentucky. They guy drove all the way from New Jersey to pick up our car!
And then he backed our car up onto the truck! This guy had skills - - I would have never made it up the truck in reverse! So strange to see a truck drive away with one of your cars.
After the movers left, we went to pick up the kids from day care and Dudley from doggie day care. It was very hard to pick the kids up from day care. This was their last day at Apple Tree, and the last day they would play with the only friends they knew, and some of the friends (Kaitlyn and Daniel) that they had been playing with every day since they were 5 months old. They are young and resiliant, but Kaitlyn and Daniel have made an impression through all that time as we still talk about them today. Ben and I shed lots of tears picking the kids up.......the day care wasn't always perfect, but we always knew how much everyone there cared for and loved our children. We can't be thankful enough for the time they spent there. And even in their last week they talked about going to Kentucky in their class, and their classmates made a beautiful art project for them which included the following poem:"We'll always miss your five little fingers
Used to wave high and give "High Five".
We'll miss the way Alex tilted his head in wonder
and asked the never-ending question of "Why?"
We'll miss Olivia's smile and how it was always so sweet,
A hug fro her was the best; it was such a special treat.
We really wish that you could stay
But we know you have to be on your way.
Continue to learn and play and grow!
We hope that you will always know.....
You will forever be in our hear,
We loved you from the very start!"
And with that we know how much our children were loved at Apple Tree as this poem describes them perfectly. We couldn't be more thankful for the people that watched over our children every day.
As we brought the kids home we were a little worried about how they would react with the house being completely empty - - they thought it was so awesome to have so much open space (I wish I could see life through the eyes of a child), and Dudley seemed to be the one to take it the hardest.
So with that we spent one last night in our house, one last morning with our favorite Miss Cole, and then packed up the car and said one last goodbye to the only house we have every known, and the one house where so many memories were made for the Jarboes.......a new career in education, a new doggie to love, two beautiful babies to love, and so many other memories......
And once again, I would love to live life through the eyes of a kid, because as we pulled away, tears filled Ben and my eyes, and Alex said in the back "daddy, you sad? why are you sad?" And then Olivia saying "don't be sad daddy".
Good Bye Running Pine Rd........
And even now, 3 months later, it is still hard....in a way much harder than it was on, June 26, 2010, the day we pulled away from our house as a family for the very last time...........so much love for all of our friends in Connecticut - - We miss you all and think of you every day!!!!
