Friends

The hardest part about leaving Maple Valley was not our house or the weather;)

It was our friends. Every single one of us left behind people that we love and cherish.

Every single day my 4 younger kids would ask if they could play with someone. The names Jane, Gavin, Eli, Macy,Kendra, Jenna, Reagan, Mia, Eli, Miles, Nathan, Brendan, Victoria and Connor were spoken almost daily in my house.

Kate and Julia left friends they love as well. Friends that have had tears shed over since we have been here.

But something has occurred that I knew would happen.

Right now my children are each other's only friends.

Our "neighborhood" has 7 houses in it. Each on 3 acres. There are 2 other kids under 10 here.

And we don't know anyone well enough besides our cousins to ask for play dates.

So every day, my kids play together. They make up games, they play tag, run around, use their imaginations and when they are tired, fight over the use of the computer, tablet and my phone.

Is it weird that I love it?  Is it weird that I'm cherishing this time before friends are made, when I have them all to myself?

Don't get me wrong, I love their friends. But there is something nice about not being begged daily to go play with someone. To just have them home with me, doing their own thing, interacting with each other, and growing closer  because of it.

I want them to have friends, I want them to be happy that way.

I just want their own siblings to be the best friends they will ever have. So far so good.