The Goodbye's begin

It is quiet as I write this save the whirring of the fan in the room we have named "The Children's Room". Gwenn always sleeps with a fan on for it's white noise effect. The past two days have been fast and furious and fun. And LOUD! And very messy! My seven grandchildren running in and out of the house. Sometimes dressed like princesses or clowns. Jumping babies making mommy's laugh.Grandad stories of Angelina holding children and adults quiet in their seats or in the laps of whatever adult was in the room to climb up on.Never knowing what grandad would start out saying but always knowing the story would end with "And Skippy got so excited he peed on the rug!" Dancing in the kitchen to Digger's CD of old family songs. Dancing in the aquarium and singing just because they could. Typical Manteo days at Nana and Grandad's house.
But this time it was not so typical.This was the "Good Bye to Manteo" trip. Gwenn packed up the kids in the van and traveled from Apex for the specific purpose of allowing the children to say Goodbye to Nana and Grandad's house, to the playhouse and the firetruck, to Chancey our dog. To their old dog Strom who now lives with their cousins. Tomorrow they will say goodbye to their cousins,and uncle Jon.The Nana and Grandad goodbye will wait a few more weeks as will the goodbye to Auntie Gretchen.
Over the next few weeks my daughter Gwenn and her husband Nick, Nia, Nico and Josiah will have hundreds of goodbyes.Goodbye to their toys, good bye to their apartment and good bye to their church.
On the other side of goodbye is hello.Hello to a completely new life in Jacmel, Haiti. My grief is huge. My hope is great. My heart is full. My God is good.