So long, farewell

Our good-byes are all said.  Konrad and Starr just left to head home to Tucson. 

A weekend of good-byes on several levels.  Yesterday was spent with parents and sibs at church and then to a memorial service for family friend, Ervin Stabel.  Yes, of the Shattuck Stabels.  Though all his adult life was spent away from Oklahoma, the old SDA cemetery outside Shattuck will be his last stop here on earth.  (Since both Karl and I have family members of four generations buried there, we totally "get it".)

Then an afternoon and evening just hangin' with family and of course, eating.  Mom and Dad bailed early.. it had been a long day for them.  Cousin Vince and wife Terri came up from Tempe for the evening so we had a little revolving door action going.  George had to get home due to early morning report for work, and Susan and Robbie left shortly after to run a few errands on their way home.  But Kelly Sue stayed and helped us discuss mice and men until we knew we could not postpone saying our good-byes any longer.  It is hard to say good-bye, but the alternative is worse.

Konrad and Starr arrived today about mid-morning.  They'd had a group of teens out camping and canoeing down the Rio Verde yesterday.  The group was pretty tired and sunburned and ready to pack it up first thing this morning.  Not having to participate in teen transport, they stopped by on their way home to spend a few hours with us, arriving about 5 hours earlier than we expected to see them.........Hey, we aren't complaining!
First order of business was showers (including the dog), the next was aloe vera for those spots sunscreen had failed to protect!   Kara wearing a life vest is just too good not to share, thus the photos.  Laundry and early bedtime beckoned them.  So, after emptying the fridge of perishables we won't be able to eat in the next 24 hours and adding a stuffed cooler chest to their car already stuffed with camping gear... we waved them good-bye. 

Now it is just the two of us...finishing up last minute things that have just gotten put off and rounding up the final items to be packed.  We are emotionally ready to stop saying good-byes.  It is just time to get this show on the road...