All good thing must come to an end . . .

. . . so maybe something better can begin.

As a child I attended preschool and kindergarten at 1st Pres in Corinth and was so sad to see it end but couldn't have been happier to move to a first grade with a huge playground and new friends. Transitions on to high school and college were met with the same attitude -- appreciative of the good times I had and memories I would take with me but ready for a new challenge. Now I am being faced with the biggest transition ever . . .

Of course change is inevitable. A teacher once told me that as soon as I get comfortable it's time to move on to something greater and make a change. Don't get content because that leads to boredom. So Clint and I are putting on our big girl and boy britches and jumping head-first into a new challenge.

But first there are some goodbyes in order. I quit my job on Friday. I haven't been without a job since I was a teenager, so I must also say goodbye to making money and being an important part of a business. My last day of work for Braintree Labs will be Friday, July 9, and I am trying to make the most of what time I have left. I have LOVED this job. It has been the closest career to perfect for me, and I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity because it fits me -- I haven't had to change my personality or force myself to pretend to like it one bit. I will miss my doctors and nurses and office staff who have become my co-workers, and most importantly many have become my friends. I've already started exchanging e-mails and adding FB friends and promising to stay in touch . . . and giving hugs and hiding tears as I leave the offices for the last time.

I told my manager, Mike, on Friday with a lump in my throat and butterflies in my stomach. He has been an AMAZING teacher, coach, manager, and friend to me over the past few years. He encourages me when I need it and lets me have it when I need that too. He's understanding and compassionate yet very strong and determined to bring out the best in me as a sales rep. Mike believed in me and didn't give up on me when I was struggling so hard a few years ago. I will miss our weekly call-ins to catch up on the latest news and, well, to also catch up on some gossip. Mike, I am so grateful to have worked with you for the past few years.

And I also had to tell my favorite co-workers Amber, Arrah, Leighann, and Brad, who I talk with on almost a daily basis. I love their support and excitement for me and know I will keep in touch with them. I'm sad that we will no longer share the connection that brought us together, but we still have plenty in common to keep us friends.

We will also have to say goodbye to Mimi's school, Roulhac's. They have taught her absolutely everything she knows. I try to take credit for some things, but I really think her teachers' constant attention and exposure to other children has pushed her to learn very quickly. Just to brag on her teachers a little -- they taught her to say her ABC's around 18 months old, she can point out shapes and a few colors, she knows the words to so many songs, and can even point out her eyebrows. I don't even think I knew I had eyebrows until I was at least 7 or 8. She can name so many animals and loves to imitate their sounds and movements (the penguin walk is my fave).

We will be saying goodbye to 2nd Presbyterian soon, also. Finding a church in Memphis wasn't an easy task for Clint and me. He was raised in a Methodist church, and I was Southern Baptist so we already had some disagreements to begin with. We checked out a few places and even joined a church when I was pregnant with Mimi, but we had zero motivation to attend this church. When we finally began visiting 2nd Pres, there was no question that God wanted us there. I suddenly began viewing Christianity, my relationship with God, and my relationships with others in a whole new way after being in this environment. For the first time I finally "got" that God is my Father -- just like my dad. He made me and will do anything for me . . . but it's up to me to accept His love. I'm not obligated and I should never feel forced. When I do decide to accept His love, then a whole lot of worry and anxiety melts away and makes life and all its mess a heck of a lot easier to deal with.

And I don't even want to get started on goodbyes to what is most important to me . . . my family, Clint's family, Kyle and Matt, Libby and Parker, Emeri and Brad, their sweet kiddos, Neal, and our other friends who are within a couple of hours away. Not ready for this yet . . . maybe in another post.

My house . . . my word I don't even know how to deal with leaving this house. The little bungalow on Prescott has witnessed so much in the past five years. Two stupid kids who shouldn't have even been looking to buy a home stumbled across Prescott Street and an open house sign after eating brunch in Midtown one Sunday afternoon in the winter. Dark red brick, a porch swing, a rounded "Hobit" door, French doors in the dining room, an old chandelier, brick around the oven in the kitchen, beautiful wood floors, fat white molding, cozy radiators, glass doorknobs, and a backyard that someone had lovingly planned many years ago. I HAD to have it. Not later. That day. So we made an offer. And got engaged. And got married. And added our first dog daughter, Ruthie. And got new jobs. And had a baby. And are pregnant with another. We've painted and fixed and cleaned and cared for this so important piece of our lives. The rooms are small and cozy and welcoming and I feel so sorry that I ever complained about the tiny closets or the outdated kitchen appliances. I don't want to say goodbye to this house but I knew even when we bought it that it would be inevitable that we couldn't stay here forever.

And finally, I will need to say goodbye to Memphis. I truly love this city and I will defend it until I die. I can't stand to hear people complain about what they read in the headlines and see on the news -- be angry at the reporters but not at the city. Memphis has experienced so much hurt and pain over the years but my word it has so much to offer. I will need to say goodbye to Huey's, the Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Harbor Town stroller walks, driving through Chickasaw and Cherokee Gardens, Beale Street, and Graceland. Brunches at Republic Coffee and Brother Junipers. Dinners in the Cooper Young area. And Drake and Zeke and Pottery Barn Outlet.

So I will say goodbye to all these things . . . but I will be saying hello to so much more. In about three weeks, Clint, Mimi, baby Mack (yes, it's Wilson McLain), and I will pack up the bungalow and move to Chicago, Illinois. I have to catch my breath even as I write this -- not because I'm overwhelmed with all that I'm leaving but that I am so excited about all we will be gaining. A new, big city with new buildings, parks, and restaurants to explore. Clint will walk and ride the train (not drive) to a new office space. We will live in an apartment in the city and will be able to walk to the grocery store. I will deliver my baby in a new hospital with a new doctor. Mimi will play on new swings and slides. I will get to experience my new job as a stay-at-home Mom. I have to no time to look back now because there is so much to look forward to. And the important stuff will still be there: family, friends, Memphis, and Huey's. We will just have to e-mail and call and visit and stream Drake and Zeke on-line.

I know you think I've lost my mind, but just like with my little house my gut tells me this is right. We've been content. We've been comfortable. Now it's time to move . . .