News

Last Friday {September 7}, around 9:30 am, Mark walked into the house with news.   I was down in the family room working on a bulletin board for CKATS.  We both knew that the news would come that day.. ..one way or another.  As he appeared at the bottom of the stairs, I searched his face for a clue.  Then he simply said “they want me to do it”.  Because of the casual way he said it, my initial thought was that he was joking around, trying to make light of news he was actually disappointed about.  Then I realized that the little grin I mistook for teasing was actually excitement .. .. .. and a little shock.  I jumped up, hugged and congratulated him and then immediately began to cry.  I cried at the thought of leaving this wonderful little town that we have been blessed to live in.  I cried for the opportunities that our girls have had both in school and in the community that may be different now.  I cried for our first little house that we put our heart and soul into making our home, and that we grew as a family in.   I cried for the great friends we would leave behind and the close relationships that our girls have made.   I cried for things that I could never have imagined I would cry about.  But mostly, I cried for our girls who were at school and had no idea that the only life they had really known was about to change.

We decided to share the news with the girls that night.  We weren’t sure how it would go, so I suggested we pick up some ice cream for reinforcement.  We sat the girls down and Mark explained that he had been offered a great new job, but that it would mean we would have to move away from Cody.  We sat in the silence for a few moments.  We wanted the girls to be able to express their honest reaction before we tried to “convince” them of why it would be okay.  Emmrey said “I don’t want to move from this house” {but was over it once the ice cream came out:}   Karsyn said “what about my friends” and stormed out of the room.  She cried, but seemed to be a little more angry than sad.  And Bailee just sat with no expression at all.  After a minute, we asked her what she thought.  She said “I don’t know”, and then she began to sob, heart wrenching sobs.  All my attempts to keep it together for the girl’s sake suddenly went out the window.  I sobbed with them.  My heart was breaking!!

By Saturday, everyone but me, had stopped crying and only occasionally have we had one tear up over the thought of something that will be different.  Ice cream healed a little that night, and time will heal a lot more {hopefully}.