Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Soon We'll Say Goodbye to Houston

A couple of months ago we picked up a great children's book written by  local Houston authors.  The name of the book is Goodnight Houston.  As I have thought about leaving Houston and moving all of our things back home to Alabama, I couldn't help but think of this book.  In the book, the author says goodnight to a lot of the main attractions in Houston.  We have been  to so many of those places.  We have missed our friends and family like crazy, but we will miss Houston when we go home.  I guess we just get attached to wherever we are.  We have been able to do a lot of really fun things as a family on this little adventure in Houston.  Our kids have gotten to spend an entire school year here. We will begin to pack our things over the next few weeks and move home on June 22nd which is also Dave's last day of radiation.  For the next two years, we will come  back every 3 months for scans.  Then we will come every 4-6 months after that.  So we will always have a reason to come back and visit.  So with the idea of the book in mind, I will say goodbye to Houston.

Goodbye Promenade Apartment, thank you for being a comfortable place to live.
Goodbye swimming pool, you made some of our long days really nice.
Goodbye Reliant Stadium, to Texans football and the Rodeo.
Goodbye Minute Maid Park where we watched the Astros play the Mets.
Goodbye Pappasitos and your yummy Teximexican food.
Goodbye Johnson Space Center, we had a great time there in December with the whole family.
Goodbye Children's Museum, you brought our children much joy.
Goodbye Museum of Science, we love your free Tuesday afternoons.
Goodbye Zoo, we liked you even on the really cold day we were there.
Goodbye Hermann Park, what a fun place to play and ride the train.
Goodbye bumpy roads, we will remember you as we get our van aligned.
Goodbye MD Anderson, there is no doubt we came to the right place.
Goodbye Bethel Church, you became our friends and our place to worship here in Houston.
Goodbye Sara, Ron, and Myra Sue......you have become like family.

I will forever be grateful for the 8 months our  family has had together in this quaint little apartment.  Sometimes it seemed we would drive each other crazy, but the togetherness was priceless.  We have learned to care for each other.  I have watched the kids as they cared for Dave on some of his hardest days.  I have wondered how the kids will look back on this time in their lives.  I hope it will be with good memories of how God truly took care of our every need during such a hard time. 

I asked the kids a couple of questions.....kind of an exit interview :)  Here are the results.
 1.  What will you miss most about  Houston?
     Abby said "skating around at the apartment".
     Erin said "the apartment, the pool, and the children's museum".
     Samuel said  "the space center, children's museum, the pool, and Texas Roadhouse.
 2.   What are you looking forward to doing when you get home?
      Abby said "spending the night with Chloe and Emma and inviting Bailey Davis over."
      Erin said "seeing my friends, going to church, seeing my family, and sleeping in my bed."
      Samuel said "playing with my cousins, going to my church, jumping on trampoline, and eating at Milos."


*Goodnight Houston
by Jennifer and Kyle Solak

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