Bittersweet – Producing or expressing a mixture of pain and pleasure – thefreedictionary.com
We ended our four month stay in southwest Michigan on Saturday at our daughter’s house. We made pizza (non-wheat for us) and watched the Michigan-Ohio State football game along with Russ’ parents known as Pake and Nana (Bob and Donna).
We had a good time of fellowship and food but when it came time to leave the realization hit us that this special phase in our lives was coming to an end. We’ve spent many days at their house helping with kids and stuff. Everything we hoped would get done…got done. The babies arrived and the material ties to Indiana have been cut. They are now settling down to their new lives in Michigan and Anne is doing very well.
Problem is that we are losing daily access to our little buddy Ryan. Here are a few things we will miss:
1. Eating cereal and bananas with passion (Bye Bye nana)
2. Watching the same 8 Thomas the Train episodes…and singing the theme song together.
3. Telling Grandma to “go room and play”
4. Taking walks that end with McDonald’s and happy meals
5. Going out to talk to the garbage man to see his truck
6. Going through his very specific detailed pre-nap routine.
You get the picture. We got to be part of a very special time in his life and it’s been a blast. He spent Friday night with us in the RV and was like a little adult with his play skills and full sentences that have developed while we’ve been here.
We’ll see them at Christmas for a day of gifts and hanging out but then it will be at least May 2013 before we see him again. By then the twins will be even more the center of attention and we probably won’t ever quite have the same time together with Ryan again.
On a good note…..we are heading south to Florida for winter.
I think that pretty much defines bittersweet.
