Sunday, April 29, 2012

Idaho Potatoes

So yesterday I was shopping in Wal-Mart by myself and I bought a bag of potatoes.  The label of course said "Real Idaho Potatoes."  As I said the name aloud a wave of emotion came over me and I had to fight back the tears right there in the vegetable aisle.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Idaho Idaho potatoes have a lot different meaning for me now. 

 It's our friends who are potato farmers, It was the potato field across from my house, it was tractor's on the road, it was the entire school dismissed for harvest, ......it was the small town of Aberdeen, ID.    I know we were there only a few years, but they were good years. We miss our country life.

 This morning I walked into the girls room and they were talking about all the things they missed about Aberdeen.  Their friends of course, but also living in the country.  Hattie said "now we just live in a neighborhood, we can't ride our fourwheeler a long ways."  Hailey said, "We can't chase butterfiles for a long ways, and we'll never have a rock driveway again."     

I'm really learing that this is a grieving process, it really is like losing a loved one...saying goodbye to a season of life and friends that you care about.  Just writing about it makes me sad.  Don't get me wrong we are all very healthy, happy, together, Eric loves his new job, we have a nice house, and the kids do actually love living in a neighborhood and riding their bikes around the cul-de-sac..  But it doesn't erase 7 years in Idaho. 

All of our friends from church...so many years and adventures together, watching each other kids grow up. Ten---s, Callan------s, Rein-----s, ....so many good memories.   I think about all of you often.  My kids often mention all of your kids by name & how much they miss them.  This morning Hattie said " I miss all the times we went to campgrounds with K---"....(SURVIVOR).  Me too Hattie.  Me too.  Those are memories we will never forget.  It's like a wound that is hard to heal .  Hard to forget 7 years and just let it go. 
Miss the Tetons.

 Miss going to Yellowstone twice a year.  Miss Snow Skiing.
 Miss our house. 

Miss my good friend and  neighbor and her girls and their sheep and horses.  Miss all my Biblestudy friends (J, C, K, D, M, S).  So thankful that you still make an effort to keep in touch!  (I wish we could all just live close together. Guess that is what heaven is for.)
You are on my mind.  I have not and will not forget! 

(I was telling Eric is seems like the stages of our life will be remembered by the states wehave  lived in.  The Arkansas years will be remembered as the pre-kid years...so many good memories of adventure racing, waterpark, FCA Biblestudy, PGCC, The Shoe....s, The Patter....s, The Euban....s.  And we still keep in touch with our friends from that season of life.  The Idaho years are our pre-school kid years....UBC, Survivor, and all our friends fom Idaho.  The Carolina years look like they will be our kid's Elementary age years.....We'll see after that.  Minnesota is looking like the junior and high school years for our kids.....but who knows what tomorrow holds.) 

The States of our Lives.....Life is an adventure.

4 comments:

Miggs said...

That was a sweet post, Kim. God is so good and faithful to his people wherever they go in this world, isn't he? God's blessings to your family "way over there" in the other side of the country! Jacque S.

The Idaho Neumanns said...

Do you have a Five Guys Burgers and Fries? They usually serve Idaho potatoes too! Miss seeing you all. Love watching your kids grow up on the compiter, not like real life though.

Sarah said...

We miss you guys! The kids are working on letters to yours. I told them that your girls would be great pen pals! Way to go at updating the blog ;-) Love it!

Anonymous said...

Don't cry, Kim! I almost cried this week when I found out that my brother, Scott will be in Durham next week. Hugs from us all, to all of you!