Til we meet again!

This is what I just posted on my Super M.O.M.S. website...

Hi, Friends!

When I think back to five years ago, I had just moved to Iowa, leaving everyone I knew and loved far far away, given birth to our first child, suffered through some killer PPD, and was just completely alone and sad. My life felt very foreign and out of control - each day I just wanted to GO HOME! 

Fast forward five years and you'll see a lot of smiles, happy tears, sad tears, and friendships that have turned into family. My closest friends in the world were found at some of my first meet ups with the group! I will never forget my first time going to a meet up... it was at Lisa P's old place in Urbandale and geared toward the little ones in the group. Bella was about 16 months old and the oldest by 6 months. She was knocking into babies and stealing their toys. I was mortified, but I sat next to this crazy kinda hippie chick with a really cute red head. Turned out we had more than a few things in common (like it was both of our first meet ups) and I instantly knew my gigantor child with a love of making babies cry would not only be accepted, but loved by so many in the group. 

Then came Max and he rocked our world. I realized the importance of Mom's Meals and not having to ask for help, help just showing up. 

Whenever we go to a park in the metro area, I truly have a funny/happy memory associated with each place.

This group saved my life. I found friends for myself, my children, and my husband. We found people to love and love us back and for that, I will be forever grateful. I fell in love with Des Moines - it took some time and a lot of talking me into it - but I did. Moving home is bittersweet. It'll be much more sweet when we get there, but right now, it's very bitter to leave the cozy nest where I brought two screaming bundles of joy home. Where we brought two cats and a dog and will only leave with the dog. A vet (Value Vet) who has made loving my animals his life. Doctors (Dr. Megan Beebe, Pediatrician at the Waukee Clinic) who has called me at all hours of the night, stopped by on her days off, and Facebooked me, all to check on my little man when medical times were really tough. 

I repainted the same room where I rocked Max last night. The crib is still there (he may go to Prom sleeping in that crib), the glider and medical items are gone, but the memories are just so vivid. I know I'll hold them all close to me, but leaving my home where I brought my babies home is getting harder and harder to do... and making me more of a "Des Moines? Hell, yes!" t-shirt buying kinda gal. When I walked up my newly carpeted steps last night I followed up a diapered Bella climbing up the banister like a little monkey... she hasn't done that in years, but it was so real, because it happened here. How about the Target in Urbandale where the manager still laughs and says, "Hot and Spicy!" like the dance Bella did standing in the cart in the ladies lingerie section... Or Costco where Lucy and Shelley always find my kids and say, by name, very personal things about them. 

My backyard always has little echo's of laughter coming from the pirate ship, fort, lemonade stand, and Disney Dream Cruise Ship (we like to relive that experience often) that appear. The basis for all that awesomeness is our swing set which will sell with the house. That same backyard that held countless BBQ's with a lot of you. 

The Downtown Farmer's market saw us almost any Saturday we were in town... I'll miss the FOOD. I love Iowa food. The corn will reign King of my summer meal forever. Sweet corn. Mmmmm... never heard it called Sweet corn (just corn everywhere else in the world), never knew feed corn was something else, and I thought a Combine was where the tragic school shooting was in Colorado. 

I've met farmers, a lot of farmer's daughter's, and have a profound respect for them, the life style, and the WORK.

My friends, I will miss you. Most shocking, I will miss Iowa. It's had a lot to offer, even if I didn't want to see it in the first few years. 

We are off to Cincinnati. Nate starts his new job on May 21 - couldn't say anything sooner because it's not with Wells Fargo. I'm really bad at good bye's, so I'll just say, we'll meet again!


I'm going HOME! 

Thank you. Thank you for everything.  I'll miss you. Love, Sommer 

And, feel free to buy our house. It's a great one. :)