Saying Goodbye to Good Friends

This is such a bitter sweet post :)

We have some friends that we have gotten to know very well throughout the last 6 years, and they are so dear to us.  Brad and Tara Thornton are one of the kindest, most loving, down to earth, Godly couples that we know.  They are originally from Chicago.  Brad came to teach and coach at ECS before he even married Tara!  Then once they were married, Tara started working for ECS as well.  We have so much in common with them, it's crazy.  We just love them to pieces and value their friendship so much.

We have been through A LOT together!

We all coached ECS track!

Justin and I coached Middle School Girls.

Brad and Tara coached High School Girls.

This is way back in 2009 when I was very pregnant with James!

They were one of the first couples over to see James after he was born.

They saw the good and bad as we raised our children from babies to toddlers.

The kids LOVE their Brad and Tara!

These two are truly Best Buds ;)

Justin found an amazing friend in Brad.

They coached together, camped together, worked out together.  

What wife doesn't just love that her husband has an amazing friend to encourage him through thick and thin?

Then God called Brad and Tara back to Chicago this summer.  Both of their families are there.  Tara was very pregnant and due with their first born boy soon.  Brad was asked to teach at Wheaton Academy and to help build up the football program there.  At times it seemed easier for them to just stay in Memphis, where they loved their jobs, and loved their friends.  Selfishly that's what we wanted to think.  But Brad and Tara knew that God had a big plan for them.  They weren't sure how it would all come about, but they chose to follow the Lord to Chicago, have their baby there, and be willing to start from scratch again as they trusted in God.

They planned to move to Chicago on Sunday, June 2nd.  On the Friday before, Justin and I went to help load the big moving truck.  But Brad and Tara couldn't be there, because they had to head to the hospital since Tara had gone into labor!  That little boy wanted to be born in Memphis.  

William Carter Thornton was born Friday, May 31st.

We all just think God helped this baby to be born about 4 weeks early just so we could all get a piece of him before they had to go.  And we are so thankful :)

Boy, we miss these friends, but we are so happy they are where God intends for them to be.

Love you Tara and Brad!