Mourning...

Last week we had dinner and a group Family Home Evening lesson with the Lentz family and most of the younger kids didn't know what "mourning" meant.  Given our company for FHE, I immediately piped up with, "Mourning is what we're going to be doing when the Lentzs' move away."

*heavy sigh*  Yes, one of our favorite families for which we have a supreme affinity (thanks, Mike - you say ice cream, I say YOUR FAMILY!), are moving 2000 miles away.   I'm excited for them because they're moving back to be close to their families and I TOTALLY understand that.  But goshdarnit if it doesn't just break our hearts. Because they are OUR family, too!

My first memory of the Lentzs was them attending one of our New Years parties and they immediately jumped into the party and had a great time doing karaoke for all.  That's when I had inklings of their grooviness.  But we hadn't yet become friends.

The next memory I have is a strong and significant one.  We'd just returned home to New York from a year's sabbatical of living in southern California (5 years ago), and during that time one of our "best friend" families, the Birds, had moved away to Idaho in our absence.  It took me weeks to not cry when I drove by their old house.   Anyway, within a few weeks of returning to New York, I became severely ill.  When I realized how sick I was, I knew that we were going to need help.

Here's the thing about non-Utah LDS wards (LDS is Latter Day Saint, aka Mormon).  A ward is a geographical group of families that are LDS and wards attend church together and do other activities together.  At least half of the families in our ward are what I call transplants, meaning we moved TO New York for jobs and we don't have family nearby.  By my deduction, our family and the Lentzs were the unlucky members who were furthest away from any speck of family - 2000 miles (Pat Browne now wins that unfortunate honor with her family being in Chile).  Anyway, in these situations, your ward becomes your family - in good times and in bad.  You rely on each other *profoundly* and in so doing, become actually closer than in areas/wards with thick concentrations of LDS.  My humble opinion anyway, don't flame me, Utah Mormons!

Back to me getting sick.  When I knew how sick I was, I remember crying to Mark, "What are we going to do?  The Birds moved away!  Who can help us???"  Now, I knew that at that time, we could have called ANYBODY in our ward and they would have helped us - LDS wards tend to be like that, and we really did have more friends than just the Bird family.  But within in our ward boundaries,  we lived on the outskirts of that boundary, with only a couple of LDS families nearby at all - the Birds were closest, followed by the Lentzs.  But it's still hard to ask for help, ya know?  Anyway, after I cried that to Mark, I distinctly remember him saying, "You know what?  We're going to call the Lentzs because I have a feeling they are SOLID GOLD."  Yep, Mark called them Solid Gold.

A few minutes later Eric Lentz was in our hallway, just having finished giving me a Priesthood blessing, when I did him the favor of puking all over the hallway and bathroom right in front of him.  For all I know, it was on him, too.  Like I said, REALLY sick.  I then remember Connor or Noah coming into the hallway, very scared, and Eric immediately taking him away from the situation so they didn't have to see me bent over the porcelain throne making all manner of noises, not to mention making sure my little fellow didn't step in the mess already in the hallway.  Eric then immediately took Noah and Connor to his house, and that's the last I saw of them for several days.

 

Over the next 5 days in the hospital, all I knew was that the Lentzs (with the help of another friend, Karen Walsh) were taking care of my family.  My boys even slept over there at least a couple of times during that time.  It's still strange to me to know that there were 5 days of their young lives that I have no idea what they did or ate or where they slept.  But I knew I didn't have to worry about a thing.  And friends with the Lentzs we became, forged in the grossness of pukery!

 

Is there a higher metal than gold, something more fabulous and more valuable and more treasured?  The Lentzs were not just solid gold, but solid *PLATINUM*.

Connor ADORES the Lentzs.  And what kid wouldn't?  Their house is full of kids and toys and pets, and outside they have a swimming pool, a canoe pond, playground, trampoline, horses.   HORSES!!   Actually, my kids don't even care about the trampoline or playground or pool or horses - they care about just BEING with the Lentzs and all their positive energy and fun.

Connor has begged me several times over the past few years to have 6 siblings, "just like the Lentzs!" 

A couple of years ago, we were car shopping.  Connor pleaded with us to get a limousine so that "we could fit all the Lentzs and take them with us!"

Also, a while back, we needed Connor to get to church when we couldn't go.  We called - wait for it - yes!  The Lentzs!  Connor was a little nervous at first to attend church without us, but after we told him he got to be "Connor Lentz" for the day, that sealed the deal!  He was thrilled to be able to go to church with them and sit with their family and indeed was broken-hearted the next day when he asked us if he could still be Connor Lentz, and we had to inform him that no, actually, we wanted him back in our family as Connor Ritchie.

Jamie has been our only babysitter for nearly 5 years!  I'm sure all parents everywhere understand the terror that goes with "Our babysitter is moving away!"  Jamie, our kids adore you and the kids always cheered when they found out it was Mommy & Daddy date night because they knew they would see you.  And I don't just think it's because they associate you coming with Little Caesars pizza.  I think they love you anyway, Jamie, pizza or no pizza!

The Lentzs are, without a doubt, one of the BEST families we've ever had the privilege to know.  As Mark and I were talking about their upcoming move, our conclusion was that their leaving is going to leave a huge HOLE in the Liverpool Ward.  Not just for us, but everyone.  Where are the Scouts going to do their winter camping?  Where will we ice skate?  Where will we spend our Thanksgivings (at least half of our Thanksgivings here over the years have been with the Lentzs)?  Who will befriend those who need friends?  One of the traits I most admire about Julie especially, is her ability to befriend everyone, with no regard to cliques or status and all that nonsense. 

 We just finished our Family Home Evening this evening, and it was kinda sad and lonely with just us, and no Lentzs.  Noah even tried to make the joke that he wanted to sing Womanizer (an old joke amongst our families - we attended a FHE at the Lentzs house a year or so ago and when asked for song choices, Noah immediately piped up with "Womanizer!"  Yup, a proud parenting moment for me.) - anyway, it wasn't the same without Mike & Jamie cackling about it again.

We love you, Eric & Julie & Jamie & Mike & Rachel & David & Megan & Daniel & Kiplyn.  And Coco & Prancer, too - you've been part of our family on several occasions, too!  Thank you for always being there for us no matter what, and for being such great friends and examples.  Our only consolation is that at least you're moving to a state which we visit somewhat frequently, and we already can't wait for our Lava Hot Springs date with you this summer!