GRADUATION!!!

Ok, well, this was actually two 
five and a half  
nine weeks ago......

Graduation was AWESOME !!!

I am so proud of my son and all of his friends for graduating high school.  They persisted and not only succeeded but excelled.  I could never have predicted the journey Justin's high school years would take him on or the growth that happens in four short years.  It was so fun to celebrate these successes and was filled with more joy than tears.  Praise be to God!

I have to admit that the previous week's rain and rain before and after the ceremony really put a damper (pun intended) on things, especially getting pictures with friends.  It definitely made it memorable, though, and I was more than grateful to have remembered my umbrella.

...............MORE PICTURES COMING SOON...............

Now, my next "baby" is going to high school.  Rachel just finished middle school with a fun-filled 8th grade dance.  She looked gorgeous!

Rachel is going to continue with percussion, so she has already begun to bond with the members of that group.  This helps not only her transition but Mom and Dad's, too!  Still, it once again feels weird to be crossing this bridge with our child.

Hannah has finished 4th grade, I have one more year of elementary school left.  She is so excited to be an "Officer" next year on the Safety Patrol.  She will get to raise and lower the flag and fill in wherever she's needed.

They Grow Up Fast

So, my oldest is about to graduate and my second (1st daughter!) will enter high school in the fall.  The youngest is finishing 4th grade and will be my last elementary schooler ever next year.  Yes, I'm starting to feel a bit sentimental.

Toddlers, especially, are physically exhausting.  Kids need a lot of hands-on in the early years.   What you don't realize when you're "in the trenches" of  raising young children, though, is that it won't be long before the dynamic of your family changes.  The fascination with even the simple things fades, as adolescents naturally start to get "bored" with the things that used to amuse them.  Their interests change and their desire to be alone, engaging in technology, or with their friends increases.  This is a good and natural part of the independence process.  With it comes a whole new parental experience.  It's amazing and it happens really quickly.  The division of the last 7 years of school into middle and high school, the increase in independence and variety of activities seems to speed up those last years of "childhood".  The equivalent amount of time that is spent from preschool-5th grade seems so much longer than the latter seven years. As embarrassing as we sometimes are to our teenagers and almost teen, they really do want us there, and they really do care.  They still need us, and we need them.

Being on the "other end" of the growing up years, I can't say that I regret anything we did to invest in our kids and family.  The vacations were sometimes expensive and maybe not the "best" choice financially.  The sacrifices of time, money, energy, and even sleeping in our own bed have been totally worth it.

Your relationship with your children changes and takes on a whole new identity.  The roots and oneness of the nuclear family are strong and will always be the foundation of the branches that spring forth and grow away while still staying connected.  This is our ideal and it is interesting to experience.  It directly mimics the relationship that God wants to have with each and every one of us.  We are to be rooted, connected, drawing strength and energy from our foundation while branching out to draw others into the embrace of His love.

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, and lean NOT on your OWN understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and HE will make your path straight."

Jackson Heights Middle School Cheer Competition Routine April 2016

Irony

 

 

After I got married, things changed.  The change wasn't as much with me as with my parents and siblings. In short, times changed, dynamics changed, and kids started to grow up. It was a hard transition for me. As I wrote in the post, "You Can Count on God", I realized over time that change was inevitable and that the only thing I could trust to NOT change was God.

Justin
Ironically, I am now at another huge transition where my own kids are starting to grow up. Justin is 16 now and a sophomore in high school. He drives, he has a girlfriend, and he'd rather be with his friends than his family. It's up and down and back and forth, though, with the root of it all being that he's being driven internally to become independent.

It's not that much different from toddlerhood. You see, God has given children an inner rebellion at just the right time. It is a conflict, really. They want to please us and be with us, yet this inner drive forces them to start moving away. The beauty of it is that they act so horribly sometimes that it helps us to loosen our grip on them! God's design continually amazes me!

They come back, though, and hormones even out, so it is true......"He makes all things beautiful in His time." Ecclesiastes 3:11

And by the way, I am so proud of Justin. He is a caring, dedicated, polite, responsible, and talented young man. He works very hard in school and band, has lots of friends, and is developing into a gifted musician. I can trust him and pray that God continues to weave great things into his life.

Rachel

Apparently, you better enjoy your "little kids" when they are in elementary school, because Rachel is now 11 1/2, in sixth grade, and as tall as me. She loves middle school, and I love watching her thrive. She is on the cheerleading team, in band (trumpet!) and chorus and has her own YouTube channel. She loves Minecraft and horses.

I miss the family times, though. It's easier when we can let them stay at home sometimes and when they can take more and more care of themselves, but it has a tendency to leave you lonely.

Hannah

Hannah is 7 1/2, in second grade, and reading like a champ. It seems like only yesterday that she started preschool. She loves Minecraft and horses, too, and chooses those activities over most others. She still has a beautiful childlike spirit but as the youngest, is often drawn into the activities of the older two. I still call her my baby, and she tells me, "Sorry, Mom, but I'm growing up!".

It seems like the oldest child gets kept younger, the youngest child grows up faster, and the middle gets stuck in between. It has its good and bad points, I guess.

The good part is that I have lots of littles to borrow and can give them back when I am realizing once again how old I seem to have become!