(Those teenagers don’t look overly happy about the prospect…)
We arrived with our twenty-something bags and boxes, dizzy with jet lag wondering what adventures lie ahead.
And what a ride that semester was!
There is rarely a day that goes by that I don’t think about how grateful I am for that small snippet of time.
…for all we learned and the adventures, good and bad, but even more for the way it slowed down life for our family and helped us soak each other in in a different way.
Today, August 26th a year later, my already huge gratitude for that time grew even more because today is the day we packed up again on a different adventure:
To take Max to BYU.
And once again we are facing some trepidation and great anticipation of grand adventures (except our roles are kind of reversed from last year…this time around Max is all about the anticipation, he’s so excited!)
Last night, after our “last supper” together and a whole slew of tears (it’s been weeks in my case), I found Lucy writing this note:
Like Lucy, I’m not really ok (at all) with this boy of mine leaving the nest but somehow even though it’s gonna break my heart to leave him behind, I am joining in his excitement.
He grew by so many leaps and bounds last fall semester and I know this will be the same, yet oh so different.
And I’m so excited to see how it rolls.
Awww…Lucy's notes melt my heart. Good Luck Max (and parents) 🙂
aww I feel like we've been on this journey with you in some tiny way.. it makes me happy and sad all at once fir you!!!
we can't wait for updates on him..
Ok, Lucy's letter has me in a puddle of tears! Wishing Max a grand adventure at BYU! May Heavenly Father keep him safe.
I wish that sometimes you would say a few words about events happening in our nation. Today especially about the killings in Roanoke. We are inundated with photos of your family post after post, which are lovely but overbearing. Please remember other people in this world beyond your little bubble. Teach your kids that it's not always about them, having that camera shoved in their face for every little move they make.
This is Shawni's blog. About her family. Of course we see posts and photos about her family. There are plenty of other sites devoted to national news
Are you serious???
this is Shawnis family record blog. it's her journal of her family…jeesh
Wow. I'm from Roanoke and even I don't expect Shawni to write about the tragedy. There's plenty of online news sources. I read this blog to have a reprieve from the news. I love your blog, Shawni!
I literally lol-ed at your comment. That's a joke right? Meant to get people all incensed and stuff? ROTFL.
Shawni, I'm a long time reader of your blog and just dropped my son off at BYU on Monday. I was excited to see that he and max are living on the same floor in the dorms. These amazing kids are in for a great adventure.
An exciting time for any parent for sure!. So glad Shawni writes this blog and focuses on the good in her family and the good in the world around her. Yes Hollie it's tough when sad things go on in our world…but like Mr. Roger's said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
This blog is a "helper" by showing that the good "helping" people in society start in a loving home.
Boy I'm glad to find a place where I don't have to read about the sadness and evil in the world but can come read about a loving, happy family.
Good luck to Max–bravo for all of your hard work. Congrats!
I am loving following along and reading your journey through the years!!!! My heart is sort of breaking for yours and so excited to see what's in store with this new chapter in your life! It's all so fun, but different. Your blog is one that I feel at home with reading, maybe there are similarities that we have about my and my husbands families and yours, and also one that I get to see a pretty good examples from your family that hold the same values we do and focusing on love in your home! I love you guys and am excited to keep following along!!! So Fun!!!
Unbelievable that it has been a year. This year is going to be full of just as many fabulous events! LIfe just gets more and more exciting!
Wow, that was a YEAR ago? That's about when I started reading your blog. I can't imagine how hard that must be for a parent, the first kid leaving the nest. Thank goodness for today's technology!