Graduation and Gatherings and Guests....Oh My!

Whitney made this great collage for Alex's party.

Sarah helps Alex with the gift opening!

It's beginning to sink in that we've come to the end of an era. Our kids are now adults and while we still have great relationships with our children and will have a role in their lives, our job as parents for the most part is done. That's just weird! Hopefully we've done an adequate job of teaching them right and wrong, the importance of faith, and to be good, productive people, but basically now they, as adults, have to test out everything we have taught them and figure it out on their own. Yikes! Did we do everything to prepare them? Did we give them enough but not too much? Did we remind them of what is important and what is not? Good thing they are in God's hands because I am quite sure we didn't do everything perfectly.

The bros check out Alex's new laptop.

We had a grand time at Alex's grad gathering on Sunday. We saw people we hadn't seen in forever and so many came to wish him well (or make sure he really did make it through 13 years of school!) It's good to have weddings and graduations to catch up with old friends. Life should slow down for me now. I can see being satisfied with a couple evenings a week to myself. I can appreciate not having to clean up after the boys as often or come home to countless dishes in the sink. I get almost giddy when I think of actually getting to use the t.v. remote all by myself sometimes. I look forward to some date nights with my husband without having to check in. But the rest of it I will miss terribly. It will never quite be the same in our house. It's a rite of passage that is satisfying and sad all at the same time. I'm trying not to be overly melodramatic about the whole process; it's just weird.

That's my baby!

I helped Alex with selecting his housing situation at Eastern last night and we have begun to make lists of what he will need for his dorm room. At least he is just down the road in Cheney and can actually come home to do his laundry and get a free meal once in awhile. He is excited and apprehensive; me too! But I'm looking forward to this next chapter. Maybe before he leaves for good, there will be the promise of grandbabies. I know, I know - sorry Whit and Travis......but I can still hope, can't I?