June 3, 2018: The Last Hurrah

As my mom so famously says when it's time wrap a FaceTime conversation...

"Well, that's about it then."

Total code phrase for 'time to hang up and move on'.

On day 6 of a week long senior family trip that includes me and Grant representing our family, I am feeling both joy and a bit of angst as I close a long chapter in my life. And although I've experienced many lasts with my youngest over these last few years, the permanency has become very real as we close this trip.

In total we had 13 recent grads with their families join our excursion. TimeHop reminded me this morning of the same trip I took with Ben and classmates, 4 years ago to the day. Those four years have flew by at a pace that is now hard for me to fathom.

Zach joined us for that trip, as did many other siblings his age. We had a ball. Zach started gunsmithing school two weeks after we returned and Ben was packed and moved to Lincoln within a couple of months. The blog I wrote in August of that year was on Grant starting high school and my feelings and disbelief that he was that old.

And now here I sit. The baby is graduated and his brothers now busy with their home moves and dogs, life far from where we were on those sandy Mexico beaches that fun week years back.

When I look at the beach photos from the first Mexico trip, it is apparent how time and destiny are not ours to plan. One dad has since passed away and another has battled cancer. Several of the boys I haven't seen since that trip and the ones who regular fixtures at my house back in the day now are only seen on rare occasions.

Life keeps moving along.

What is so apparent to me is that my day-to-day responsibilities will soon be gone. It's been a great 25 year run from April of 1993 when we brought Zachary into the world and home from the hospital. Although exhausting at times (many times), my heart is bursting of 25 years of love and many happy memories and friendships. 

No more weekly school e-mails, back-to-school nights, sleep-over conversations, and curfew checks. I know this will be traded in for the bigger conversations with my young adult children, as I have been broken in well with Grant's two older brothers. And believe me, I'm ready; just a little melancholy.

Change is good for all of us, but not necessarily easy. Within a couple of months, I will have two boys in Colorado. Ben will be finishing out his college years in Lincoln. My brother (and constant companion) is also moving from Omaha to Arizona in a month. Garrett and I are continuously being asked what the next chapter holds for us. We honestly haven't a clue at this point. We just know it will be very different and we will have fun figuring it out.

For now, I am going to join the five remaining families at the pool. Time to live in the moment; taking in the beauty of the ocean and the friendships, new and old, that I have gained over these many parenting years.

Here is to the next chapter and a great last hurrah!