Bittersweet Goodbyes

The day that seemed so far away in the future has finally arrived...our babies have left the nest.

I console myself that at least they haven't flown the coop!

I keep thinking and saying things that make me feel old.  Things like, "My, how time flies!"

and "It seems like only yesterday..."

and "This day seemed so far off into the future".

It is such a strange time of processing all the events and emotions.  I am almost bursting with pride with what fine young men my babies have become.  And then I feel the pain of being ripped apart, similar in many ways to losing a loved one to death.  I keep marking all the firsts of things.  The first day without them.  Their first night away from home.  The first time we don't all pray together as a family before bed.  Not hearing them creaking in their beds above our bed.  Not being able to say good night or good morning in person.  It has been hard for this tenderhearted mama, but also I know that it is so good and so right and we are so excited for them.

We had many tears the days before they left as everyone realized that they really were leaving!  It has been hard for the younger ones to grasp.  Everyone has been calculating how old they will be when the boys graduate.  When the big day arrived I couldn't resist taking one last photo of all of our children together.  I've been wanting a new stair-stacked photo in front of our lovely old barn and they graciously obliged me.

Then we took another in front of our wicket-gate.

We live on a dirt road therefore our van is always dusty and the kids all left messages in the dust all over the van.

One last photo of the mama bird and the papa bird and their fledglings before they take flight.  

I kept feeling sadness over the sense of loss until Steve comforted me with the thought that we were sending our arrows out into the world, something we've talked of often over the years.  I like that idea much better and it is more accurate.  Still, my mother heart has been struggling with the emptiness of their being gone.

There were tearful yet joyful goodbyes.  

The tenderness between siblings was such a gift to my heart.

Steve drove them down and helped them to unpack.  They had lunch at the famous Keeter Center together before Steve left them and drove on home...alone.

Here they are sitting on a bench on the beautiful grounds outside of the Keeter Center.

Here my boys are posing in front of the college together.

Some photos of them in their dorm.  They are happy to be assigned as roomies!

The campus chapel that was built by the students in the 1950's from stone quarried (by the students) and carried there the 2 miles.

The boys posed for one last picture as Steve said goodbye and parted with them...

A picture Steve took on the way back home of the beautiful, scenic drive.

Back home there has been the usual discussion of who is sleeping where, who does what chores, etc.  Every time the phone rings the younger ones are hopeful that it might be Jacob and Jordy.  We sure miss them!  I'm glad they are not so far away that they can't come home on weekends from time to time.

I am proud of my sons and excited for them, not only that they can share this adventure together with each other, but also that they have this wonderful opportunity to continue their education at an institution that values character as highly as academics.  The ideals of this college are very similar to how we have strived to raise our children and it has made it seem such a natural next step in their education and character development.

I will enjoy hearing about all that they are learning and seeing how God grows them and uses them in the years to come.