Growing Up and Moving On

Time is a funny thing isn’t it? There are times you think back about something and feel like it was SO
LONG ago but then other times it feels like that same thing was just a couple of years ago. Once I had
children time seems to move in warp speed, well not those first 5 years or so. Those are tough and
exhausting but so very rewarding.
With summer quickly approaching I wanted to take a minute to reflect as well as look forward. I
remember the summer between my Junior and Senior year of high school. It was one of the best
summers ever. I had no real responsibilities yet (I mean I had a job and things but not tons of bills or too
many things expected of me). My parents were always great about letting my brother and I just be kids
and enjoy the time we could before we had to be adults and take on responsibilities and things. We try
to do that with our kids. Yes, it’s important to teach them how to adult but they are also still kids and
should get to enjoy that for as long as possible. Carefree days, sleeping in until noon, going to the pool,
six flags, taking vacation, etc. Declan just finished his first year of college (I still can’t believe it) and will be 20 in just a few months. Alaina will be entering her Senior year of high school (I can’t believe that either). While part of me is sad that they’re growing up I am also so very excited and blessed to watch them really settle in to who they are and who they’re becoming. Watching them pursue their dreams is such a joy.
People always complain about the teenager stage and yes, it can be exhausting with all of the eye rolls,
dirty dishes, moodiness, etc. I love it though! Our kids are great kids and we haven’t had a lot of the
teenage drama issues that I was worried about, but Pat and I made it a point early on to talk to our
children frequently and at every stage about things they would face later in life. We have done our best
to prepare them, keep that openness for conversations, allowed them to fail and helped them back up.
Don’t get me wrong, we are NOT perfect parents by any means but we are grateful parents and I love
the relationships we have with our kids now. Declan chooses to come home frequently (it may just be
to do laundry and work on his car but I like to pretend it’s to see us) and Alaina spends time with us when she’s not with her friends or Brayden.
I know this next year is going to fly by and we’re going to have two graduating in 2026. I’m ready to
buckle up, enjoy the ride, take lots of pictures, and watch these kiddos conquer their dreams!