Turning the Page

Over the last two days, Suzanne has driven 565+ miles and I was along for the ride.  Suzanne and I are now officially Empty-Nesters.

It started way back in 2004, when our oldest son, Jared, went away to the Navy.  For him, there were all kinds of paperwork hurdles we had to overcome.  I never worked so hard, to do something I did not want to do.  All along, Suzanne and I tried to help him fulfill his dream of going into the Navy while inside our hearts were breaking.

A few years later, the three younger ones decided to go to college.  This was not so bad since the college they wanted to go to was less than three miles away and they could be home every night.

Then, our youngest son, David, got the bug to go off into the Marines.  This broke our hearts.  My heart was crushed, but Suzanne felt it even more deeply because she and Davey share a very special kind of bond.  He was her miracle baby.

Last year, shortly after Davey entered the Marines, our oldest daughter Laynie left for the University of Houston.  Such a little girl in such a big place over an hour from home, this was a very frightening experience for us.

I was scared to death when Laynie was born because I had no idea how to take care of a daughter.  She looks the most like me of any of our children.  She has a great sense of humor and is not bashful about meeting new people. 

We were somewhat able to cope with this because our baby child, the comedian in the group, was still home.  She and I share a different kind of bond.  Her sense of humor is very much like mine and we often make each other laugh without much trying.

Yesterday, we had to take our baby Mag-Pie to an island to stay for the better part of a year.  We had to leave her among strangers and hope that she will be okay.

Now it is me, Suzanne, our cat Xerxes, and two grand-puppies that belong to Laynie.  The house seems empty.

Suzanne and I are proud of our kids.  They are all great and all are doing well with what they have chosen to do.  Please pray for us as we turn this new page.