The Empty Nest Has Begun

I can't believe it has been almost a month since my last post. So much has gone on the last few weeks. I feel as though I am on auto pilot. Some of the experiences over the last few weeks have made my faith in God overwelming at times. I am so thankful I am a believer.

Yesterday, I sent my son Kody off to North Carolina. It isn't too bad so far, however I have to keep reminding myself that this is part of growing up. I find myself wanting to call him and "check in." I am hopeful that he will decide to attend the community college there and continue his education.

Our family owns a camper park and he has shown some interest in running it seasonally. The camper park was a dream of my grandmother. My mom ran it for a while, but it got the best of her and she had to shut it down. Kody has always enjoyed it up there. It is beautiful and I like to visit, but it is a little more secluded that I prefer. I am the social butterfly in our family and there isn't much to do up there.

Our sadness is finally lifting. On May 2, we had to put our beloved horse Romeo down. It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. Losing an animal is hard, but losing a horse is something totally different. The sadness lingered for several weeks. We have other horses and it was difficult taking care of them while dealing with the overwhelming sadness of losing Romeo. I am thankful for the time we had him. He really was such a beautiful boy. During this time, I am so amazed by my daughter Sara. She completely takes me by surprise sometimes. She is growing up and maturing right before my eyes. To experience something like this only made our relationship closer.

I am so thankful that God has blessed me with such great kids.