Our Spokane trip was really quite lovely. The visiting with the extended family and the time together as a family. We were all glad we went.
I love this picture of the three "Jolley Foxes". So much love in this picture. I think the best part of the trip for me was to see Abe's mom feeling so much better. We got to talk with her and enjoy her smiles and laughter much more than in other recent visits.
We took off for home on Tuesday morning. We would be home for one week before the next BIG THING---
--- and that BIG THING was this beautiful girl packing up her childhood room and heading off to college. OH MY HEAVENS!--- It is happy and horrible and exciting and heart-wrenching and I highly recommend it and wish it could be avoided at all costs. Saying good-bye and sending young- adult children out into the world has been the biggest bag of mixed feelings I've ever dealt with. So much more painful for my mamma heart than any other parenting stage I have encountered. I'll write more about that in just a bit.
In her final couple of weeks at home we hit up the eye doctor, the dentist and her last visit to her lifelong pediatrician. Both she and little Greta got shots and Greta was highly offended.
I came home from running errands one day to find the kids working together on a wine-glass and water talent show number. So proud.
Abe snapped this picture of her after her last day in our family ward that she has grown up in.
In case you haven't picked up on it, we've been
pretty highly emotional at the prospect of Bethany leaving home. And logically, I know I've blown it out of proportion, but haven't been able to or haven't wanted to check myself.
Thankfully we still have lots of littles at home to keep up busy and going. This may be one of my all time favorite pictures. Greta and Peter started a little dance class together on Wednesdays. It's for 3-5 year-olds, so they both can do it. From the look on Peter's face, you'd think we are torturing him by making him do this class. BUT YOU'D BE WRONG! He is so happy and excited to follow in his brothers' footsteps and take a dance class. He's just passing through the sometimes lengthy phase of awkward smiling for pictures.
And seriously-- GRETA!! Can she even be real? The two of them are so much fun and considering how non-gracefully I am handling my older kids leaving the nest, I'd say it is very good thing I have several more at home.
Of course, that also means I have to cut apron strings six more times. At this moment that sounds very unpleasant. I wish I could take comfort in the fact that there are many years until these last two take flight. It's just that now I know how quickly the years pass and as it turns out-- that's not much comfort this week.
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