I wish we'd had a lunch date!

Can I just tell you that it warms my heart when I see a glimmer of me in the boys?  I know that those little parts are there, hidden away.  It shows in their most creative and peaceful moments.  And today, one of those moments came shining through.  I just wish I could have been there to share it with him!

Happy Memorial Day!

I'm so sorry for the break....I should have left a note :)  We've been planning this weekend for months.  A short long weekend away with just the boys to get a little family time in between graduation, Will's party, orientation, Hunters job and our normal, chaotic life.

And while the long weekend wasn't long enough for any of us, it was awesome!  We had a ball and squeezed in a little work to.  The trees are gone, the firewood rack is gone, the yard is cleared and mowed, the weeks are gone, the signs are up and the flag is flying.  Hunter put the new charcoal grill together and Will used the saw to clear out some wood.  We grilled.  We stuffed on fried Oreo sundaes.  The boys managed to rack up some mileage on the golf cart and we used the fire pit every night.  The weather was gorgeous.  The company was even better.  And the internet and phone signal was spotty at best.  So we were all unplugged for the whole weekend.  I promise, it doesn't get any better than that.

I'd love to say I took the time to record our trip in pictures.  But instead, I worked on making memories with the boys.  They won't need pictures.  I know they'll remember the band, the sundaes, the trip to LS, the golf cart rides, the fires and the bugs.  I know I will.

So as we packed the last bags in the truck, all heading our separate ways, we took this.  One picture.  It's all we needed.

Some days....

Some days are better than others.  This was Will's day.  I'll let you make the call :)

Hahahahaha!

Can I just tell you how much fun my life is?  My favorite part is picking up my phone and looking through my pictures.  Inevitably, there are images I've never seen.  That's what happens when you have two boys who are more tech savvy than I am and somehow manage to sneak in a picture or two for me to find.

They both made me laugh out loud....and that's saying a lot after the long day we've had.

Hopefully, they make you laugh too.  And I hope a few years from now, they make the boys laugh too!

It's finally here!!

It's finally arrived. Eighteen years in the making.  It was a chaotic whirlwind and I know there was so much I forgot to tell you.  So here you go!

Dear William,

Yes, I know you'd prefer Will...but I'm your mom and you'll always be William to me.  Just like you'll always be my baby.  Certainly, you're no longer a "baby".  You've grown in every way.  Yet while you're more than a head taller than me, you will always be that little old man they laid in my arms in the wee hours of the morning on that bitter cold, January day.

And now we're here, celebrating your biggest accomplishment so far!  And I know, this is the first of many to come.  You've worked harder than I thought possible...and not just in school.  You've demonstrated a commitment to everything.  Work, school, friends.  Please carry that with you.  Loyalty is a dying trait and you have so much of it.

It's always been so hard for me to let you go.  From the moment you were born, you've been my little piece of peace in this life.  Your first smile warmed my soul...and it still does.  I cried when you left for Kindergarten, your first sleep over, your first camping trip, your first concert, the first time you drove down the driveway and your first trip to Perfect North.  And I'm sure there were a million more occasions than that.  Did I mention it's been a little hard for me to let you go?

I am so very, very proud of you.  And it's time for you to conquer the world.  Without a doubt, I'm not done crying.  But like all of the events that have come before this, we'll both survive.  You will take on one challenge after another and I will shed a million tears of joy as you do.  It's time for me to let you go.  It's your time to conquer the world.  And I'll be your biggest cheerleader, your place to come home to and yes, the one crying as you do it all.

Congratulations William!  I can't wait to see what you do next!

All my love,

Mom.

Oh, what a week!

Wow, what a week!  Between graduation preparations, getting Hunter ready for his first apartment and trying to make sure that we laugh as much as possible while we're all together...it's been crazy!

This was Senior Award night!  A $3000 scholarship and an academic trophy....can't complain about that.

Hunter and I squeezed in a trip to Ikea and then Jeff and I squeezed in a dinner with Will.  Can I just tell you how much I'm going to miss McDonald's?  Eating a cheeseburger with Will on his break is on of my favorite activities.  It doesn't happen often (I can't eat that many cheeseburgers), but I wouldn't miss a dinner invitation for anything!

And tonight the boys got to spend the evening with the Reds!  From what I hear, it was Star Wars night.  May the force be with them!

Tomorrow will be more housework to get prepared for Will's party...and then there's Sunday.  We're just not talking about that yet.

Time to Move On!

I'm not sure that anything could have prepared me for today.  If you'd have told me a year ago that we'd close on the house and turn the keys over to the new owners just four days prior to Will's graduation, I'd have laughed.  I mean really, what were the odds?

It was sad, it was hard.  It was tear filled and oddly silent.  But it was also a relief.  Only one mortgage.  No more keeping up with two houses.  No mowing, mulching, weeding, cleaning, staining, patching or painting.

I'll miss living there.  But we have ten wonderful years of memories to share.  It was a wonderful place to raise the boys.  But they're grown now and we're ready to embrace the next chapter.

So a celebration was in order...and that's just what we did!

Happy Mothers Day!

Can I just tell you, I have the greatest kids?  And husband!

It's not often that I get to relish in a day with everyone....just so happened it was Mothers Day.  And for the first time in seven years, it wasn't the day after prom!

Jeff, Hunter and I decided that if Will couldn't have breakfast with us, we'd have breakfast with him!  Thankfully, he managed to work his break into a 40 minute brunch with us.  And let's be honest, there is no better breakfast than one at McDonalds.

We spent the afternoon planting, cleaning, moving, weeding...you name it.  But it was beautiful weather and lots of laughs.

Will got home in time for the first grill out of the season!  Nothing like hamburgers, hot dogs, pickles and laughs!  We had so much fun I forgot to take pictures!

The evening ended with the following Mothers Day gifts from all of my guys.  Jeff's gift of a FM radio for the gym will come in so handy in working off the huge back of Swedish Fish the boys bought!  But seriously, I may never be a true Buckeye, I couldn't be more proud of my two Buckeye boys.  I will wear my scarlet and grey with great pride!  And so will my truck!

Happy Mothers Day to all of the wonderful women in our lives...we love you all!!

Let the fun begin!!

Will's officially out of school, although he has to be there most of the week for various activities.  Hunter arrived home this afternoon for a much needed (but too short) week of vacation before he starts his summer internship.  Tuesday is closing day and we'll finally be out from under two mortgages.  And of course, Sunday is graduation!

While it's bound to be a teary week, we're all determined to enjoy each and every minute of it!  And it started tonight with a quick family dinner at GoldStar.  Yep, it's Will's week so it started at his favorite restaurant.  Hopefully it's the only time this week!

Schools Out!

Yep.  He's done.  And sometimes, it's best to leave it at that.   But God, if you're listening, please help me through the next week.

Holy Cow!

It's last day of everything eve!  Will had to work, but Hunter spent the evening at his final RA retreat.  As of tomorrow evening, he'll be unemployed.  Well, only for a week or so, but his days of being an Ohio State employee are over.  Big things are coming for everyone.

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!  And Happy One Year SmokeFree anniversary to me!!!

To celebrate, we managed to squeeze ourselves into El Picante for dinner.  It's not often lately that we manage even three of us for dinner, so this was a treat.  And we're counting the days until Hunter is home to join us!

Five days.

The highway to Hell is paved with good intentions.  I should remember that on occasion.  I had this great blog in mind yesterday.  Lots of great images from our weekend.  Then the flu arrived and I got sidetracked.

So we'll skip the weekend and jump right into today.  FIVE days of school left.  And this is what that looks like.  Fortunately, I didn't turn the camera around and show off my snively nose and tearful eyes.  It breaks my heart.  In a good way.  I know I'm supposed to be excited.  And I am.

I hope he knows how happy I am for him.  How proud Jeff and I are of him.  The tears are of joy (for the most part!).  Oh, what a month it's going to be!