Back to Class!

It's official.  They're both college students.  The first day of class has arrived and according to both, it was a good day.

I can't tell you how proud I am.  A senior.  On his way to graduation.  I'm speechless.  He's accomplished so much.  He's accomplished everything I hoped he would.  Thankfully, he'll be able to support us in our retirement :)

And the baby, he did so well today.  On little sleep, he was a bundle of nerves.  But he made it though the day and had nothing but good things to say about it.  Let's hope it's the first of many wonderful days.

It's quiet here.  The dogs have figured out something is different.  I'm a lot off my game and Jeff has been absolutely awesome in helping me find my way.  But this is how it's supposed to be.  The boys are excelling and we'll adjust to it being just us.  We've made it though Tuesday.  Hoping tomorrow is just as good for everyone.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow.

Ok, so a real blog may be a day or two away.  I've been trying all night to gather my thoughts here, but it's been an exercise in futility.

Best to try again tomorrow.

Moving Day.

It is a rare occasion that I am at a loss for words.  Tonight is one of them. 

William is all moved in.  We met his roommates, their parents, unpacked and got him settled.  Then we headed home so he could get started on his newest adventure!

Honestly, I have so much to say, but tonight just isn't the night.  So tomorrow I'll fill a page with all of my thoughts...

In the meantime, I'm off to snapchat with my baby!

College Eve

It has finally arrived.  The evening I've been dreading for eighteen and a half years.  Ok, so not really dreading.  Just a day I hoped would be a few more years away.  Oh, who am I kidding?  A few more years wouldn't be enough.

It's not just me that's nervous either.  I think Will's paced a hole in his bedroom carpet making sure he doesn't forget anything.  And I'm pretty sure he's packed it all...the truck is full.

And while I'd love to discuss all of this in great detail...I'd rather spend the hour or so I have left with him!

So wish us luck tomorrow.  Say a little prayer that this goes as smoothly as possible.  And hug your kids...they grow up so fast!

The Last Supper.

Tonight was Will's last home cooked meal for a while.  He's been in charge of the menu for weeks now, but tonight was his final request.  Would anyone believe me if I told you we cooked hamburgers tonight?  Yep, he picked taco burgers as his final dinner.  Who'd have thought?

I forgot to take a picture of the burger.  But I did take time to capture these!

Jeff and Mini Me.  I don't know what they'll do without each other...

Me and my baby.  I seriously don't know what I'm going to do without him.....

Then there's the puppy.  Probably the most heartbroken of us all.....

Family Dinner!

One minute late.  Can you tell it's been a long day?

No complaints here...we're just swamped trying to get in all of the packing, shopping, goodbying and well...everything else.

After a full day of college prep, we spent the evening with the Bandy family.  A laughter filled evening was just what we all needed!

PS.  Sorry for the somewhat blurry picture.  I obviously had a shaky hand and something in my eye.

Yummo!

Nothing says Thomas Family Dinner more than a steak!  Cover that steak with bacon and Will will show up early.  Add a steak burger for Hunter and the boys would follow us anywhere!

Tonight was officially our last family dinner for a bit.  Hunter heads back to Columbus tomorrow and Will gets to packing.  One week from tomorrow we'll be loading up the truck for his next adventure.

As I sit here, it's finally starting to sink in.

But I wouldn't change a thing.

Mission Accomplished!

Holy cow, it's amazing what we can fit into a day!  Especially, when we only have a few hours to get it all done! 

But we managed to fit in lunch, the bank, Ikea, the mall and a few selfies.  

I'm sure the boys will rate their Pop Funko finds at the top of todays list of accomplishments, but I consider mastering the selfie stick to be the greatest (although Will still didn't trust my skills!).

Anytime I can get two of us into a picture that doesn't make me look like I'm two feet tall, it's a good day!

Best Day of My Life!

Darn, Jeff.  That song will live in my head forever.

But honestly, today may have been close to the best.

Lunch out with Hunter.  A family dinner with ALL four of us.  Fishing and laughing by the lake.  A fire in the fire pit and more laughs and we wrapped up the evening with Guardians of the Galaxy.  It was wonderful....in a bittersweet way.

We're down to nine days and at least 1/2 of those will be without Will.  Hunter will be leaving in just a few days to get back to his everyday life.

But days like today make me so proud.  Proud of the men we've raised and thrilled that they still want to spend time with us.

So today will have to get me through until we can do it again!!

I am groot.

Great day!

Everyone is home.   We got a family dinner in, lots of giggles and laughter and even the first NFL football game of the season.  Before everyone crashed.  And by everyone, I mean the two youngest who fell asleep long before I could capture a picture of them!

I'm not saddened by it at all.  It was a wonderful evening and I promise, it will live in my memory forever.  What a way to spend Will's last weekend at home!

Wedding Bells!

We've been planning for tonight for months!  When the invitation came in the mail, we smiled and cringed...all in one moment.  Up until now, it's been our friends getting married.  It's becomes a whole different ball game when it's Hunters friends wedding.  

But it was a Bandy celebration and we wouldn't miss it for the world!

Hunter missed out on the festivities, but I'm pretty positive that Will and I ate enough cake for all of us!  The wedding was beautiful, the bride was stunning and seeing the groom cry brought a tear to my eye.  But make no mistake about it, I'm not ready for that day!

So thank you to the Bandy family for including us in such a special occasion.  And thank you to Jeff and Will for making me laugh all evening long!

Moving Day!

It's official.  Hunter has moved into his first apartment.  He's signed a lease and paid his rent.  He's got roommates, a big screen and his childhood bed.  Thankfully, a twenty something can make due without sheets for a day or two since I forgot to send them!

And what better way to celebrate than the dinner of champions?!  In the our house, that dinner is Kanes.  No matter who you are, it's Kanes.  So while we couldn't have dinner together (we've only got 2 more days until that happens!), Hunter got to celebrate his first day of adulthood in true Thomas form.

Did I mention I'm counting the minutes until we're all home together?!  

Here we go!

The political season has begun!  I was hoping we'd all get to watch it together, but that wasn't the case.  So Jeff and I sat down with a pint of ice cream, the DVR remote and a listening ear.  Oh, and my phone so Michele and I could text our snarky comments during the big debate!

While we may not all agree on the parties....we have to agree that we're lucky to live in nation that truly has the best political process in the world!

Let the games begin!

Seriously, Justin Bieber?

It's almost midnight.  I'm curled up on the couch...watching Justin Bieber on on Lip Sync Battles.  That's what we've been reduced to.  Justin Bieber.  Can you believe it?  What life will be like in a few weeks when we are doing this each and every night?

Well at least Will's car is a little lower and Hunter got a little extra sleep tonight (although he's going to kill me for posting this!)

I'm counting down the days until Sunday.  A true family dinner will do this momma good.

Seventeen more days.  Heaven help us all.

Alone again.

Yep.  We're alone again.  Eighteen days left and Will, Daniel and Maggie are getting in all of the bonding time they can.  We at least got dinner in before he was out the door.  So here we are.  Waiting for Friday night to come around so we can break bread again and then watch him pull out of the driveway.

I'm not sure why she's mad at me.

We're down to 20 days and everyone is starting to notice.

The dogs have noticed the boxes being packed.  They've been sitting at the top of the stairs all night....making sure he doesn't leave just yet.

But this one....she's the one that will miss him the most.  His pet.  From day one.

And from now on, this is what I have to look forward to.

The stink eye.

Like I made him leave.

I forgot.

As always, it was a fun day in the Thomas house.  Jeff cleaned the gutters while I worked on orders. A trip to Lowes and Half Price Books rounded out our exciting day.  Thankfully, the Thomas children had more fun that we did!

They got to spend the day together, although both forgot to capture the moment.  Instead, this is what I got from them.

Lets be honest.  At eighteen and twenty one, I'm lucky to be getting pictures from them at all.  But all that matters is that they had a wonderful day together and we got enough done to spend some time with Will this week as our countdown continues.

Operation Let Go

It's the first of August and the count down has begun.  Twenty one days and counting.  Will will be a Buckeye and we'll be empty nesters.  It's taken me the whole summer to admit that this is actually happening.  Boxes are being packed.  Tuition is due.  Operation Let Go has officially begun.

The kick off was a Reds game.  Probably his final game for the season.  The Reds won and he had a blast.  And now he's on his way home to pack up Hunters furniture for delivery tomorrow.  

Yep, Hunters room is officially empty.

Hardest.  Month.  Ever.

That's my boy!

Brag Time!  I'm one proud momma!!

Please meet my Honors Student.  And not just any Honors Student.  An Engineering Learning Community Honors Student.  He found out today that he made it in!

Congrats, William!

Find a friend.

This is one of those posts that has nothing to do with the boys.  It's my hope that when they look back and read it years from now, they'll take the lesson from it and remember to apply it in their lives.

So here we go....

So many people pass through our lives.  I truly believe that each one is there for a reason.  You have something to learn from everyone.  But as the saying goes, most are only there for a season.  But if you're lucky, some are there for a lifetime.  

I'm not referring to a sibling or a spouse.  If you're blessed, you'll find a friend.  A friend that knows you from the inside out.  A friend that has seen your highs and your lows and your absolute lowest.  You'll know it when you find them.  They'll be the only people you love like family.  The one person you can bicker and argue with...and then care enough about to make sure you make up with.  They'll be the person that you never feel like you outgrow.  

I have only one.  She's my best friend.  She knew me when I was a tween, a teen, a young mom, the mother of toddlers, tween and then teens.  She's been there through it all.  Time nor miles separate our friendship.  We can talk weekly, monthly or yearly and each time it just picks up where we left off.  Our relationship is comfortable.  There's no work involved.  Just an undying friendship that defies time and miles.

So when you figure out who that person is, hold on.  Tight.  Do your part.  Be a friend.  Because the day will come when you don't just want them, you'll need them.   

We're back! And busy as ever.....

Yes.  I took two weeks off.  Believe it or not, it was completely unintentional.  Almost daily, I would think of that nights blog plan and then life would get in the way and I would totally forget.  And honestly, there were a few nights tucked in there that I just didn't have anything nice to say.  So as I was taught, I didn't say anything.

But it's been a crazy busy few weeks and now we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We attended our last graduation party today.  We've cleaned the boat and prepped for Blue Ridge.  Will's going to get through orientation this week and then it's smooth sailing...right to Georgia!!

So instead of bunch of chit chat....let me show you how the last two week have been (in no particular order!).....

And lastly (if you've read this far!), it's our anniversary.  Eleven years of awesome!  So I'll sign off with this!

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.