There's an Elf in the House

If you've been around here long, you know that my baby is nearly grown.  Now a senior, he'll be 18 at the first of the year and soon out of the nest.  This momma bird is not quite ready to let her guy fly so she sometimes clings on with both feathers.  Especially when it comes to the lasts of his childhood.

As this Christmas is his final one as a kid, I decided to do something special to celebrate it, with a little help from an elf.

I've known for a few weeks I wanted to bring in an elf to help us count down the days to Christmas.  Somehow it is a tradition we never began, maybe because Noah was older when they came out.  And while most who do this have younger kids, I thought it might bring some extra joy for my towering teen.

However, when I noticed the price tag of Santa's tiny helper, I almost ended up the naughty list for the choice words that wanted to escape my mouth!  Yikes, I can stuff a few stockings with that kind of dough.  But, after a few searches, I was able to find a much more frugal - and in my opinion, cuter option.

Introducing...Blitz!

I can't wait to share with you all the funny ways he'll be surprising Noah this season.  And I'm excited to add this to our family's Christmas memories.

Here's the letter he brought this morning.

What are some of your treasured traditions for the holidays?

Day 26: Solo Eagle

This momma bird is teetering on emotions today.

Her baby just took one big leap out of the nest.  After six months of being his co-pilot, he is now a licensed driver, able to be in the car solo.

Normally my guy is cool and collected, but this afternoon, moments before the test, I could sense his nerves had him shaky.  I tried to joke around to distract him, he turned up the radio to tune his goofy mom out, and I doused him in oils to settle and calm.  In the end, I turned to what we should've from the start.  We prayed.

Huddled together in his car, awaiting the instructor, we prayed for peace (for both of us), for calm and focus to do well in his test, and for safety on the road.  It wasn't the first prayer I've said for him concerning being on the road and now it most certainly won't be the last.  In fact, maybe God was thinking of moms of teenagers when he said, "pray without ceasing."

As he ran in the house later to show his dad and drop me off, I even put my hands on his car in prayer, envisioning God protecting it and him in angel bubble wrap.  He's a smart kid but there's crazy people on the road and this momma just needs to know he'll be safe.

Not surprisingly, his big brother sent lots of signs today.  More butterflies than I could count on my route this morning and on the way to pick him up.  A huge yellow one sitting on the window box as I opened the door to get him for the test.  We counted the stops on his exam route and there was, as you may have guessed, 23.  And as he proudly handed me the test showing he passed, his full release date is 1/23 of next year.  I have no doubt big brother will always be watching over him from above.

So many moments of joy, seeing him fulfill a huge milestone, the excitement and pride on his face as he pulled in to pick mom up at the courthouse, and watching him drive away on his own for the first time.  But perhaps the biggest - or at least the most emotional - was him calling his dad to share the news.

Tim works nights so he was deep into sleep on Noah's test.  We were in Noah's car for the test so I had him drive by my office to get something out of my trunk, a surprise "driver's survival toolbox" for him.  I noticed he was on the phone but it didn't register what he might be doing.  When he returned with damp eyes, my mom alarm went on alert.  Instead, he sweetly shared that he had to stop and call his dad, because he taught him so much about driving and Noah wanted him to be the first to know.

Not one to show his emotions, it was a touching moment that again revealed what a big, sweet heart he has.  It was special that he thought enough to stop and wake his dad, just to share the good news before anyone else heard.

We're so blessed to be his parents.

Drive safe, big eagle. 

And remember these life lessons along the way...

Empty Nest Experience

Tim and I are getting a taste of what life is like without the kids at home this week.

We prayed our teens off to youth camp on Sunday morning with about 40 others from our church.  They'll get to spend their days on zip lines, tubing on Kentucky Lake, and attacking each other in Bazooka Ball, with lots of good Jesus stuff mixed in.

We're hopeful they come back sunburn free and overflowing with His spirit.  I'm especially praying He speaks to and prepares them for their return, when our family will leave for an international mission trip, right from our backyard in nearby Nashville, TN.

My hopes would have included "sunburn AND injury free" but we've already had a call...on the first day.  I didn't expect to hear from them at all, considering it is a "tech free trip."

Hours after they left though, with a lump in my throat, I answered the incoming call from their youth leader to hear my son's voice on the other end.  Playing Ninja in the lodge, he apparently stumped his toe.

This is the "before" picture...

Thankfully it wasn't too badly hurt and hasn't seemed to slow him down, so say the responses I've received from my worried-Momma check-in texts.  But leave it to my son to get hurt doing something that has nothing to do with camp!

Enough about the kiddos though....this is about being home alone.  Without them.


Last night Tim and I took advantage of some restaurant meals he'd won on the radio and drove to a neighboring town.  The words "Free" and "Fish" are guaranteed to excite my man.

We headed back home at my favorite time of evening, right where the sun and moon greet each other in the sky.  The soft glow of twilight beckoned us to slow down and take in the summer scenery.

Windows down, we took the back roads home.

Reminiscing down memory lane....

We shared fond stories of growing up on these grassy hills and pathways.  

Favorite childhood moments.

Of dates together and young love.

Early years as a family.

Houses Tim has saved from firefighting days.

Houses we used to share our days in.

People we remember and miss.

Up and around the corners of our past.

We paused over creeks and watched deer feeding in the fields nearby.

Until twilight met starlight...

Hands held, we soaked up the sweet summer evening, 

simple as it was, 

and were thankful for the time just to be...

the two of us.