The Mississippi Kids are home

My far away kids are home for the weekend. It is so good to see them and get a good hug in from that Mississippi son of mine.

Of course, we planned a little photo session in the city for this evening. It was lots of fun and Main Street will never be the same again!

The street is beautiful and the old store fronts aren't too shabby either! I love the orange brick wall below and the old iron bench there.
I'll post a few more tomorrow ... some ice cream licking and someone got splashed ... and it wasn't me!

I really think I like these square pictures, and the emotional Mom side of me just has to write a few words on them!

Be Blessed Everyone.

Just One More!

My Mississippi Kids are Home

My Mississippi kids are home. They made it in about noon today and will leave back out tomorrow afternoon. It's only about a six hour drive home, so they got up really early this morning and headed home for Easter. After dinner tomorrow, they have to drive back. Jared has to work and Elissa has classes Monday morning. It was so good to see them. It was also good to take a few pictures of them. (like I don't have enough)

The kiddo's were taking a nap when they got here, so we did a photo session. Up went the background and out came the lights ... and the fun began. We did lots of shots on the floor. Jared is hard to photograph because he's always acting so silly. Every picture of Elissa is great. Her smile is beautiful. I know they're my kids, but I have to say .... they're gorgeous! It was just a year ago this month that I did their engagement pictures.

When the little kids woke up we left for Boston's to have pizza. We did a little shopping and headed for home. They had to drive back to Elissa's parents tonight and they'd only had about three hours sleep last night. But I just talked to them and they're safe and sound, and already there.

Be Blessed Everyone .... I have to go and help the Easter Bunny get ready to come here in the morning!

It's Official: He's Gone

It really is official now. Jared came today and finished moving the rest of his things. He took his computer and desk and his TV, his winter clothes, and a few odds and ends that he had left.

Mainly, he came and spent the day with us. I think it will be a couple of months before I get to see him again. He played with the kids a lot today. He aggravated me to death all day. We had a fun day! It was a good day. There was finality in the air, and I didn't want him to leave. I made him let me take a lot of pictures, just like all the others I have of him. He rolled is eyes and told me he had to go, but he posed and he smiled, and I got what I wanted.

As he was driving away, he was yelling out the window, "I love you Mom, your butt stinks!" .... and I cried! Sam, Meg and Jay were waving their arms through the fence and saying goodbye to their brother. They will never remember him living here.

Meg summed it all up as he drove out of sight ..... "Bye Jeer-wid, Love You Jeer-wid!" .... and we do!

Be Blessed,

Tan

One Man's Trash ... is Another Man's Treasure!

Jared and Elissa came home yesterday to pack up his room and all his belongings for the move to Memphis. It was so sad for me to watch him pack it all up. Mainly, just knowing that he's really moving ......... it's final, he's going and I'm kind of happy for him! ... and kind of sad for me!

I have my moments when I think I'm really going to miss him. I still have little aches in my heartstrings when I think that he won't be coming in here every night and carrying on with his BS. He gives me a big string of BS... it's kind of his "thing" with me .... kind of a Mom thing. I know he's full of it .. and I know this is his way of saying, "I love you Mom!". He would tell me almost every night that I stink, or that I can't read, then laugh! He would bug me to death or grab me and hug me tight and not let go. It really sucks when your kids grow up bigger than you and are stronger! You're at their mercy!

As I watched Elissa go through his things to pack ... I wanted to do it for him. I wanted to keep everything that meant anything to him and pack it away for forty years or keep it forever. What I really wanted to do was to keep him little a little while longer. But I can't. He's married now, and they're on an adventure! As I watched her throw things away ... I cringed a little! Even over things that had absolutely no meaning. Things that I know were worthless, but lifetime memories for me. I think it's just a phase that Mom's go through.

The funny thing is, is that Jared isn't my first to leave home. He's my fourth child and I know that I'm not having empty nest syndrome because I still have two year triplets at home. But it's kind of like closing one era and opening another .... sort of like the end of the road raising my four older kids. I knew it was coming but was wasn't prepared and I feel like I've been slapped across the face and hurled off of a big cliff. Is that normal? I didn't know that cutting apron strings would hurt so much.

I have to perk myself up somehow .... so instead of being sad .... I've decided that I'm getting a NEW OFFICE! Yay for me! I'm going to have a place to leave out my scrap booking supplies, and all my beading stuff. My treasures will be everywhere! His stuff is gone! When he leaves at noon tomorrow ... I'm calling a painter and giving that old room a face lift. I'm going to decorate it just the way I want it ... and I'm moving in! I think I'll keep a few pictures of the kid hanging around!~ Just in case I need to cry again and just in case I get really lonely at night when everyone else is in bed and I'm missing him!

Be Blessed,
Tan

One More Day ...

Elissa and Jared

One more day .... then it's wedding day! I never thought being the Mother of the Groom was a big job. I was so wrong! One thing in my favor is that I have a wonderful Mother of the Bride to work with and a very wonderful Bride to be, although right now she is stressed to the "max" and we are avoiding her (just kidding)

Everything is decorated and is beautiful and rehearsal is in 4 hours .... so I off go!

Be Blessed,

Tan