Flying Solo! :)

 I'm sharing a few photos, the first was taken more recently, and the others were taken some time ago! :)
This first one is of a recent visit Rud made to see Sheana, Troy, and the grandkids! :)

 Rud and Sheana sharing a ride in the park that adjoins Disney Land! :)

 An old family photo that was taken before we lost our past dogs, and before Rud and I lost most of our excess weight! :)

 A blurry photo of Cal, who's always known the art of making work feel like play! :)

 Sheana with Max and Buddyman, in the blossoms of her favorite tree! :)

 A cross-stitch I did that reminds me of my two chicks! :)

Sheana and Cal by a snowman they made! :)

From the time I gave birth to our first baby, I wondered how we'd ever manage life when the day came that they flew from our nest! Even as I tried to give our kids the confidence, love, and skills they'd need to fly solo, I felt deep concern about how I'd handle it when they Did! :)
I've learned since then, that it all works out! :)
Even when our kids learn to fly solo, they still call back to the nest! My daughter and I are very close and she calls me almost daily, especially now that my oldest grandson is three and has started asking to talk to me, too! :)
They also fly back to the nest for visits, bringing our grandchildren in tow!! :) Sometimes we wonder if our small, humble home can expand enough to fit us all in now! :)
They may surprise us by moving back into the nest, especially with our current economy, until they find enough $tability to take flight again, as happened with our son after the friends he was sharing a house with, moved! :)
Through the years I've reminded myself that my goal as a mother is to train up my children in the way they should go and help them learn to replace their dependence on us with a dependence on the Godhead! :) If we are successful, they will be in Perfect Hands long after we've progressed on! :)
That doesn't mean we are suddenly cut out of their lives, however, because love and respect fosters love and respect in return! :)
It most likely means that we end up with the best of both worlds! We get to still enjoy having them, and our continued posterity, in our lives And we get to learn there's enjoyment in being spontaneous and flying solo ourselves! If we're willing, we can fly faster and higher than we flew with little ones at our wing! We can show our children, by our example, that age is not something they need to fear and that life is worth living at any age! :) We can show them that there can be joy in the words "endure to the end"! :) How about saying "LIVE to the end"!!!? :) And when the "end" comes, we just Go On Living, on the other side of the veil!!!! :)
It's all good! :)
We've noticed that while we've been trying to teach our kids about life, ... They have been the ones teaching Us!! :) For that we are eternally grateful!! :)
How we love them!! :)
That love sometimes means we fly to Them! :) Soon I will be boarding a plane to visit my daughter, son-in-love, and their precious family!! :)
I'm looking forward to hearing the engines whine and feeling the power pressing my back, stealing me up into the sky!! :) ... I'll be smiling and ... flying solo!! :)