Documenting March

 

March Bucket List

 

Celebrating March

 

Happy March!

Empty Nest 2.0

 When our children prepare themselves for adulthood and start to fluff their wings to fly from the nest, we often have mixed feelings of pride and sadness. When our adult children come home again in need of respite from the world, we welcome them with open arms, creating new spaces for them and their own little ones. When they're ready once again to move on, there is an air of nostalgia, we have been here before, we know the tinge of sadness of seeing them go, and the sense of pride that they are making their own way in the world. This time, we have less fear of the unknown, our children are now full adults (not just adults in training) and have taken shelter for a time from the storm of life, but are now ready to once again venture out. The nest is empty once again, quiet replaces the boisterous laughter of children and grandchildren and the house once again breaths, no longer quite so full that it can not contain it's inhabitants and their things. This house that has seen us raise our girls, welcome our first grandchild, then welcome in college students far from home, then offer an embrace to children who needed a little extra love and grace. With each bittersweet goodbye we prepare for a new season, full of it's own new adventures. 

 My daughter and her family have closed on a house that holds the promise of a forever home and are moving. Our home is going from five adults and five children to three adults (one of my bonus adult children will be staying with us). My husband and I are technically newlyweds, having married in November of last year, and these changes are going to be interesting as we navigate what our lives look like without quite so many people to take care of on a daily basis. These new adventures are promising, and thankfully when the house gets a little too quiet, there will always be a grand little who can come visit and stay with Mimi and Poppa Jer for a night or two.

 For now we're in the midst of transition. Bits and bobbles of two families still intermingled throughout our home as the moving process continues. Each day when I come home from work it seems a little more empty, but also, a little more like the home I created for myself in my brief time as the only inhabitant of our house. Spaces are becoming more mine once again and that is it's own bittersweet reality.

 Transitions are hard, and it's important to give grace, especially to our selves as we navigate the changes of life. 

Enjoy life my friends,

Jen

Grandparents on Duty

 I'm blessed to be surrounded by family. My time as an empty nester was pretty short lived with my daughter and her family moving in a few years ago. Now our multigenerational household includes myself and my husband, my daughter, her children, her husband, and his children (with shared custody). Some times our home is quiet and peaceful, others it's boisterous and chaotic.

This week it's even more quiet than normal as my daughter and her husband have left on business and so now it's just my husband and myself and our eldest granddaughter. Of course, this means much spoiling has to occur, but it also means that I've found a bit of time to help our home recoup from the last weekend of all five children at home. 

It's also been a bit of a unique experience to be in more of parenting roles with my husband. We have five kids (and ten grandchildren) between us, but all of our kids were into the adult stage of life when we met. It's a different experience being the grandparents on duty, even if it's just for one kiddo. I think we'd both agree though that we're glad for a pretty self sufficient kiddo to be taking care of.

Happy Mother's Day, Friends

 

Sweet Cozy Cottage Signs of May