7 Quick Takes Friday: My Boys

I haven't done a 7 Quick Takes Friday link-up post in ages.  The last time I did one, I believe Jen Fulwiler was the hostess, over at Conversion Diary.  Now I'm joining Kelly at This Ain't the Lyceum.  Hi Kelly!

My baby is on the road as I write this, heading off to his first real-world job.  My husband happens to be on a trip right now, so he had to say his good-byes to the youngest of his five sons a couple of days ago.  This morning, I was the only one at home when our boy pulled his brand new car (his first post-grad, grown-up purchase) out of the driveway, and it was a surreal feeling. 

Yes, he did wave at me through the trees!

Until today, the nest wasn't truly empty.  Since there's a five-year age gap between sons #4 and #5, the others had been on their own for a while; and all four of the oldest are married now and building families of their own.  But until May 17, we still had one son in college, and he came home on breaks and spent summers with us.  From now on, though, our newly-minted college graduate is going to have a different address from the one he's had for the first 22 years of his life.  And at least for the foreseeable future, he's going to be living far, far from the home where he grew up.

Incomprehensible.

I'm trying not to be depressed about it.  It's all good, I know it is.  This is exactly the way it's supposed to be: your kids are supposed to grow up and leave you.  If they didn't ever want to get out there and make it on their own, you'd know something was amiss.

But I have a painful ache in my heart today.

So to assuage that pain, I decided to take a trip down that lane of memories--a road I tend to travel a lot these days.  And I thought, "If I find seven favorite old pictures of my baby and his brothers, wouldn't I have the makings of a great 7 Quick Takes post?"  (Well, wouldn't I?)

:)

So ready or not, here we go.  (And the great thing about pictures is they take the place of words--because I really do not have words for how I'm feeling today.)

1.

 

 

2.

 

3.

 

4.



 

5.

 

 

6.

 

 

7.

 

Look at my boys!  To know them is to love them.  (Said their mommy!  But really, it's true.)  Who's the luckiest mom in all of creation?  I am, that's who.

 

I have some pretty terrific girls to call my own now, too.  Last night, at around midnight, I got this sweet text from son #3's wife Preciosa:

 

I know it's  late ( don't worry about responding), but I wanted you to know that [#3] and I have been thinking about you as [#5] heads out tomorrow. If you need someone to talk to tomorrow, just know we are here. We are so grateful for your sacrifice of being a stay at home for all your boys and they are better men for it. What a lovely life you have created for them. Thank you thank you thank you. We love you! ❤️❤️👍👍💪💪

 

(Now my friends, if you can take any more awesomeness, after looking at these pictures of my five lovable boys and reading that heart-tugging message from one of my girls, you should head over to Kelly's for more Quick Takes.)