Ok, ok, ok... My Blog title is admittedly on the nose. But I can't think of any other way to describe our new phase of life. I toyed around with "Empty Nester: Free as a Bird" haha... But since I'm at the very beginning stages of empty nesting, I don't know if I can live up to that claim yet. Maybe. Hopefully. But I'll stick to something more assured - I AM in my empty nest era. That is irrefutable. So I ponder to myself, "Gosh, that escalated quickly!" As the saying goes, "The days are long, but the years are short." This could not feel more true to me right now. As we make last minute, final preparations for our youngest son to leave for college in upcoming days, I feel it in my bones. It feels like just yesterday when both of my children would come to me crying after they'd scrape their knees playing sports in the driveway, needing a hug and a bandaid. Or they'd make us belly laugh with adorable things they'd say unexpectedly. Or we'd eagerly anticipate and look forward to riding a fun roller coaster for the first time. I just didn't expect it all would go so.... fast. Alas, here we are now. My husband of 25 years and I will very soon reclaim our house, schedules and the unfettered use of the remote control. So many people have asked if I'm okay. "How are you doing? I mean really... How are you doing?" I completely appreciate their care, but am I a horrible mother by admitting that I really am okay? At least I am okay for today. Who even knows what tomorrow will hold. If there has been one way that I've evolved through my children's teenage years its been to expect the unexpected. Prepare for what can be prepared and try not to stress over all the 'what ifs'. It's an exhausting, life-sucking way to exist and it will threaten to steal your joy. So thus this blog. Giving myself a place to record my thoughts, feelings and adjustments as I enter into a new phase and on a new path. This thought brings me much peace: When Brandon and I got married, we married each other 'til death do us part.' If kids happened, great. (And they did, and it was great!) But we didn't marry our children; They were precious amendments to the original agreement. So here we are at the beginning of something faintly familiar. Married life without kids in the home. And I'm really looking forward to it.