The Busy Years

That's what my mom calls the years we're living right now, and I completely agree. There are days when I long to just stay home all day and not go anywhere, but for now that is just an elusive wish.

That said, I wouldn't trade these years for anything. Em just finished her second year of college and will be transferring to UNT in the Fall. We're so excited because we found out yesterday that between grants and scholarships, her Junior year is completely paid for: books, tuition, housing, meal plans...everything. Our goal of getting through college with no student loans is getting closer. She's been busy, though, and she can totally take credit for all of that with her high GPA and all.

Timothy is driving now, but that wasn't the case all year. He turned 16 last September, but wasn't chomping at the bit to get his license, thank goodness! But he was patient, and we were able to get him a truck (completely paid for!) that he can use to get around town. It's a nice truck, and he put a lot of work in it himself to get it that way. He's doing great in baseball, and that alone has kept us busy. People love to watch him play, especially stealing bases, and he occasionally gets reamed by the coach for stealing before they have a chance to give him a signal. He started his first job last night, and is thrilled. Rosco's Smokehouse will never be the same!

Christopher is coming into his own. He's the comedian of the family and continues to hone his skills. He's also good with languages, and even though he had the Spanish teacher from *the bad place*, he's catching on anyway. He'll be driving soon as well (and our insurance is completely taking a hit!) but he and Timo will be sharing the truck. It will be good for them for the next two years. Christopher's health issues are now under control, which means growth spurt, which will also translate to better baseball. He'll be going out for the team next year. Still, he keeps us hopping and laughing, and that's always fun.

Nathaniel is finishing his last year of elementary this year. It's an end of an era. We will no longer have elementary school students in our house. I'm kind of sad, but only for a little bit, because he's so ready for middle school. He'll be going where Christopher went, and he's happy about that. He's got a good group of friends here, which is what I like about his elementary school. They stay friends all through school and are a tight bunch. Academy kids stay Academy kids, even when they leave. I'm happy about that for him.

T and I are two ships that pass in the night! Literally. Well, we pass in the morning. He works midnights, I see him for about 30 minutes, then I'm off to work and he's off to bed. But he's got such a fun job. It's kind of fun knowing the inner workings of a city. My job is crazy busy, and is different every day. I love that. I even have to keep a little post-it note on the back of my name tag to remind me where I'm supposed to be each day. But it never gets boring, and I love what I do. It also doesn't hurt to work with wild and crazy people. Really. They are nuts. I think it's a pre-requisite, though.

The busy years fly by, and they're exhausting as well. But it's a good kind of tired. The kind that makes you sigh before you go to sleep. It's far from perfect, and that just makes me love our life even more. I wouldn't change a thing.