Ahhhh...my kids are growing up and I'm not sure I'm ready for this. Gabriella is 9 and will be heading to Bible Camp on Monday. She really wanted me to go with and kept saying she wouldn't go without me but oh how things change. I knew that it was in her best interest for me not to attend no matter if they needed me to be a counselor or not. Well, God worked it all out. We have 2 wonderful female counselors going & 1 wonderful male counselor so its all set. There will be 5 girls & 5 boys going from our church. Being in the position I am (my husband & I are now the children church pastors), I knew it made sense for me to go but I think it is time for Gabby to spread her wings a little & see that she can do things that are fun & not scary without her mom with her. Over the past several years I have had to push Gabby to do things she says she doesn't want to do because of her shyness. Thankful she usually thanks me for 'making' her do something. For years I have had to put her on the bus (I'm talking actually carry her onto the bus some days), have the bus driver hold her backpack so she couldn't follow me off the bus as I quickly jumped off & then he quickly closed the doors. Last year was the first time she didn't really do that very much. It did help that her little brother rode the bus with her. She finds comfort in being with family which is wonderful to love one's family so much but I also see that she needs to do things on her own to grow as a person & Adam & I try our best to make that possible.
So today we pack Gabby up for a week of Bible Camp. And we pack Braly, our 7 year old son up to go visit Grammy & Papa. He plans to exercise with Grammy & go fishing with Papa. Should be a fun week for him. I was impressed that Braly knows the difference between some fish. Guess my dad is doing a good job teaching him. :) That's cool. For the last few summers I have packed Braly up (well one year he packed himself because he was ready to go) & he goes to stay for a few days without any girls. Grammy is there so I don't know how she doesn't count with the 'girl' thing but it works. And when he comes back, he's a delight of a boy to have around. I think he just gets overwhelmed with having to play with his 2 sisters ALL summer long. So my 2 oldest babies are growing up enough to go off without me more & that is a welcomed & scary thing. Well, maybe scary isn't the word I would use but rather bittersweet. It is what my husband & I are working towards. Raising our children with a strong base in our faith, teaching them right from wrong, & how to make wise decisions so that one day, altogether too soon, they will be on their own. I know I'll be okay for 5 days without them & I know they will be okay for 5 days without me. Just makes me sad & proud to be to this point in their lives already. *sniff *sniff* Sometime next week I may even shed some tears as I miss my babies. I take no shame in those tears either. They will be well deserved. Our children are a delight & joy from God to us.
When WINGS are grown, birds and children FLY away. ~Chinese Proverb
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