September 29, 2014

My middle son said to me last night that he always knew when it was fall because I started buying the candy corn. Those yellow, orange and white treats are some of my very favorite candies but it started me thinking about some of the other fall rituals I do. Fall is a time for me to start winding down. Summer is a busy time of year for us filled with boating, camping, yard work and many other activities but Fall signals a slower, more laid back season. I love watching the leaves change colors, I love drinking hot apple cider but I miss "real" apple cider from Michigan. I usually take one weekend and clean out and switch the closet and drawers from summer to winter. The house decorations change from pools, sunshine and boats to pumpkins and fall leaves. It is a time for chili and chicken noodle soup. I love cuddling up watching the football games and cheering for my favorite teams. Yep, Fall has arrived at my house. What are some of your fall rituals?

September 28, 2014

It seems like only yesterday that I was a young mother, raising 3 boys and worrying about them.  I worried about them taking their first steps, what they ate, who they played with, were they getting enough sleep,  whether or not they did their homework, I worried if they were doing their chores, if they attended school and I worried if they were going to graduate. I worried the first, second and third times and all other times when they took my car for a job or a date or an errand that had to be run.  I worried that they were going to get their hearts broken over their "first" love and worried that I would not be there to pick up the pieces.  I worried about them the first time they all left home whether it was for a mission or just their own apartment.  I looked forward to the day that they were grown up and I could stop worrying about them....fast forward a few years.....

Boy, was I wrong.  Not only do I have three grown sons to worry about but three daughter in laws and soon 4 grandchildren and lots of new worries....are they happy? Am I giving them enough space?  Am I respecting their decisions as adults? I am learning that worrying doesn't stop when our children grow up, it just multiplies.