Reflections on the "Empty Nest"

So it has finally happened. Our daughter Carlie, her husband Trevor and their two kids moved out of our house a week or so ago after about an 8 month stay. Our youngest, Rachel moved out a month or so before so now we are officially alone. This is the first time since August 10, 1979 when we welcomed our first child, Tina into our family and the world. I never thought much about what "empty-nesting" would be like, probably because there have always been kids here. But I'm thinking... it's not too bad. Of course, a lot of that feeling probably stems from the fact that 3 of our 5 kids live in our area code. It is tough having Wendy and Tina and their families so far away but being able to stay close to the others is great. It would be way different and more difficult if all our kids lived far away.

I am finding that I really enjoy the time I get to be alone with Pat. We are and have always been best friends and there is no one I'd rather hang out with. We still share lots of the same interests (although she likes TV crime shows way more than I). I kind of like the quiet (but I still love it when the house is full of "kid noise"). Obviously, the house stays neater and relatively uncluttered which is also nice. Of course, we still are the repository of stacks of the kids' boxes of junk in various closets and corners but I guess that comes from having the biggest house, modest though it is! I'm sure they'll pick them up by and by!

So, I think I am going to get used to this. We love our kids and grand-kids. They are everything to us. We so look forward to visiting with them at every opportunity but after years of late nights with sick kids and other minor catastrophes, maybe it's time for us to put our feet up for a few minutes. Aaaahhh!