How did I get here??

I woke up today and realized that I have an "almost teenager",  my baby will soon be in double digits, I've been married 16 years, and I have a dog. Seems like life has sped by so quickly. The marriage and kid thing was expected but I seriously can't believe I'm a dog owner. Like, rearrange our entire lives and relinquish areas that were once precious to us to an animal, dog owner. Who am I?

It's funny how things constantly change yet remain the same all at the same time.

I've seen such growth and progress but then feel like I'm circling that same mountain for the 1,000th time.

I'm realizing that our firstborn is a bit of an enigma. He is a great deal like me but yet so different. His brain is always on, always listening (imagine August Rush), always thinking, always listening more, always deconstructing and reassembling, always hesitant to express himself verbally for fear of saying the wrong thing, but able to pour out his heart in a song like you can't believe. He is almost as tall as me, yet still my sweet little boy who yearns to be a man. Well, sometimes he wants to be a man. Other times he wants to shirk responsibility and sleep all day and be stinky like a boy. Guess I'm gonna have to look for those moments of wanting to grow up and seize the opportunity while he is still wants to sit and chat. That's another thing. He was always the chatterbox. From sun up to sun down he talked incessantly. For the first decade, my ears didn't get a rest. Then he turned 11. And he just stopped talking. I'm not used to it yet. Not sure how to handle this stage. Do I push, try to draw out or just let him be and come to me if he has something to say? I've never been an 11 year old boy so I'm out of my depth.

Then there is our youngest. Always alert, always seeing and noticing and stepping in to help. He sees people, and notices their eyes, mannerisms and tone. He is so compassionate and caring and will drop  a hat in a second to pray. He is also our frugal guy. He always has money and is thrifty about how he spends it. He can play the drums like a man three times his age and loves tractors and being outside. He still chats a lot. I love it!! He loves sandwiches and would eat them every day if I would let him. He is a wonderful compliment to his brother. The are the best of friends. My favorite thing is to hear them laugh and giggle together, unless it's bedtime. Then I'm not as amused. 😉
But they both love the Lord and want to please Him. I'm praying that they will follow that path for the rest of their lives.

Another school year is upon us and I now have a middle schooler. Yikes!! I'm going to have to step up my game.

So thankful that the Lord will equip me for the journey ahead. I'm going to need His help.

So, some things are the same, some are different. And that is exactly how it should be.