Slippin' AWAY!

This past week has been a huge mile stone in the Jolly family with Jeffrey going off to Jr. High. I sent my precious little boy off to school on Monday and he returned a young man. So many great things are happening for him right now, and it is a bitter sweet time for me. He was also promoted to the youth group in Sunday school last Sunday and HAD to sit with the youth since Marv and I were helping out in the nursery that day (what a great reminder of how far we have come!). Well today he decides that he would like to sit up with the youth in the front section again...EVEN THOUGH WE ARE SITTING IN THE SERVICE!!! I started to not let him, so we could still be a precious little family of five, but I know that it is very important for him to create bonds and friendships at church, so I let him go. I could see him with no problem and even threatened that I would come up there and get him if he played around....oh yeah I would have too! BUT he did awesome and it was really fun and interesting to watch him worship our Lord today as an independant young man. He even took notes and listened during the sermon...I think?!

I remember thinking as a young mommy with 3 kids under the age of 4 that I would never see the light of day again, but with each step from crib to big bed... diapers to undies...sippy cups to normal glasses...bath time to savoring the clean wet heads every night when I go in to kiss them good night...I see them slipping slipping away oh so quickly. These past few days I just can see him physically starting to slip away into the teen-age years, and it hurts my heart to know that the first 11 1/2 years are all most done. I feel such a peace for getting to stay home with him, and still be here when he gets home. He loves to share his days with me, and loves to interject his humor in such a way that can make me belly laugh! I can't believe we only have 7 more years until he goes off to college! And then there will be four.....