Leaving the nest............

I have been doing a lot of thinking and shedding a few tears......ok, A LOT of tears this past week, Emm was busy all weekend going through all of her stuff and packing things up. She took that big step and moved to Salt Lake, she was able to rent a room there and has a nice roommate. She starts her new job on Monday the 9th.
This lead me to ponder about each one of my kids and I starting thinking about when my first child "moved out" this was Bill, our oldest, he left for a mission, on Dec 30,1997. I remember all the tears.
Nathan followed 30 days later he was 18 and had in listed in the Marines Corps. I still remember taking him to the bus station so early in the morning on Jan. 31, 1998, you guessed it........more tears, my husband, I'm sure was wishes for dehydration, however he never said so, He would hold me and tell me everything would be ok!!
Life was good, I still had three children at home that needed me to mother them. Fast forward to June 2004, Laurel, our oldest daughter is 17 and Graduating from high school and looking at a very busy summer. Laurel met her future husband that Fall and I knew it would not be long......(if you want to know that story, Laurel will have to be the one to share). In May of 2005 Laurel married Mosiah Riordan, we could not have been happier,( we love you, Mosiah). Now,there was one thing that I just could not allow Laurel to do, and that was sort through her stuff and pack her things, I mean every time I would see her or she would say, "I need to start packing", I would start crying and say.......please not now you have time!!!!! poor things they were married on a Friday, and had to pack her up like a" thief in the night",while I was returning items from the wedding, sorry Laurel!!!
Here we are, it's our Emily's turn to make that first step into adulthood, how exciting! When she told me about her plans to move to Salt Lake, I of course just thought NO,NO,NO I just cannot do this again ...... why do you want to leave me!! (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) However, Emm unlike Laurel packed her stuff up with me standing in the door way saying...... are you sure?.... I just don't see why?.....stay home and save your money! ....You will miss me?!..... what about this or what about that and so on..........
Emm has met a young man his name is Jordan Jones and her "Facebook status" went from" single" to " in a relationship." We love Jordan ( he passed the test) he took a road trip with us in Dec.08 to Oregon, nothing like a road trip!!!!! He is a wonderful young man we have enjoyed getting to know him.
So far, Emily is the youngest to leave home. (she will be 19 in June)
When she was a baby she had 4 teeth at 4 months, walked at 9 months, she would say things to people and they would look at me and say how old is she??? Always wanting to be one year older.
Emm is number 4 to choose January to step out into the world!!!! I miss her,there is a BIG void in my heart right now, I have learned one thing, they don't go to far, and then there is more of them to love!!! So now I feel better I was able to get this down and only had to stop 3 times to wipe way those tears!!!
I still have Zachary at home to Mother, all 6'3" of him, so tall but still my baby!!! I remember when he was about 6 or 7 he told me he was going to buy a house and live right next to me, he was so cute, that was around the time he brothers were leaving home.