What Matters Most...

I have been invited to a banquet on April 22, 2013, where I have been told I will receive either an award for being an outstanding student in my program or an award for student leadership.

I have been invited to participate in the NWTC graduation ceremony on May 16, 2013, where I will be awarded my Associate's Degree in Paralegal Studies.... (graduation from 14th grade at the age of 41?  Or possibly a hidden success story?)

Of course, I will attend both of these events.  I am excited and proud.  Yet, being a mom, it is a bit overshadowed by a few things.  In a little over a week, our son, Mack, will be home on leave from Air Force Tech School.  He will be in Wisconsin for only 3 short weeks before he reports to his first duty station at Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona.  After spending the past decade or so as the coordinator of chaos in my household, I have to admit, I miss the chaos.  These days it's a bit too quiet in our household.  Ok, other than my daughter, Rachel "Cake Boss" Minor, making cupcakes in the wee hours of the morning... but often she is off being fabulous and the house is way too quiet.  Last Friday night my husband and I asked Cody, our other 19 year old twin, who lives here in Green Bay, if he wanted to come over and hang out with us.  His response was, "Are you saying you want me to come over?"  Um ok kiddo, way to call us out on missing our kids in our old age.  We will never admit it!

So although I am proud of my achievements and possibly finally finding that "grown-up" gene that I have always felt was just beyond my reach, my "mom" gene has overtaken all of those thoughts of myself.  I find myself worrying about what meals to make (even though the one thing this kid wants to eat is my sister's famous cheesy potatoes) and arranging for family and friends to get together while he is home.  But mostly I am trying to figure out how to say "son, you make me proud." And even though the photos below show who you are now, I still see this little guy with two different colored eyes, who woke up laughing as a baby.  Even though seeing you in uniform was great, I can't wait to see the goofy kid with the contagious positive attitude and often uncontrollable laugh, walk around our house... even for a short period of time.