7 Summers Later, Where Are We Now…?

Wow, I just read my “Here’s My Story” page. Has anything changed?

A lot yes, and, a lot no.

I’m going to speak to you from my heart right now…

If you are waiting for some magical thing to happen to start spending quality time with your kids…like

more money
more time
for them to get older, ect…

Take my advice. DON’T WAIT.

NOTHING can replace the precious memories that I’ve made with my family.

Everyday I wish that I could go back in time and just breathe in every single moment of their childhood and their innocence, but that is not reality…So how do I make myself feel better about this?

I look back at where we’ve been, look forward to where I want to go and most importantly

I commit each day to making every moment count, even in the busiest seasons.

What HAS changed?

Well, that joyful and happy 12 year old and his cousin…they are now 19. Both graduated, both working, both experiencing the adult-style life. My influence on those two…it’s still here but it’s slim. They can’t just get in the car with me and go, and I can’t just “require it” anymore…because, they have adult responsibilities, goals, plans and dreams of their own.

That 7 year old who’s innocence has always melted my heart. He’s 13 now…almost 14. He practices two nights a week and plays baseball almost every weekend throughout the spring, summer and fall. He loves it, and he’s good at it. He has always loved sports and his goal is to be a professional athlete. So that is where we help him to spend his time.

That feisty 3 year old…oh man, that kid, he has always been so full of energy, fun loving and tough…well that 3 year old is now 10, almost 11. His world is different. He loves gaming and hanging out with his friends. Honestly he went from “no fear” of a lot of things to “fearful”. He used to love bugs but now, they freak him out. He has become a different kid. However, I am taking the steps to bring him back to his old self. For starters, we did a complete wipe out of video games. We have gradually let him play again, but not anything online with friends. All games have to be vs type games, like Madden or Smash Brothers.

Yes, that is the world that we now live in. I did not realize the effect it was having on his personality. I told him about the personality that he had when he was younger. That he is still that person but has been influenced and distracted otherwise. I of course, assume all blame for this. I really didn’t see the gradual difference but I see it now.

What has NOT changed?

Through the years I have and I still take my kids places.

Without me planning (well usually impromptu) and taking action, it would have never happened. Here’s a few photos of these outings…

Many of these places, I did not document on this blog like I had intended.

Why?

Well, because like many things, I got distracted. I forgot about what my plan was 7 years ago. I let life happen, instead of me happening to life. I got busy! But ya know what? I never forgot. I let this website expire at one point, lost everything, then got it back, and rebuilt it. I have started posting on Instagram, and plan to build fb and YouTube. If I never get one follower, that is ok, I will not feel like a failure. Because while I would LOVE to help and inspire others, This site, this writing, this is for me. It’s a documentation on how I did make memories with my kids.

Everyday I feel like the sand of time is running out on me. I worry. I wonder.

Did I invest in my kids? Did we do things together? Did I teach them? Did I make the most of my time with them? I’m trying. And I want to. I STILL have this unquenchable desire to make the most of my time with them.

I also want to say, even though my kids may not want to go on my adventures. We always have so much fun. That quality time of letting loose and letting go, it’s priceless.

I have invested in them, we have done things and
I would not exchange it for all of the treasures of the world.

So, it’s been an ongoing joke all of these years, since that first day…that anyone who goes on an “adventure” outing, or excursion with me is hereby initiated into my “Adventure Club” or on my “Adventure Team”. My kids always roll their eyes, and my friends are like “um, okay”.