Letting Go {A Little Bit}

Tomorrow Josiah leaves with the Shenandoah Valley Children's Choir for their tour, so today has been a day of preparation for that.  I enjoyed the process of helping him get ready for departure; and as we worked together, a couple of thoughts kept drifting through my head.

First, it sure is easier to get ONE member of the family ready for a trip than it is to get all of us ready!!  I've had some recent practice with packing for the eight of us (our North Carolina trip in May with Jeff's mom, and our trip to the homeschool convention earlier this month); and I was grateful today that I didn't have the pressure of getting all of us ready to go somewhere.  ;-)  

Second, it sure is easier this year to watch Josiah go on tour than it was last year.  The tour last year was longer and was further away, and those two factors may affect the relative ease I feel this year; but probably more importantly, this isn't the first time Josiah is going off on his own (if you count it being "on his own" when he's being fairly strictly chaperoned the entire time he's away from us!).  ;-)  I remember being SO NERVOUS last year, whereas this year I feel much more relaxed--aware that I will miss Josiah very much while he's gone, but not anxious and fearful like I was a year ago.  Maybe I'm growing up as a mom...which is a good thing because Josiah is certainly growing up!  :)

While he's gone, I'm grateful that my other five children will fill my days with love and energy and noise and activity.

And scattered toys.  And block towers.  :)

 David was the builder of this one.

 Benjamin was duly impressed.  :)

 Speaking of Benjamin...  :)  I laid him on David's bed this morning while I was helping Josiah pack his suitcase.

 I was rewarded with a beautiful smile, but Benjamin doesn't always smile.

 Oh no, not at all.  Here's proof.  :)

 Further proof.  :)

 It took a few minutes...

 ...but eventually we were able to coax a smile from him.  :)

 Hooray!

 My two littlest sweethearts - how I love them.  :)

With these two cutie pies and their three next-oldest brothers around, surely the time will fly by until Josiah's return, right?

I'm so grateful that, although we're letting him go, we only have to let him go a little bit!  When the day comes to let him go for longer, I'll be ready, I hope.  But I don't have to be ready for that yet, thank goodness!!  :)