The beginning of a new era

It's hard to believe that this time has come. I am still coming to grips with it myself. You raise a child, keep them close for 18 years, and suddenly you have to let them grow, spread their wings, and fly on their own.

Today we moved Meagan into her college dorm. No more arguments about dirty rooms or undone dishes. Granted, we still have Robbie and Katie at home so we have many more years of these things, but my firstborn child has for all intents and purposes moved out and started a new phase of her life. I didn't realize it would be so hard.

Here are a few pictures of her new home (what Rob calls the cell LOL)

The view from the front door. We were the first ones there, and this was before anything was moved in, so not a lot going on here. They now have 2 lamps, a rug and a TV, as well as some things in the kitchen.



Opposite view from the last shot.



Her room before we started moving things in



And after things got going. I took a picture with her camera of her room pretty much done, and I promise everything was actually all put away.




This is the view from their front door.



The recurring thought that kept going through my mind on the long drive home is that raising children is based on knowledge and faith.

When they are born, you must have the knowledge to know that you won't know all the right things to do, but have faith that God will help guide you to the right decisions.

When they start school, you must have the knowledge to know that you won't always have the right answers for them, but have faith that God help you find the answers to help them.

When they become teenagers, you must have the knowledge that you can not control and keep them in a protective shell every minute of every day, but have faith that God will watch over them when you can't.

And when it is time to break free, you must have the knowledge that you have done everything you could to get them ready for the world, and have faith that God will fill in the blanks where necessary.