Let Me Hold You Longer

Jansen completed his first college application. As he clicked the button to send the information we looked at each other and shared a sweet moment. He said, "Mom, are you freaking out cuz I'm kinda freakin out right now." Yes, Jansen...I am totally freaking out right now! 

And then this came from Utah State University about 6 weeks later...

I am a much better mom to teenagers than I ever was to toddlers.  I love having Jansen's friends come over to hang out.  Here is our favorite friend of Jansens....Gianna!  

Here they are playing my favorite game...Othello.  And yes, Gianna won;)

And oh yes...Penny...I caught you looking at the camera.  And you thought I was taking a picture of Jans and Gianna!  Ha!  Penny is my other daughter and our home just isn't complete without her hanging out with Carlie. 

 

And yes....that's Carlie eating my laptop in the bottom right hand corner of the shot. 

The other night Jans called and asked if the Corvallis volleyball team could come celebrate winning their divisional championship at our house.  About 12 kids showed up.  It was awesome!  So whether it's Gianna hanging out in the craziness of what has become our home or a whole bunch of classmates watching movies and drinking delicious Orange Julius' I made...my dream of having my kids use our home as a teenage hangout is finally coming true. 

This is Jansen's last year at home before he takes off to college.  I have banned the word "last" in our home because it makes me cry.  I loved having Jansen as my first child and loved enjoying his first words, his first steps, his first tooth, his first day of school, etc.  I am not prepared to let go quite yet so I keep looking for more firsts rather than lasts.  So in light of that revelation, this is Jansen's first time to be accepted into college and it's his first time to be a Senior in highschool.  Who am I kidding? Please Jans, just let me hold you a little longer.