Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Four years ago we sent Stachelbeere off on a mission to the Marshal Islands.  Two years we didn't see him.  Then he came home and within just a few weeks he took off to go to school out west. Those few weeks went by so quickly it seemed like he was just barely here and then suddenly he was gone again. Then the school year ended and instead of coming home for the summer he stayed with his brother and got a job for the summer out west. Can't say that I blame him, summer jobs at the time were pretty hard to come by here where we live. So he rode his bike every day and worked, saving money for school.  Then summer was over and he was back in school.  Even though he transferred to a different school, or at least a different campus of the same school, it wasn't around here so he was back in school and off again. This time so far away that he wasn't able to come home for any of the holidays. So when summer came this year we decided we needed to have the boy come home for a visit.  And he cooperated and came home. It was so good to see him.

So while he was here we played and those of his siblings that were close enough came to visit.  We went out to the lake a couple of times. He got to get reacquainted with the oldest of his nephews.

Got to meet one that was born while he was in the Marshal Islands that he really hadn't seen much at all before heading off to school.

And got to meet some that he had never met before, they were born while he was off to school.

And we got to celebrate his birthday while he was here. He took a bit of ribbing when he managed to blow out all the candles on his birthday cake (cheese cake, actually). That meant no girlfriends, or so the tradition goes. Maybe the shirt he got was appropriate even if less than helpful.

All too soon it was time to go back to school. He's finishing a semester and then working again so we're not sure when the next time we'll get to see him will be. But it was such a good visit. He has matured so much in these last four years while he's been away. He's a totally different person than when he graduated from high school five years ago.  Still quiet and reserved but much more able to see what needs to be done and step up and do it.  As parents its our job to worry about all our kids, and we do.  But seeing the change in him over these last few years we worry a lot less about him, or at least about different things. That will probably always be the case for all the kids.

And then, all too soon, we were at the airport dropping him off for the long flight back to school. 

Next time we must make sure we don't wait four years before we see him again.