while you were downloading ...

Each morning I enjoy a cuppa joe in this lovely souvenir coffee mug that Matt brought back from Alaska.  He brought one for Robert too!  His is more macho.  I suppose that would translate, larger!

Sorry I am behind on replies to your amazing and overwhelming number of comments y'all!  My goodness.  The old saying is true.  Be careful what you ask for!   I am overwhelmed with your generosity and thankful at the same time as your feedback really does make a difference in how my creative mind will flow!  Do y'all love the color purple, or what?  *look of amazement*

So ... while you were downloading since I posted *The Wild Ones*, we've emptied the nest! *mouth wide open and eyes popping out of head*

Yes, I cried.   Briefly.   My baby boy, John, turns 22 next month, along with his twin brother, Luke, who has lived on his own for nearly two years now!   All things in God's timing and we were all (kinda, sorta) prepared for this day of transition.   It's not like they have all moved out of the country, though we did just send off my oldest son back to Alaska for his second season in Dutch Harbor!   The twins remain in Copper and Mark is just up the hill a jaunt.  And, of course, my darling daughters are both in Washington state ... just a wee bit of a longer jaunt!  *grin*

Today is, as always, a joyful day!  While it is, indeed, Saturday, it is not a sadder day as I had thought it might be!  You will understand more fully when you take a peek at the photos below:

Matt and Max.  Not a mad Max, but a sad Max!

Photos processed in Photoshop with some amazing actions by the incredibly talented Annie Manning of Paint the Moon Photography (Salem, OR)!  I have mixed actions from her Picture Perfect Mega Set, Fresh and Miracle Makeover, along with a little tweaking of my own on the saturation, contrast and lighting.  I also used a commercial-use grunge mask from Katilin Thurzo of Rainbow Scrapbook Design.  I am not thrilled with my tweaking on the one above, but the one below turned out pretty cool as I was going for somewhat of a vintage look to compensate for the overly grainy outcome from my camera!

My camera is on about it's last point and click!  I never know what kind of results I will get, so I just keep on shooting and hope for a decent one out of the bunch!  LOL!  I'm thinking the light sensor (if I'm even close to naming it correctly) is going bad because everything will be going along okay and then without warning, everything goes dark.  I find the opposite when taking flash photos.  Sometimes the flash works wonderfully and then, poof, washout!

Do not these two photos tell all?   Well, almost.  I am not sure who appears more melancholy, my number one son (Matt) or our number two furbabe (Max)!  Anyhoo, this photo will be amongst the most memorable treasures of 2011.  Yesterday was, by far, our sadder day!  *wink* 

While proofing my post once again upon publishing, it just hit me why Max was sitting on the deck howling late last night.  Sweet little man that he is.  It is too quiet!  He is used to the boys driving in-and-out a few times between work and going out.  Our furbabes never cease to amaze us in their sensitivity to their people.  Max knew Matt was leaving and you can clearly see the sadness in his eyes.  He only howls when he is missing an integral part of our family, be it human or non!  Bless his heart.   

John had just moved out Wednesday night and Matt left us late yesterday afternoon.  We actually drove John to his new digs (the home of a long time friend to all four boys), which is a very short jaunt down the road!  His bedroom here at the house is still filled with clothes and other assorted belongings that will slowly make their way out!  LOL!

I took a few photos of Matt relaxing and pondering during his last few hours with us. He is laying in the hammock that he gave to me for Mother's Day.  Yes, you just know that I shall be thinking of him each time I climb in for some just me and nature time!  I love it!  And, I love my son.  *sigh* 

We had a good chat during my little spontaneous photo shoot.  Why is it I never feel as though I have enough photos of those I love?   It just seems that I am forever wishing to capture moments.   It might be an age thing, where I feel that having a photo to look at will help the memories linger as I get even older and, possibly, begin to forget or get them mixed up with each other!  ROFL!  I already do that with photos from back in the day!  You know, like from years ago when the children were little!  Were they ever?  *sigh*

I have raised six beautiful and amazing children.  Or, have they raised me?   LOL!  Perhaps, a bit of both, eh?  Being a, for the most part single, Mommy, Ma, Mama, Mom, Mother (there may be a few others I am forgetting ... purposefully!) has truly been the most enriching and rewarding part of my life, which has given me an education beyond that of any college or university in existence today!  While the occupation of motherhood may not have paid me in dollars and cents, it surely has added to my account of heart wealth (we measure that in gold, don't we?) and common sense (whatever it is we perceive common to be :)  Not to mention the importance of learning how to put into practice unconditional love and an immense amount of patience!  I often wondered if there was any more patience to be worked out in me.  Oh yes ... still workin' it!  *wink* 

Anyhoo, the dynamics of our family has not always fit into the norm (whatever that may be), so my emotions have been mixed.   I think at times I may confuse my joy for my children with some sadness for myself and I believe that I am finally understanding (a bit of a revelation), that in my process of always being happy for everyone else, it is perfectly fine and warranted to be happy for me too!  One might perceive that tidbit of information to resemble somewhat of a bittersweet moment!

So, today, I celebrate! We celebrate! My sweet man and I. Uhm, and I am quite sure that the young men who are the topic of this post are doing a little celebrating of their own!  *smile* 

To the future ...

I shall be back soon with a little something to go along with *The Wild Ones*.  Oh, and a little head's up y'all.  On June 1st, there is going to be a bit of *Monkeying Around* going on here in Scrapland ... toot, toot ... all aboard!  The June Blog Train shall be departing and making some one hundred stops with some fun stuff for your scrapping delight!  Don't miss the train!  *wink*

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