Empty Nest?

Is it possible that the "empty nest syndrome" starts before the nest is empty?I wonder this as Eliza and I are sitting alone on the couch watching cartoons. I remember when my house was never quiet on a Saturday morning, when it was almost magical how much sweet energy and fun would wake me up. Daddy trying to sleep and girls giggling and running in and out. I would get up to try and move "the girls" into a room farther away to keep from waking Dad. I couldn't help getting up,I would lay there listening to the chattering and giggling and wind up laughing right along with them. They were hilarious! It was so much fun being "the Mom" of "the Girls" . We had such creative and exciting times! It was the greatest feeling in the world being surrounded by the people I loved ,night and day .We never wondering what they were doing or if they were ok because I was waking up to their sweet faces and tucking the little princess in at night.Of course not all the girls were there evry night and morning. They spent times away at Camp, and grandparents homes and things like that , Brittany even more time away. Still they were the world! my little girls. I feel like everything is just moving in wharp speed. My girls ,the group of girls just a few years apart, that filled our home with laughter and tears are moving out one by one. The first of the four, Of course Tiffany ,has been gone for years. Our darling Britany,married a Really nice guy,David a couple of years ago and has a sweet little Christian family.Britany is a great mom to our perfect little grandson, Isaiah. We couldn't be more proud of them. Courtney is preparing to leave at the end of this school year. Our precious Courtney has grown into this incredibly beautiful and talented young woman. She will be a great Doctor soon,touching the lives of many for Christ.Chelsey my baby, well she isn't a baby any more. Our tiny, sweet Chels is so funny and so cute,but she has grown into a woman too and will be headed off to design school soon. I wonder, what happened, where did the time go? We used to have little ones everywhere. Thank God we have Eliza who is only 6 . While my nest will not be completely empty, our nest is changed forever. The end of an Era is near. I miss my little ones ,but I am so proud of the women they have become. Sometimes I beam with pride and sometimes I am overwhelmed with tears. I miss you Girls! I love you! and I am so proud of You!!!

Today I feel like an altogether different person. Last night when Daryl came home from work we paid off the last of our debt.Except for our home we have no debt,and it feels great. We began the financial peace years ago,5 years ago. Our little Eliza ,not even really understanding what that meant to be in or out of debt ,celebrated with us. She is so excited, but then so are we!! We lived in borderline poverty it seemed and now beginning next month we will begin building ourselves up a little for a rainy day fund and then on to pay off our home.
Financial Peace University was the program we used to launch ourselves into debt freedom,and we highly recommend it.

Our History

We are a very blessed Family of 8. Daryl and I are so thankful to have each other and to have had so many wonderful years together. We are also very thankful to be blessed with such wonderful children; Luke 27, Tiffany 23, Britany 20, Courtney 17, Chelsey, 15 and Eliza is 6. Daryl has always been an amazing provider and leader, and while I have taken a few jobs a few times, I have always been at home with our precious babies. Daryl and I chose home education for our babies when the girls were all small. We of course began in public school, that was not for us simply because we felt they were being surrounded by poor values and the "me first mentality" that we believed they were too young to be prepared to overcome. We tried educating our babies in private schools where I would teach to help with tuition. We weren't comfortable with the education provided in the first school but, felt like we should give more than one location a chance and we did just that. We were still uneasy with the role models available to them. We felt like the only time we had with the older girls we were involved in homework. We missed the times when they were tiny and we could play and teach them, every little thing, Colors, numbers, letters and still have so much fun loving on them. We didn't know any families who had chosen to home educate but we felt, we were destined to be a home education family. When our girls were 10, 7, 4, and 2 we began. Hours and hours a day, chalk boards, desks, 8 subjects and a rigid schedule with little time for lunch or recess; that was how we began. (I am so grateful they survived) Soon we grew, changed and started to focus our time and efforts differently and became a close knit, led, loving family. We felt that the shelter we provided our sweet family was much like the shelter Our Heavenly Father affords us. We kept them as close to us and as far from the worlds view as we could. When they were ready they were prepared to study the views of the outside world. We tackled with Bibles in hand, the ways the world viewed creation, life and the "just do it" philosophy. In the High School years we allowed them to attend Public schools and were there for them to encourage and advise them before they entered the world of the university. We still have some at home in different stages two in high school, one at home in first grade. We have always prayed over our decisions and have felt each one to be in their best interest. We pray for their futures, their spouses and future spouses, and our grandchildren. We have overcome big and small trials and we are still a loving, close knit and most important led, by God the Father.