I want to start off by saying that we had a wonderful Easter today. It was a four day weekend for us which was most welcome. It was rainy and cold Friday and Saturday, but cleared off by Sunday. We had a very moving Good Friday service at church that evening and the same for our Easter service this morning. Not to upstage the story of the Passion here, but since this is about our family I will shift focus to us, particularly Jenna.
Jenna has had a very demanding semester at school. Actually, most of them have been, but as she is approaching finals in a couple of weeks everything is coming to a head right now. Her 21st birthday came and went on Thursday with her hardly having time to think about it because she had so many large assignments due at one time that day. She didn't acknowledge any of the birthday wishes texted to her until the next day. Everybody but Vicki has Monday off, but Jenna decided to go back to school today to be able to maximize her time at the library.
No, what's really the big news around here is that Jenna brought a boy home yesterday. She has been dating Nolan for about a month now and thought it was time for all of us to meet.
We all knew this was her plan for a couple of weeks now, and I think of all of us in the family I've had the easiest time accepting it. Vicki and Jenna enjoy an especially close relationship and while there is no jealousy there on Vicki's part I think it has been an adjustment for her as she realizes she will have to share Jenna with someone else now.
Actually, the boys had a little trouble thinking about Jenna bringing a boyfriend home--Ben more so than Nate, I think. They've really not said a lot about it, but it is most obvious they struggled to work through this. I believe it went beyond it just being a little weird and more to the point of upsetting the status quo within the family. Ben, being his competitive self, was talking a lot of smack saying that he'd beat Nolan in whatever game we played. I'd say it was bravado to mask the apprehension. Ben would say I'm reading more into this than I should.
Ben and I ate supper out Thursday evening and I asked him point blank if he was having a hard time with Jenna bringing Nolan home. Turning the tables he asked me if I was. As I told him, it is admittedly a little strange since Jenna has never dated before now. However, I know her standards are high and that ultimately I trust her judgement. The timing is right and I am good.
So yesterday Jenna and Nolan met the boys for milkshakes at Thomas Drugs. Then the two of them went to Springfield for him to meet Mom. When the boys came home all we could really get out of them was, "Well, he seems normal,” along with sheepish grins.
Finally Jenna and Nolan came to our house. The kids played several games, we had pizza for supper, and the games resumed. So I will agree with the boys. Nolan seems normal (whatever that means). We all had a good time getting to know him. We like him and approve. Certainly new territory for us. We'll see where this goes.
Joe
Sunday, April 21, 2019
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Oops, I Skipped March!
April is here. The trees are just starting to turn green, I'm digging out my short sleeve shirts, and the farmers are starting to plant corn. The world is waking up to a new growing season.
I think the biggest news in our extended family is that Sadie Brave Ring was born last Saturday. Her parents, Jimmy and Morgan, have waited for this day a long time and we are thrilled for them. Vicki visited them at home the other day and said she is perfect.
Our spring break was two weeks ago. We didn't go anywhere, opting to stay home and get stuff done. We got a lot done at the house, though this is proving to still be an ongoing job. Our house and my shop have been overtaken with things from Mom's house. We've made an amazing amount of progress going through it given the spare time we've had to work, but we still have our work cut out for us.
Mom has been doing fairly well, though her hiatal hernia acted up one day over spring break causing some issues with her swallowing which scared the nurse on duty half to death. This prompted a trip to the doctor to have her esophagus stretched yet again.
Our staycation wasn't all work. The boys and I went to Thomas Drugs for lunch one day, which is always a treat. Another day we went to Nashville, picked Jenna up after class, and enjoyed visiting with her. We found Bobbie's Dairy Dip on that trip which was a great treat. As much as I enjoyed my Chubby Checker milk shake I'm glad they are way over on Charlotte Pike and not easy for me to get to.
Ben is enjoying tennis. He talks a lot of smack with Vicki who had been trying to get him to play tennis for the last several years. He's played in two matches so far, losing the first one playing singles but winning the second playing doubles. And outside of playing on the team for school, he and Nate are now slipping off a couple of times a week to play. I'm glad he has found tennis. As much as he loves being physically active tennis will be a good sport he can play for many years to come.
So now we've had two weeks of school since our break. One of our guidance counselors sent an email Friday reminding the parents of seniors of all the activities leading up to graduation which is in six weeks.
We can tell Ben is ready to spread his wings and fly solo, yet he is not so impatient as to want to rush through the remainder of his senior year. Nate, on the other hand, is going to be really sad when his brother moves to Cookeville in August. This feels like watching the last bit of sand slide through the neck of an hour glass.
Joe
I think the biggest news in our extended family is that Sadie Brave Ring was born last Saturday. Her parents, Jimmy and Morgan, have waited for this day a long time and we are thrilled for them. Vicki visited them at home the other day and said she is perfect.
Our spring break was two weeks ago. We didn't go anywhere, opting to stay home and get stuff done. We got a lot done at the house, though this is proving to still be an ongoing job. Our house and my shop have been overtaken with things from Mom's house. We've made an amazing amount of progress going through it given the spare time we've had to work, but we still have our work cut out for us.
Mom has been doing fairly well, though her hiatal hernia acted up one day over spring break causing some issues with her swallowing which scared the nurse on duty half to death. This prompted a trip to the doctor to have her esophagus stretched yet again.
Our staycation wasn't all work. The boys and I went to Thomas Drugs for lunch one day, which is always a treat. Another day we went to Nashville, picked Jenna up after class, and enjoyed visiting with her. We found Bobbie's Dairy Dip on that trip which was a great treat. As much as I enjoyed my Chubby Checker milk shake I'm glad they are way over on Charlotte Pike and not easy for me to get to.
Ben is enjoying tennis. He talks a lot of smack with Vicki who had been trying to get him to play tennis for the last several years. He's played in two matches so far, losing the first one playing singles but winning the second playing doubles. And outside of playing on the team for school, he and Nate are now slipping off a couple of times a week to play. I'm glad he has found tennis. As much as he loves being physically active tennis will be a good sport he can play for many years to come.
So now we've had two weeks of school since our break. One of our guidance counselors sent an email Friday reminding the parents of seniors of all the activities leading up to graduation which is in six weeks.
We can tell Ben is ready to spread his wings and fly solo, yet he is not so impatient as to want to rush through the remainder of his senior year. Nate, on the other hand, is going to be really sad when his brother moves to Cookeville in August. This feels like watching the last bit of sand slide through the neck of an hour glass.
Joe
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