What happened to my empty nest??? 

     Some parents can't wait for that empty nester thing.  I mean, not that they don't love their kids - but after about 18 years, empty nesting, while a little scary, starts to look pretty good. Right?  

     Nope.  Not for me.  I dreaded it!  Loathed the idea.  I was one of those moms that didn't even like it when my kids stayed overnight somewhere.  Well....until....

My youngest (the blonde) Laice Mae
 at college graduation

This happened.  My daughter Laice graduated from college.  Hmm, she hasn't been living at home for about 4 years now...hello sewing room...

My oldest, Paige, on her first day at her new career

Then...this happened 
My oldest daughter Paige got a really good job in PA - off she went with her briefcase, new Apple laptop and nice office clothes...hello guest room


     Yep, no I had a guest room AND a sewing room!  Yeeeehaaa!.... I mean,  don't get me wrong, I miss them horribly and want  to be with them every second that I can...  but, hey, this having my own crafty, sewing, room all to myself isn't too bad.   

     Neither is going out to dinner any time we want, or not having to work around sports schedules, or pay for school trips or......

SCREEEEEEEECH!  Stop the presses...

Cassie, my niece, isn't she cute?

Then this happened ...

     This is Cassie, she's my niece.  She came to live with us when she was 12 years old, precisely 4 years ago - the same time my other girls had recently moved out.  













    So now my sewing room is a guest room, and my guest room is....well you know... Cassie's lair.  Yes, I said lair.   It is donned with all the things you would expect a teenager's room to be:  hideous posters, giant flags tacked to the walls, notes and drawings from her friends plastered on every wall, tv, wii, rock band, netflix, clothes from floor to ceiling, and shoes - oh the shoes...blah blah blah - you get the picture.  

     And you guessed it, we are back on the sports schedule circuit, the school trip empty wallet syndrome and a daily scolding for having her eyeballs attached to her smartphone during her every waking hour - which by the way is not a very long stretch of time.  Sleep is definitely a priority.  

     Here's the funny thing.  My husband and I wouldn't have it any other way.  When I say she's a cutie - she really is.  And frankly, we love being on the sports schedule - well, ok, we could do without the empty wallet - but at least our hearts are full. 

She made this for me in Plant Science class 

     We love our girls, all three of them.  And while our time for empty nesting is still something to look forward to,  we think we are the most fortunate "almost empty nesters" on the planet.  Besides, it keeps us young.  Cassie said just the other day "Aunt Terri's not old, she wears cool shoes and boots".  Ha!  How else would I keep up on the latest trends?