A Mama’s Heart

Two more of my “babies” have flown the coop.  My mama’s heart rejoices with them for the new experiences ahead of them, while at the same time I am sitting here already missing them.  The past couple of months we’ve been preparing to send Hannah and Simeon off to Argentina for a 10-month bilingual program at Word of Life Bible Institute. September 2 seemed so far away at the onset, but now that day is almost over.  There were tears this morning as they said their good-byes to all their siblings.  The two youngest boys had the hardest time.  “Why do they have to go?”  “They don’t HAVE to go, but they WANT to go.  They want to learn Spanish and make some new friends.  We can write to them and Skype with them.  Besides, they will be back for Christmas.”  Samuel has always had a difficult time saying good-bye.  He gets very emotional and needs extra TLC.  I was so glad that the older girls were off work today and could be home while Jim and I went to the airport.  They made the day special for all of the children.  Heidi read books to Samuel, ran errands with him, and took him out for lunch.  Naomi and Alyssa took Dima, Samuel, and Josiah to the grocery store to pick out chips, ice cream sandwiches, and ice pops to go along with their Chick-Fil-A sandwiches.  The girls also taught Jessica how to knit and then watched a movie with everyone.  We came home to a quiet and peaceful house after being away for over 9 hours.  Thank you to all my wonderful children for helping out today and allowing Daddy and me to spend some special time with Hannah and Simeon.  Now I think I will head to bed and allow myself the luxury of crying myself to sleep!