Earlier this year the Fashionista announced that she was going to be Leaving The Nest. For the past three years, she has been renting the upstairs mother in law suite here at Storybook Cottage.
Leaving The Nest
At the time her plans were to move into Fort Worth itself to be closer to work and friends.
But then an opportunity came knocking. She is now moving to Nashville. Twelve hours away.
Unlike many parents, I really like having my kids around and have no desire to kick them out of the nest.
But I also know that they also need to spread their wings and fly.
We are now in the process of packing her up. Mr. Decor will remain at home to take care of our furry friends. Sweet Guy is going along for muscle power. He can now also drive if tears cloud my vision too much.
I’ll be back on Wednesday with a Summer Home Tour.
Laura
I felt similar when Sarah, at age 21, moved out last August but I quickly got used to it and honestly it has been a wonderful year. Jim and I enjoy our freedom (though you still have your son there, so not entirely free from parenting just yet, and even when they’re grown as our 3 daughters are, we’ve learned there’s still a lot they depend on us for because it’s an expensive world out there). At any rate, I wish you and your daughter well. We’re moving ours again this summer (twice) because there’s a gap between their apartment leases. She’s only 1/2 hour away so not that far, but still moving is WORK. We will likely be doing it again NEXT summer as well, but hopefully that’s it for a while. 🙂
Happy Weekend,
Linda
Our youngest and family have been residing with us for past 18 months. Their new home construction is now almost finished and they should be moving out before July 1. It took some adjusting for all of us and now we will likely feel a little sad when moving day comes.
Best wishes to her and you!!! I well remember the lump in my throat watching our oldest drive away to test those wings. It’s glorious and sad, but most of all, it’s what we’ve raised them do.
❤️Ann
Best wishes for your sweet girl. Our youngest spent 3 years in Texas for school, 12 hours away. And then 3 hours , in Knoxville. She is now back home living with us for a bit. I’ve been through all the emotions. Safe travels friend.
That’s a hard transition. When my first left the nest (to another country! at 18!) I grieved terribly. I rather wished all three would leave at once so that I didn’t have to endure the anguish. As things turned out, we followed her to Canada and had a couple more years together as a family, then they left again, one by one. It’s not easy, but you’ll get through it. Take the time to grieve the loss of this stage. Then, embrace the next. Tim and I have settled quite nicely into life with the two of us again.
When I had each one of my four kids I told myself “your job is to make them independent and let them go”. Needless to say I repeated those words to myself many times over the years as we went through the ups and downs of childhood and teen years. When it came time to let them go, it was a hard transition (the silence is what about did me in), but I also felt a sense of accomplishment. So… Congratulations! You have created an adult. She now has the opportunity to take all of the love you’ve invested in her and share it with the world. I’m proud of you both!
What awesome thoughts! So supportive. You’ve got some lucky progeny.
Wishing you safe travels, my friend. It’s tough, that goodbye trip. But you know she has the roots as well as the wings and that will make the reunions all the sweeter.
Hope your two packages arrived safely. I forgot to save the tracking numbers in my hurry to get out of town!
I know your heart is heavy. I also know you must be very proud of her. Luckily with today’s technology you can remain close. Enjoy your time eith both your children on the adventure.
As I was reading this and know what you are talking about as you get your child (and even in this case grandkids) ready to move on to their own new home and then…whoa…back up…did you say Sweet Guy now has his driver’s license??? Oh my! He as grown up somewhere along all your blogs.
Safe travels for you folks as you move your baby girl to her new home and all the best to her as she settles in and figures out her new surroundings. (I can see some weekend visits for Mom coming up in the near future just to make sure she has enough food in the fridge and she is OK. ‘Cause that is what Mom’s so best! And it will be fun for you two to visit and find new places in the city to explore. Have fun! 🙂
I’m the same way! I like having my kids nearby. Thankfully all of them are but one – he’s about 13 hours away. He comes home 3 times a year, so that helps. It’s hard, especially at first. Thankfully we have FaceTime and Skype and such. When I moved 1,000 miles away from my folks, I could only call home once a month. I don’t know how we stood it.
Those are some marvelous photos! Praying you’ll all have a safe drive and a smooth transition. It will be fun to see your daughter’s new area. There will be tears, but that’s ok.
Congratulations to all of you. To F for getting a new job, for having the guts to move. To you and Mr D, for helping and then letting go, and to SG for helping you, his big sis, and profiting from good examples.
HGTV is in Nashville, no? bet there’s lots of good house tours….
Best of luck to Alyssa, she is such a fantastic young lady and I wish her all the best with her new career pursuits. Have a safe trip and fun getting her settled.
Oh my goodness. Being that far away when they’re married is one thing, but being that far away and single…..be strong, my friend. I know she is probably looking at the world and ready to grab it by the tail and swing it around. She is going to do amazing things – after all, she is your daughter – and I hope you will share her story by perhaps allowing her to guest post every now and then. Safe travels…….
The Beatles, “She’s Leaving Home” comes to mind………………♥
Laura,
Have a safe and grand traveling adventure with your two children. Being so far away from home is hard, but just think of all the fun you will have when she comes home to visit or when you go to Nashville. Franklin, TN is just down the highway from Nashville and is a great place for antiquing.
Judith
Oh dear, this post brought back memories of sadness. I felt a part of me leave when my son left for boot camp at 17. It had been the three of us -he, his sister and I for many years. But, I was immensely proud at the same time. Then his sister left a year later for a job out of town. . It was a tough adjustment and took at least another year to really “let them go” in my mind and start my own single life. You never really stop worrying for their safety but I know I raised 2 independent, strong adults who are fun and compassionate people. Luckily, they both returned to live in the same area and my life has been complete again for many years. We all have our own lives as it should be but know where each other are always. Have a fun safe trip and know you have done a great job of providing her that priceless foundation to thrive.
This must be difficult and a period of adjustment for you all. Good luck! I loved the photos you’ve used for the post. wit and charm.
Amalia
xo
Dear Laura, Sending love and best wishes for everyone as things shift and change and settle into new routines and new directions. xo
I’m like you—I love having my kids around. I dreaded the empty nest for years. Even when my kids were still in high school, I was already starting to think with sadness about them leaving. Thankfully, they both stayed until their mid 20’s, and now they both live about a half hour away from me. While I will always look with wistful fondness on the days they were in my home, I’ve been surprised to find joy in this empty nest season.
Blessings to your sweet girl as she embarks upon this new season. And prayers for you as you adjust to the huge amount of miles between you.
Love,
Patti @ Celebrating Our Days
God bless her and keep her and give you peace, and your son lots of strength!
Wishing her well on her new journey.
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