Hot Dog, Buns & T

My baby brother starts his very first day of his very last day in high school...I am flooded with thoughts thinking about it.. I think about my first day of senior year............what kind of shit Kris and I had gotten into the night before...because if I am not mistaken we were living in my parents front yard in a camper...haha!! We had air and electricity, but it was our first stint of FREEDOM! From what I can remember, we had to leave our humble abode because the plain little outdoor wall socket couldn't carry the campers voltage and there could have been some smoke involved.. haahahahaha!

I think about Kim's first day of Senior year... they all met at Shoney's or Waffle house for breakfast... They have always been a close clan....How excited she was and how she was ruling the school!!

Now, baby brother... He is so different... He rules the school just with a silent toughness... Everyone likes him, but he is not looking for popularity, he is what he is.... I love that about him. He does not have to study, look over it the night before and keep on going... (he got that from me!). He has NO idea what he wants to do with his life other than play baseball. For right now, that is fine.

This is going to be a LIFE CHANGING year for the Fall family.

The sweet, precious, expensive, generous, kind, peace-making Chef is moving from home. That is going to be traumatic.. especially for dad. She is his favorite. It is so obvious. I have to say that it does hurt to know that he is capable of having a "daddy's little girl" and I didn't get it. He was too young then, not his fault.

The baby boy, golden child, T-Daddy... is starting the beginning to his departure. I cannot imagine the tears I will shed over the next year. I am only so blessed that I can be here for it!

I am SO proud of both of them. That is where the tears come from. I don't cry because they are "leaving" or "moving on". I am just so damn proud of them. They are awesome kids! I not only get to be the big sister to them, but in the past 3 years... I have been so lucky as to call them some of my BEST friends. How lucky can you be???

With all this being said...... all of this places me in a spot in life that I kinda knew would come, but just never thought it really would????? I have always said, to everyone, that I would start "my" life once the kids graduated high school... SHIT!!! Here it is.... WOW! So much of everything I have done for the past 10 years has revolved around the kids and wanting to be around for all of the important things. I have essentially put my life on hold to be a large part of theirs. Regret it? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Feel incredibly lucky that I have had a guy for 7 years who has supported it?? YES!!!! Jay has put his things on hold so that I could be here for the kids. Now, he says that, "even if we broke up today, I would stay to see Tyler graduated!!". He understands how much I Love them and how much they mean to me. Gives me butterflies!

And he is such a big part of their lives as well. I don't know how many times Kim or Tyler have gone to him for advice or questions... He and Tyler have hung out alot this summer (summer lovin'....hahaha)... And kim is his favorite because she feels that she is no one's favorite... Bless Her!!!

So... summing all of this up.......

I am ONE BLESSED GIRL full of and surrounded by LOVE!!!

Oh - the title of this blog: All nicknames my dad gave us as kids.. funny that we make a picnic huh??? I was Hot Dog, Kim is Buns and Tyler is "T"!!!