Three Girls - Eighteen

It has been a quiet weekend because the girls have gone camping.  On Monday, Leah and Hannah will turn 19 so we went out to do our annual pictures while they were all three still 18.  I knew this would be the last time we do this that they will all have the same last name.  I have to admit, they didn't always love going out and doing the pictures.  When we were out doing these, they started talking about getting back together every year, no matter where they lived.

Things are changing at our house.

When Michael and I married we had three kids and that was enough for us.  For a little bit.  We were ecstatic when we found out we were going to have twins.  Kayla sure was. Then before we ever really slept, we found out we had another one coming.  Might as well have one little one for every big one, right?

Two years old.

Three years old.

Hannah and Leah got chicken pox one week and Rachel the next.  I missed church for four weeks in a row.

Three years old.  I love this picture.

Four years old.

They spent many hours at the games of Kyle, Adam and Kayla - wearing 

Snyder Tiger colors!

First year in Stillwater - all five years old.

I need to go through thousands of pictures to find years 6-12.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

  Fifteen.

 Sixteen.

Seventeen.

And now, here we are at 18.

 Yes, sometimes they shoot things.
In their defense, it is only shot if it is edible (deer), if it kills our chickens (coyote),
if it kills cows (wild hogs),
or if it scares them in the pond (giant frogs).

 They laugh a lot.

They humor me and re-enact a pose from when they were two.

  For the first time in 28 years, I don't have a child in school.  When we decided to homeschool, I didn't really realize how much being together all the time would help them love each other so much.  They became best friends.

There are those that don't necessarily think I did a great job because I didn't push college.  I didn't discourage them.  If they want to go, I will be their biggest encourager and their oldest cheerleader. 

I have taught each of them how to be a godly wife and mom.  They know more about the scriptural guidelines of life and marriage at 18 than I did at 35. 

We schooled at home, and to some that is not marriage material.  That is okay with me. It is okay with them.

This weekend has been quiet.  Really quiet.  When it is quiet you think more - remember more.  Going through pictures, and especially videos they made on their lunch breaks, just about got me.

They haven't always loved sharing everything and spending so much time together.  I am pretty sure they would tell you now that they would not have changed a thing.

Pass the tissues, please.