At my house, someone is always moving in, moving out, or away! My husband and I have five children. He has three, and I have two ranging from ages 31-22. We each have a 31-year old (Kia and Daniel), 28 (Ian), 24 (Evan), and 22 (Nathan). This year Nathan is moving away to college in the mountains of Gunnison, CO. In the last two years, Kida, Evan, and his new wife Kristy have moved out of state. His daughter Kia moved to NC; his younger son Evan to Tampa. Kia is an assistant volleyball coach for Brevard College and had a tournament in Orlando in June 2021. What better opportunity to visit with both!
At our house, someone is always moving in, moving out, or moving away! My husband and I have a blended family of five children ranging in age from 22 to 31. Together, we each have a 31-year-old (Kia and Daniel), plus Ian (28), Evan (24), and Nathan (22). This year, Nathan is preparing to move away to attend college in the mountains of Gunnison, Colorado. Over the last two years, three more of our kids have moved out of state: Kia to North Carolina, and Evan and his wife, Kristy, to Tampa, Florida.
Kia, who is an assistant volleyball coach for Brevard College, had a tournament in Orlando in June 2021—what better excuse to visit both Florida kids at once?
My son Ian, who still lives in Colorado, joined us for the weekend trip. Traveling this time felt much easier than our March trip to Puerto Rico; mask requirements, capacity limits, and distancing were more relaxed, and being vaccinated against COVID-19 gave us peace of mind while participating in public events.
During our stay, we cheered Kia on at her volleyball convention, explored breweries, visited Clearwater Beach, enjoyed fresh seafood, and met Kristy’s family. Evan proudly showed us all his favorite places and activities, and it was heartwarming to see him building a life of his own.
Watching our children thrive and start their own journeys fills us with so much joy. Some people view aging and becoming empty nesters as scary, but I find it exciting. It brings the opportunity to create new adventures as a couple. Glen and I now get to focus on ourselves—our relationship, our goals, and one day, our retirement. Visiting our scattered kids will always come first, but beyond that… who knows what new memories we’ll make?