teenagers — raisingthreeknightsandaprincess.com

Life with Teenagers

Our lives are getting ready to encompass three teenagers.

One 15, one 14 and one 13.

Only our baby girl is hanging out at age 10.

I’m not sure there is anyting in life that prepares you for teenagers unless it is remembering back on your own teenage years and possibly talking to your mom everyday to remind you of what that was like.

Since mom is dancing happily with Jesus now I rely on my dad, my husbands memories, friends and God.

I thought three in diapers was hard.

There are football games, and homework and a new school to get accustomed to this year. Football practice is five days a week. Two of my boys leave at 8am and return around 7pm. It is like having a job and more!

It’s a new season of our lives. I’m proud of my kids and my two who play football starting as freshmen. They are tough, talented and blessed. They attend two different schools and play for two different teams.

It’s a crazy year.

But God always pulls through and provides for us. Drivers. Carpools. Community.

How are you guys handling the new year with new grades and kiddos all over the place?

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Two Weeks and Counting

Here we are in May and live has been a whirlwind the last two weeks.

Recitals, plays, talent shows, concerts, field trips……I almost feel like a homeschooler again.

One thing I wasn’t quite ready for is the emotions that surfaced when photographing this fine fellow:

Graduating from his present school and into high school is a big deal here. His present school is preschool thru 8th grade. So he is a senior to so many who are younger than him. There were tears shed by other middle schoolers as the band performed for the last time Tuesday night.

Next year we enter a whole new era.

Highschool.

I’d love to say something witty here but all I’ve got is “They grow up way to fast!”

We are proud of you buddy!!!

The Last Nine Weeks

Today began the last nine weeks of school for three of my kiddos. Having them home for Spring Break was great. It made me miss homeschooling. It made me love school. I have two starting high school next year. Someone pinch me.

High school? And one will be driving soon….

Gulp!

Live is continuing to move at a rapid pace. My baby girl will be in 4th grade next year. My baby boy in 7th grade.

My photography business continues to grow. I love it. It’s been life changing!

Where did the little kids go? I blinked and they were teenagers. Men. Muscles. Hair.

Excuse me while I shake my head in disbelief.

I was eating with my husband the other day and almost stole a 2 year old (not really, but I did want to bring him home for a while.)

So life is changing and I feel like my blog will be too. We will see…….

In the meantime go check out my fabulous and dearest friend Marian who just reworked her blog! It’s amazing! Check her out at her new home!

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Posted: March 25, 2014 by Julie |Category: Our Family, Our Lives | Tags: homeschooling, school, teenagers

Falling and Failing

Our kids…

Why is it so hard to love and let them fail? The example God has set before us is so hard to follow.

Why do we feel the need to keep them from scraping their knees, getting hurt, or failing? Aren’t life’s REAL consequences better teachers than any lectures from us?

And repeat a grade? By all means, “NO”!

It is so hard when they won’t take the “wisdom” in the advice we have to offer. It’s about the whole child, right? Not just the grades…

I tell myself that and also wonder how to make him/her see the importance of grades in getting them closer to his goals.

What do you tell her to make her understand that who she is in Christ is more important than the cheer squad? And why didn’t someone tell me hormones and teenagers is worse than the zombie apocalypse?

Breathe. Just breathe. In and out. Light, not darkness.

Raising kids is hard, teenagers harder. Knowing when to let go? The toughest thing ever.

It’s enough to make you squeeze blood from your tear ducts. And that is the honest truth.

Breathe.

Just Breathe.

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Posted: December 12, 2013 by Julie |Category: Parenting | Tags: parenting, raising teenagers, teenagers

Day 17 – Reality (sadness)

I have been so bad about planning ahead for my own 31 days. My sweet friend Scooper has, of course, planned her blogs a head of time. She’s like that. I love her.

“HI SCOOPER”

Today’s a bit about real life. We spent our weekend in SC. And once again I got to glimpse into the life of teenagers and all the pressures they are under. It scares me for my own kids. Will this sex-driven generation ever go away? I’m sad that girls think they need to have bones showing because of TV and magazines. I’m sad that teens are involved in drugs, kill others and collapse under the social pressures of today. I scream out to God “Come, come quickly…for the children!” Taken from “Intense Moments with the Savior” by Ken Gire. If you haven’t read it you need to. Go to Amazon now and download it on your Kindle or buy the book.

We’re up late after a long weekend in SC seeing friends and those we love so I’m off to wake children for school. It’s already nine o’clock.

Bye!

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Posted: October 17, 2011 by Julie |Category: Parenting | Tags: 31 days, peer pressure, teenagers