I was a little worried after committing to stay on top of the blog and my writing, that I would run out of things to post. Turns out the ideas are coming to me in my every day activities. Yesterday, Dustin's high school announcements arrived and as with Monday's update regarding Dani, I thought, well there's my next post!
So what's new with Dustin? Let's see . . . he turned 18 in October, so naturally, he is an "adult". Funny how teenagers think that just because they have turned this magical number, that they are all of a sudden an adult. Never mind the fact that they still rely on Mom and Dad to feed and cloth them, give them spending money, a car to drive, gas money, a roof over their heads, more money . . .you see where I am going with this? I can't blame him though, because shortly after I turned 18, I did truly believe I was an adult and left my home to move in with my boyfriend whom I had only known for 4 months. Did I just hear you gasp? Well this post is not about me, so let's not go there! Thank goodness that boyfriend turned into my husband of 19 years, or I am sure, I would have never heard the end it!
In addition to turning the all-mighty 18, and being less than 2 months away from graduating from high school, Dustin will soon venture off to college. As I opened the box of announcements yesterday, I am not going to lie, I thought to myself, "how did this happen?" I feel as if it was just a few weeks ago that he was a Freshman in high school, just a few months ago he was graduating from Elementary School and seems like just a few years ago he was the little boy bringing joy to his Dad and I with each new milestone he achieved. Naturally, I realized this day would come, but it kind of caught me off guard yesterday and the realization that our time with Dustin as a child is coming to a close. Soon he will be off away in college, forging new friendships and becoming even more of an independent man. Our relationship will slowly change over time from that of parent and child to a more adult relationship rooted in our mutual love and respect for each other. We are so proud of the young man he is and is on his way to becoming and his Dad an I thank God every day that as far as teenagers go, he has been relatively easy and we have survived these high school years somewhat unscathed. Note, I said "somewhat" and "relatively". Let's face it, a teenager is a teenager, they can be horrible, scary people! Dustin however; has surprised us with his maturity and determination. So where, you ask is Dustin going to college? Here's a hint . . .
My Mom's personal favorite . . .
My favorite (that's Dustin in the pic) . . .
Yep, our baby is off to Aurora, Illinois, a short 30 minute drive from downtown Chicago. He is attending Aurora University where he was offered a scholarship to play lacrosse. For those of you who don't know, my Mom is from Chicago and we still have family that live in Illinois. She could not get away from Chicago and their weather fast enough so it is ironic her grandson is attending college there. This however; was no small feat. When Dustin was first contacted about coming to play for Aurora I believe his exact words were, "hell no. There's no beach in Illinois." To which we replied, "Oh yes, there's a beach! Lake Michigan has lots of beaches." Which he then clarified, "there's no ocean in Illinois." Yes, our California boy did not want to leave his beautiful Golden State. We can't blame him, but kept after him to at least consider the awesome gift being offered to him. We finally convinced him to at least go visit and check the school out before writing it off. Once there, he fell in love with it all. The school, the coach, the team and yes, even downtown Chicago. While on his official visit, he and Chris went to a concert at the original House of Blues. It was easy to spot the California kid standing in line in his shorts and tank top in 20 degree weather!
So that's the latest and greatest with Dustin. You can expect a more tearful, insightful post as his high school graduation nears, but for now, we are so proud of the young man he has become, the hard work he has done and everything he has achieved thus far and look forward to the many exciting experiences and opportunities yet to come his way! Go Dustin!
T
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