Ben's At Band Camp! (And my emotional ramblings...)

Ben has waited for this day for a long time.  

He was counting the days until band camp started.

He's actually not at band camp.  Band camp is here.
(At school.  Everyday.)

It wasn't even a battle to wake him up this morning.

I even got a smile out of him on the way to the school!

My boy is growing up.  ):

I am such a freak...I have to admit that when I went to pick Ben up and saw him marching, I got goosebumps and teary.

Ben is just thrilled to be part of the Brigade this year!

I must be crazy!  There have been so many thoughts going through my head.  Here are a few:

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I was thrilled when Ben decided that he wanted to be in band.  I was elated when he wanted to be in marching band.  I loved marching band so much when I was in high school.  I have so many memories from those days and am so excited for Ben to get to have the whole band experience.  It is one like no other.  These are days that Ben is going to remember forever!

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The fact that Ben is in marching band means that he is in HIGH SCHOOL!  I don't know how it happens, but time is just going by WAY too fast!  How did we get here already?  I can't possibly be old enough to have a freshman in high school!

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Along with Ben being in high school and feeling like I am aging way too fast come the thoughts that in only FOUR short years he will be graduating.  I know, I know, it's four years away, but I know how fast those four years are going to fly by!  I remember how fast my high school year went by.  I also remember how fast Ben's past eight years of school have flown by.  We are down to only half of that!  Ugh...

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Knowing that marching band was coming, we found out early on that Ben's first big band trip was going to be to Ireland.  Yes, DUBLIN, IRELAND!  We have been talking about the Ireland trip for a whole year now.  Initially we talked about me going with Ben.  After going to the meeting and learning more about the trip, I couldn't imagine going without Jon.  How many times is our son going to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland?  How could we miss that?  There's no way!  When I picked Ben up from band camp and saw him marching, it made it so real that we are actually going to Ireland!  The trip really isn't that far away!  Now that he is marching, it's one step closer!  (Ha! Literally!!)

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I am so excited for Ben to part of a group that starts out as total strangers, grow to be great friends and grow even closer to be like family.  He is going to be forming relationships that are going to last forever! 

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Ugh...I'm an emotional wreck!

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I am praying that Ben will remember who he is and who lives inside of him.  I know that there are going to be all kinds of temptations and times where he is going to have to make hard choices....all of those hard things that go on during high school.  I want to be able to tell him the choices that he has to make and make sure he always does the right thing, but I know that isn't possible.  I realize that it's all part of life and learning.  I just dread when things are hard!  I am praying that Jesus would be seen in Ben.

I am so excited about Ben's first year of high school!  I am so excited about the next four years of Ben's high school career!  But for now, I am going to just enjoy each day, have fun listening to all of the stories, make the most of everything I can and pray for him like crazy!