Summer O' Benson

You wouldn't know it but we did a few other things this summer besides go to Nauvoo on a family bus.

Today: Benson's Summer

Benson graduated, class o' 2012.

The announcement

Graduation was more emotional than I was prepared for.

Look how smart they look: The Graduates

Benson lit floating paper lanterns for his friend's birthday.  In the height of fire season, he reasoned he could do it over the Salt Flats safely without starting a fire.  Which was all great until the cops came since they parked 6 cars on the side of the freeway to go out on the Flats.  Good thing they were already done.

Cousin Kaleb ready for to light her up.

I wasn't there, but I imagine these girls are checking the saltiness of the Flats.

Dusk.  Teens.  Fire.  FUN.

They actually worked really cool.

I think he was going for the "Tangled" magical experience except it's awkward to sit in a canoe on the Flats so he skipped that part.

Benson finished his eagle project. On the very last day possible, his 18th birthday. Last signature at 9:30 pm. but who's counting?  IT'S DONE

It's a covered kiosk for a map of local trails at a trail head.

Family pic day

He also switched jobs from being a movie theater popcorn ticket man to working at a diner making awesome desserts.

WARNING: Late night serious waxing- curve ahead

I'm loving that he's becoming more independent but it's such a strange transition for us as parents. He leaves in January to go to school and I'm starting to see his need to get moving on with life and why it's so natural at this point in life for that to happen. All my worries are just what every mother since the dawn of Eve (hey that sounds cool I just realized) has had to go through. He's a good boy. But no one said parenting was easy. I guess that's a realization you figure out along the way.

I love that kid.  He's a thinker, he loves to tease, and is always game for the next high adventure in life. This was his last summer home as a kid.

Best of luck to ya Benson, and don't blame me too much in therapy. I was just a kid having a kid myself and maybe I've learned a few things from you about me.

Like how I'm not so great at standing back and just letting things be. I wanted to be hands on when sometimes it's time to be hands off. It's just that when life feels like it's taking forever you don't realize it's actually so short and there was more you wanted to teach.  I keep reminding myself that I didn't know everything when I left home, either, and that's what the rest of life is for.

My sister just took her first one off to school and I witnessed first hand the goodbyes between siblings, the packing of everything necessary plus don't forget your toothbrush yada, and the empty car after the drop off.  I mean, her son actually got out of the car and took all his things and said goodbye and they drove off, just like in the movies.  We're talking real life, people.  I'm doing this in 3.5 months.

I think Chewbacca said it best: "MAAAAUURH"!