How did this happen?

Strangers are living in my house...

I came up the stairs, a full laundry basket balanced on my hip, to find my oldest son casually lying on the couch with a cat curled up on his stomach. One long arm was stretched up past his head, and his face was tilted toward his armpit, brow furrowed in concentration.

Not fully convinced I wanted the answer, I inquired, “Everything okay, bud?”

“Oh yeah!” He shouted joyfully. “I’m just counting all my armpit hairs!”

I should’ve known.

The truth is, I’m not sure that I’m ready for this. While I’ve seen many families manage these loud, smelly, active teenage years well… I still find myself feeling a bit unprepared for what’s ahead. Some of the questions keep me up at night, to be honest.

Like how will we manage our family schedule when they get their first jobs? Will they be safe enough drivers? How do we teach them to manage money in an age of crypto-currency and Apple Pay? Will we let them date? What will that even look like? Can/should/will they go to college? How do we train them to what is good, true, and beautiful when we can no longer control everything that they take in?

Those of you who have been a part of our story since the beginning know that 15 years ago, we started our blog a week after our first daughter was born.

And now? We’re heading into completely uncharted territory.