I just had to share this picture of my “littles”. Kaylee and Connor in their FFA official dress! 
Category: Streeter Kids
Two Boys Two Girls
For those visiting from Kelly’s Korner…..I have two boys and two girls. The girls are 23 and 18. My boys are 21 and 15. Just scroll through my updates and you will find lots of posts about all of my kids.
He’s Home
Connor arrived at the Redmond airport around 4:30 this afternoon. He is tired, but enjoying being home. He had the time of this life. He has definitely made some great friends in Japan and is already looking forward to seeing them when they come to Bend in 2013. We were told by the band director that the American boys are quite popular with the girls. From most of the pictures I have seen…..I would have to agree. Just a few more pictures to share with you…
I was right when I said that he would return home already planning on going back during his senior year. He is also very excited about hosting one of the Japanese students when they visit Bend in 2013. I am sure that when older brother Reuben returns home after work tonight, they will have lots to talk about…..sharing stories about both of their trips to Japan. I am so glad that Connor got to go to Japan, but I am soooooo glad that he is home. Welcome home son!
Coming Home
Tomorrow Connor will be come home. He will return from what has, without a doubt, been the best experience of his young life. Connor will be coming home from Japan.
On Wednesday we had a chance to Skype with him for a short amount of time. He was so funny. Each time he answered a question, his eyes would light up, his eye brows would raise and he would nod his head up and down and say “yes, yes, yes”. He was definitely in “Japanese” mode.
I have a feeling that my “little boy” will return a young man. This experience will have changed him for life. I know that it changed Reuben, for the better. I also have a feeling that he will return home already looking forward to returning his senior year, just like his brother did. He will also be looking forward to hosting one of the Japanese students in our home when they visit Bend in 2013.
I am so excited that Dave and I have been able to send our kids on exciting trips. Reuben went to Japan twice when he was in high school. Liberty went to Disneyland with the dance team. Kaylee traveled to Washington DC and Indiana this year and Connor got to go to Japan. All of these are experiences that my children will hold on to for the rest of their lives.
I had an opportunity.to go on two “big” trips when I was in high school. One was to the National FFA Convention in Kansas City. The second was with a national band to Europe. Both of those trips remain in my memory to this day. They were awesome. When I went to Kansas City I had never been on an airplane. My trip to Europe was my second time on an airplane and I flew across the ocean. What an experience for a high school girl who grew on a farm near Walla Walla, Washington. I am so grateful to my parents for doing whatever it took to allow me to go on those trips. It is one of the reasons that I have moved mountains to allow my children to experience the world.
So, tomorrow Connor comes home. I can’t wait to hear all about his trip. I know that saying goodbye is going to be one of the hardest things he’s ever done. Last night he posted on Facebook “tomorrow is going to be the worst day of my life”….ahhhhh.
What more can I say…..
So Impressed
The last four days have been packed with emotions. Pride, fear, stress, deep disappointment all rolled into one weekend. This was the weekend of the 84th Oregon State FFA Convention. Kaylee was competing in the State Prepared Public Speaking Contest. She was one of the top public speakers in the entire state of Oregon. She was also running for State FFA Office. I have been both looking forward to this weekend yet dreading it at the same time. Why you ask? Because over 30 years ago, I too ran for State FFA Office. I worked for four years toward that ultimate goal, and I came so incredibly close. After a weekend of testing, interviews etc, I was named one of the top 10 candidates in Washington State. I was sooo close to realizing my dream. Unfortunately when it came time for the voting, I was number 7 and there are 6 state officers. That was one of the greatest disappointments of my life. Heartbroken is the only word that describes how I felt.
When Kaylee told me that she was going to follow in my footsteps and run for state office, I was so excited for her, but so scared for her at the same time. What if she didn’t get it. How could I sheild her from the pain of not reaching you goal. I have been filled with conflicting emotions for months.
Saturday was the big day for the Public Speakikng competition. We watched all of the speakers but one, and Kaylee KICKED BUTT. She was amazing. She was in the zone. Even the 5 minute question and answer period at the end of the speech was perfect. Kaylee nailed her answers. She was nothing short of great. After the speeches were over, we were sure she was in the top three. We waited around and watched other competitions while Kaylee had state officer interviews. Around 7 PM we all converged into the convention hall for the evening session. Early in the session they had the 8 Advanced Public Speaking finalists go on stage. They named who got fourth……then third. The third place finisher was a young lady who I thought was Kaylee’s toughest competition……then they announced second, again not Kaylee. Dave and I were looking at each other ready to celebrate when they named first place. We expected to hear Kaylee Streeter from Bend…….we did not hear that. In stead we heard a different name. So many people (including the father of the young man who won) told us that they thought she had won. We will never know why she didn’t place higher (she got 5th), but knowing that she should have been higher really doesn’t help anything. Kaylee was just getting over the sting of not placing in the top four with her speech when she learned that she did not make the first cuts for State Office. WHAT…….Kaylee IS everything you want in a state officer, how could she be cut. The pain from over 30 years ago came back as I held my sobbing daughter. I sobbed along with her. She is so capable. She is so smart. She is so giving. She would have been a great state officer. I will never know why things went down the way they did this weekend, but what I do know is that I am more proud of Kaylee than I have ever been. It takes guts to to what she did. Put yourself out there knowing that the only prize at the end could be disappointment. She is a class act. She is happy for the six amazing young men and women who were named the 2012-2013 State Officer Team. She is getting excited about attending Linn Benton Community College. She is choosing to look ahead with joy and happiness instead of looking back with hurt, anger and sadness. I am so proud of her. Kaylee Jean Streeter…….I am proud to be your mother. I love you and can’t wait to see what you tackle next.
And They’re Off
One week from today……..I will wave goodbye to my youngest son Connor as he boards an airplane bound for Japan. Just for the record, I am not happy about having to be at the airport at 3:30 AM! That’s right, at 15 ½ Connor is going on the trip of a lifetime. He is traveling with the Mountain View High School band to Japan where he will live with a Japanese host family for a week. He will have an opportunity to learn the Japanese culture like very few do. The new friends he will make on this trip will last a lifetime. He will get to experience Disneyland, Japanese style. He will have so much fun. I’m excited for him, and scared for him all at the same time. Japan is a long way away from his mommy who will be back in Bend trying so hard not to worry about him.
I remember the first time Reuben went to Japan, on the same exchange trip that Connor is going on. I was so worried about him…..so worried that he would be lonely. So worried that he would have trouble figuring out the Yen etc. So worried he would run out of spending money. Just plain worried. You know what……..he had a blast and all those things I worried about were not problems. So why am I worrying so much about Connor now? Because he is my baby. Because this is the first time he has traveled out of the country. Because this is the first big trip he’s ever taken. I know he will be well taken care of, but I’m his mom and that’s what I do…….I worry. So say a prayer for Connor and I both over the next couple of weeks. I know I’ll need it!
A week from today is also the beginning of the Oregon State FFA convention. That means the beginning of four very intense days for Kaylee. She will be competing in the state Advanced Prepared Public Speaking contest next Saturday and she is also running for the 2012-2013 Oregon State Officer team. To say that she is nervous is an understatement. To say that her mother is nervous is an understatement. She has worked so hard toward her goal of being a State FFA Officer and she wants it so bad. She deserves it. She would be an amazing state officer. Lord, you know our hearts. Please be with Kaylee as she reaches for her dream. Oh, and Lord…..be with her mom too……
Growing Up
There is no way of denying it……my children are growing up. When did it happen? Wasn’t it just yesterday that I had four little ones running around? When did Libby become such a confident young woman? When did Reuben turn into such a handsome man who is so incredibly capable? When did Kaylee blossom into a the young lady who has so much potential in this world? Who will do big things. When did Connor lose his “little boy voice” and in it’s place is the deep voice of my “man child”? When, oh when did it happen?
This is a big month for The Streeters. This weekend Libby will fly to San Diego. She is attending a “pre audition” camp for the San Diego Charger dance team. She has been busy preparing for months. I am so proud of her, and yet so scared. What if she makes it? I have loved having her home. I don’t want her to move away again, yet I know that for her to realize her dream, that is exactly what she will need to do. Libby, I am rooting for you and praying that you make it, even though I will miss you terribly.
In just three short weeks, the direction of Kaylee’s life for the next year will be determined. She is running for Oregon State FFA Office and if she makes it, she will spend the next year traveling the state and country representing the Oregon State FFA. If she does not, she will be off to college. Dang……I’m going to be a puddle of tears either way.
Connor…my baby. On Friday, March 23rd, I will put my “baby” on a plane to Japan. He is flying half way around the world without his mama. I am STRUGGLING with this, yet I know this will be a life changing experience for my little boy.
Reuben….my newly 21-year-old is planning his first “big boy” trip. A weekend at the Oregon Coast with a bunch of other “newly 21-year-old buddies”. Lord, help them make responsible decisions, yet have a great time. Reuben moved away from home for the first time this year and is currently attending OSU.
Please pray for me this month as I watch all of my children take one more step away from ther mothers’ arms and out into the arms of the world.
Fly LIttle Bird Part Two
My youngest daughter Kaylee is at the National FFA Convention as we speak. She spent most of yesterday on a plane and then another 3 1/2 hours in a car……but she finally made it. Today she will experience something that I had the joy of experiencing over 30 years ago. Walking into a stadium with over 50,000 other FFA members from all over the United States. It will be a sea of blue and gold jackets…..jackets that have not changed since I had the honor of wearing one so many years ago.
National FFA Convention is a LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE and I am so excited that Kaylee will have an opportunity to share something that meant so much to her mother so many years ago. I can still picture the stadium full of kids……still hear the country music playing from a concert we went to…..still see one of my best friends from high school, Linda Harrison, doing the cowboy swing in the isle with another FFA member. Still remember the emotional retiring addresses of the national officers…..and now Kaylee is getting a chance to create many of the same memories. I am so excited for her I can hardly stand it.
The week will be full of fun. Today they are at the Indianapolis Speadway. They will also visit the Kentucky Derby museum, Louisville Slugger Museum, tour a large dairy farm, go to a Blake Shelton concert. Side note on the Blake Shelton concert. Kaylee and I actually had a chance to meet Blake Shelton a couple of years ago when he performed at the Deschutes County Fair. The company I work for was the title sponsor of the concert series and so I had a chance to go back stage to meet the singers. Kaylee went with me. She is very excited to see him perform again.
She will also go to leadership workshops and learn things that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. She will also get to meet up with her friends that she made this summer in Washington DC at the Washington Leadership Conference. I am just so excited for what lies ahead in this amazing week for Kaylee.
Enjoy yourself little one…..before you know it you’ll be on a plane heading home with memories you will carry with you for the rest of your life!
Today
Today was a difficult day emotionally. I spent a lot of time reflecting and working through the emotions that were brought to the surface yesterday. I have never been one to journal, but I’m going to start one specifically for writing down my feelings regarding my early childhood. I feel like I need to, to work through some things, to understand the whys of how I react the way I do to some things in my life. I think it will be therapeutic……and I think it will be good for me.
I took the time this morning to share my story with two of our four children. They need to know the full story of their mother and her past. They were very understanding and very grown up in understanding the feelings that I shared with them. They are good kids. I honestly think the thing in my life that I am the most proud of is my children. They are not perfect, but man they are good kids.
A Big Step for Reuben
I cannot believe that it has been a month since I last updated my blog. So much has happened in that time that it’s going to take a couple of blogs to catch up. I celebrated my 50th birthday on September 3rd which was wonderful. Kaylee and Connor started back to school……and just yesterday we took Reuben over to Corvallis, Oregon as he will be starting his first year at Oregon State University one week from today. Today’s blog post will focus on yesterday’s events and I promise I will catch up on other happenings later this week.
Even thought I have known for six months that Reuben would be attending OSU this year, yesterday was still incredibly difficult. As the date of his departure moved closer and closer, my denial mechanism got stronger and stronger. If I just didn’t think about it…….maybe it wouldn’t happen. I am here to tell you that tactic does not work. It just makes the day more difficult because I had not worked through all of feelings. When they would try to surface, I pushed them down…..wouldn’t think about it. You know, if you don’t think about it, it won’t happen. WRONG!
Yesterday started early. Reuben, Hubby and I were up bright and early. Reuben (the planner who is always ready early) was all packed and all we had to do was load up the car. At 8:15 we pulled out. Two cars full. Dave and I in one car with all of Reuben’s stuff. Reuben driving his car with sister Kaylee, brother Connor and Reagan…..the beautiful young lady who Reuben has dated for almost two years. The trip over the mountain was uneventful. When we pulled into Corvallis…….the enormity of the situation hit me right between the eyes. My son who I prayed for for 2 1/2 years who is a direct answer to prayer would be staying there. I would not. You could tell Reuben was a combination of excited and nervous as we pulled up to his home away from home for the next couple of years. He is living in a Christian co-op called Antioch. As we walked into the house we were greeted by so many wonderful young men. They introduced themselves to Reuben and welcomed him with open arms. That sure made me feel better. Reuben seemed to relax, like he felt right at home. As we were escorted to his room that he will be sharing with two other young men, my first thought was “wow this is small”. It’s definitely going to be an adjustment for Reuben who is used to having his own space, but I have no doubt that he will do just fune. Reuben is pretty laid back. My one concern is how he will cope if his roommates are not as neat as he is. Reuben does not like a messy room. We shall see how it goes.
After unloading the car and getting all of Reuben’s stuff in the room, we headed to Fred Meyer to pick up a few things for his room. I have NEVER seen a Fred Meyer so busy……not even on Black Friday. There were so many families there……doing exactly what we were doing, getting their kids last minute supplies. After Fred Meyer we headed back to Antioch…….and helped Reuben do a little unpacking. I wanted to do everything for him……get everything all set up, make it easy for him, but I realized that is something he needed to do. That mom needed to step back and allow Reuben to enjoy this time. I so remember my first day at WSU after my parents dropped me off. Getting everything in my dorm room set up……..realizing this was MY space that my parents had no say in how I did things. I realized that Reuben deserved that same courtesy from his mom and dad and brother and sister and Reagan. So, we all went to pizza. After pizza we headed back to the house. We all went back up to his room to say our goodbyes. I was so proud of myself. No tears when I hugged him and had pictures taken. I thought I would make it out of there with no tears. No such luck. As I left Reuben’s room I ran into Evan, the young man that Kaylee has dated for over two years. Evan has lived at Antioch for two years. I looked at Evan and said “take care of him”……and lost it. Not wanting to have my family see me crying I went to the bottom of the stairs and just looked out a window….tears falling down my cheecks. Thinking of Reuben…..my special Reuben. Scared for him….worrying how he would budget his money……worrying how he would do everything all on his own……my heart breaking. I’m not the only one who shed a few tears. Everyone in our car….dad and Connor included drove away with tears running down our cheecks. I am so incredibly proud of my son, but I am struggling. I worry about my children……sometimes too much. I have to remember that this is part of life. This is part of growing up……this is what Reuben needs. I have no doubt that he will thrive at Oregon State. That he will grow in ways that I never dreamed possible. But I have to say, it doesn’t make letting go any easier.
Reuben if you have a chance to read this. I love you and I am incredibly proud of you. I have not doubt in my mind that you will do well in your Bio Engineering classes and that you will one day reach your goal of being an orthodontist. It will take hard work and dedication, but you have what it takes. I also have no doubt that you will keep God at the center of your life and that you will follow His guidance. I am proud of you and I love you.
Mom
Living life...one day at a time 