How Time Flies

On February 25, 1994, right in the middle of Oprah, little Courtney Elizabeth Massey was welcomed into the world by her whole family!!!  I was 15 yrs old and couldn't have been more thrilled!  I remember getting my car at 16 and babysitting while mama worked and taking Courtney on the country loop in Palestine to get her to sleep or cruising Sonic in the afternoon with a carseat in the back!  I was one proud big sister!
As time passed and we grew older, Courtney had her kindergarten graduation on a Thursday night and Michelle graduated high school the next night and I was in my second year of college!  How crazy is that???
Before I knew it, precious little Courtney was my flowergirl in my wedding!  ~tear~  And shortly after she was an aunt in the first grade!  WOW!  Over the years I have been older than Courtney enough to notice all the ways she has changed and grown as a person and what a precious person she is!  A grade A student, a great friend, a cheerleader, a great aunt, a sweet daughter, and a special little sister! 
Now Courtney is a girlfriend too!  She and the love of her life, Luke, are so perfect for one another and so much fun to be around!  We can't wait for that chapter to unfold, but First things FIRST! lol!
Courtney has been accepted to the University of Arkansas!!!  She is officially a RAZORBACK!  It makes my heart smile, skip a beat!!!  She couldn't be more thrilled, and neither could I!  The only draw back is the 4 and a half hours that will be between us!  What in the world will we do???  And do they make mediccation strong enough to help BOTH my parents survive this???  Daddy has always said that Courtney wasn't leaving home til her 30's at the earliest, and mama won't know how to function without having something to do with her everyday and shopping on the weekends!  And me and Michelle...well who in the world will we tease and give great advice to on a daily basis?  Lol!  WHO WILL PROTECT HER???
Now I'm really choking back the tears!  Just writing this has gotten me to thinking about what I haven't yet thought about until now!  And though it's almost a year away I'm suddenly scared to death at the very thought of it while I close my eyes at the same time and have hundreds of images of the best years of her life stream through my head!  What in the world will I ever do when Bray goes off one day? Go with him? 
Deep breath Melanie...Deep breath! 

~For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.~Jeremiah 29:11