Moment

The boys in their room, Justinbustin, now nine, and Shawners, now seven, working on a project taping together two empty oatmeal boxes and taping paper to the outside creating who knows what. Music from Justinbustin's ipod playing softly Jeremy Camp in the background. A sweet brotherly moment I witnessed for a few minutes of total teamwork, accompanied by soft music,  as I realized tomorrow I will blink and they will be all grown up. Less than four years now until Justinbustin's voice changes, less than six when he will turn into the man he is becoming and the adult he will be, and less than eight when he will be considered an adult by law.

My third nephew that lives out here is the last one to turn into an adult amongst his brothers, and I have freaked him out a few times in the past few days by acting like the crazy aunt who can't believe how much he has grown. I talked to him on the phone today and sat in shocked silence for about four minutes while I listened to his changing voice that sounded so much like his brother did just a year or two ago. His brother, whose voice I now mistake for his father on the phone all the time. Who is more of a man than any other sixteen year old I have met, runs his own business, bought his own car, and who is now about to be seventeen. My eyes widen in shock every time I see those boys realizing when we moved here the second time, only three and a half years ago now, the youngest was the age Justinbustin is now, and I realize how very close my boys are to becoming grown ups of their own.