“Kiersten and I are the queens of selfies, so we have plenty of shots together (she’s the only one left that enjoys doing this with me, HAHAHAHA).” ~Jen

“I love time with my mom but like that I am independent and get to do things now with friends. I no longer have to count on my mom when I want to do something. I like that my mom doesn’t have to get on me all the time about doing the things I know I need to do.”

~Kiersten

Since Kiersten moved out in October of 2020 it has certainly been a roller coaster of emotions for us both. I have gone from scared and anxious to happy and relaxed (most days).”

“Kiersten has always been independent, however, a lot about our relationship prior to her moving out still was like that of a mother and an adolescent child in which all aspects of Kiersten’s day were somewhat dependent on me telling her what she needed to do. Upon her moving out, I learned quickly that I had to give her the tools and allow her to make mistakes. Our conversations used to be mostly about the things Kiersten needed to work on rather than the fun things we wanted to do.”

“Here we are almost a year out and our conversations revolve around the activities she is doing with her friends, how she is too busy to hang out with us, and fun things we want to do the next times we are together. We still have to have those advice conversations around things Kiersten should be doing but these are no longer everyday conversations. I have come to love the time we have together and appreciate that sometimes she can’t wait to get back home.”

~ Jen