I'm thrilled to have blogging friend Loree Huebner as my guest today. Loree made a comment on one of my blog posts about empty nesters & puppy love, so I asked her if she'd be willing to write a guest post about it. 
Loree has had a love affair with American history all of her life. She writes historical fiction and inspirational historical romance. She is an active member of the RWA, and ACFW. Loree is represented by Mary Sue Seymour of The Seymour Agency. Visit her blog – Between you, me and the gatepost… loreehuebner.blogspot.com or connect with her on Twitter @LoreeHuebner
Welcome, Loree!

I consider Eric a gift from God. We’ve been married over twenty years now. After raising three amazing kids, Eric and I have found ourselves in a different phase of life. 
We’re Empty Nesters.
I really understood this concept after watching a pair of robins nest in some trumpet vines near our window last spring. They built a sturdy nest. One day there were two, perfect blue eggs—a day later two more. One day, a baby birdie appeared, then another, and then two more. I watched the parents take turns feeding the four babies. It was an around the clock, non-stop project. Yeah, remember those days? Soon there were only two left in the nest. One parent was chasing and feeding the others on the ground—soccer practice and ballet lessons—while the other tended the two babes still at home in the nest. Finally, the day came when I looked and the nest was empty. I thought about that pair of robins. They raised a brood and did a fine job…besides a few gray feathers, now what?
So what does happen when the nest becomes empty?
When you find yourself in an empty nest, you don’t want to be looking at your spouse and thinking, “Um…Who are you?” For this very reason, it’s so important to have common interests (other than the kids) and continual romance throughout your marriage. 
Work at it before the nest becomes empty. Become a tag team. Love and trust as you live each day. Lift one another up. Laugh together. Pray for one another. Begin where the other ends. Romance each other. Honestly, Eric and I depend on each other now, more than ever—pilot and co-pilot. 
Empty nesting is a whole new season in our life. Yes, we miss the kids, but they are trying their own wings, and we are so proud. It’s hard to let go sometimes. We take road trips and visit them often. The payoff is that it’s so wonderful to see the cycle of life renew itself. We’ve been blessed.
This is a time for us.
Something new and exciting has recently popped up in the empty nest…Puppy Love. 
Who would have thought that I could feel that way ever again? 
When I’m at work, I’ll think about Eric, and my heart actually flutters. I feel giddy! I can’t wait to see him—like we’re dating or something. It sounds silly, but it’s true. It’s a touch of the hand, a simple caress of the hair, a whisper of love in the ear…still now, after twenty some years…and no kids in the house. Woot! Yeah, I’m blushing.
Your Turn: Parents with young kids: Do you try to find time for you and your mate? Date nights? Do you share common interests for yourselves, other than the kids and their interests? Empty nesters: How is the empty nest going for you? Do you find it liberating, or lonely? Both?