Lauren's first week of college.

Trials come and go, but sometimes they stay awhile. On move in day at SEMO, we showed up at 6 am and got a front row parking spot to unload. Lauren had pulled up and I followed to drop off Lee, Emily and Lawrence. I proceeded to continue on to a parking spot further out, this was the required procedure. By the time I got to Lauren's car; Lee, Lawrence and Emily had disappeared with an armload and Lauren was talking to a student helper. Alas, we had not gone to the correct check in site and Lauren needed to proceed there and get her room key, etc.

She left and I waited for the crew to show back up. Upon seeing Lee & Lawrence, I filled them in. To my surprise they stated they had already been in her room and dropped a load of stuff. Evidently the rooms were all open! So we waited, and waited, and waited. By now, the cars and their loads were growing denser. Finally, we see Lauren's car weaving up to get in the long line, to wait for a spot to unload! We finished up and then headed back to the hotel where we had stayed the previous night, and had a free hot breakfast waiting. After eating; Lee, Lawrence and Emily opted for an early nap before check out time. Lauren and I headed back to settle the dust in her room and let me do the mom thing; like make the bed, put clothes in the drawers, arrange the bathroom.................uggg..........mothers!

We all met up later for lunch and then a quick tour for the big brother........he wanted to give his stamp of approval..........I think he was impressed.

With only wet eyes we said our goodbyes and were off for the trip I previously wrote about. By the following Monday I had received a text message from Lauren stating she COULD NOT continue in the Acting class. It would be too involved and she would be snowed under with her other "major" classes of Eng. Lit, Spanish, Psychology and anthropology. The acting/theatre were to be her minor. She had also gotten a parking ticket, overdrawn her checking account and wasn't eating because it all tasted like "school" food! She had dealt with her car radio falling out and roomies that "want to follow me everywhere I go!" And do you know that the college does not provide toilet paper!!! Whoever heard of such a thing? I asked her if she were PMSing? That was not the thing to ask.

So I listened and made suggestions and told her to pray as I was praying for her as well.

Tuesday was not much better. She had gotten another ticket...........she wasn't parking in the right lot! Still wasn't sure what to do about the acting class and had to call a company about some drafts they had made on her checking account. She also had to buy 2 more books, which, as many know, are VERY expensive. Praise the Lord, her first books were covered by a scholarship.

By Wednesday; she finally got the correct parking lot figured out, appealed the first ticket and they voided the second one. I put money in her account, which humiliated, humbled and gratified her. She spoke with her advisor (whom she likes) and got out of acting and is taking sign language. She went to a job fair, and hopes for future income are promising. The roommate and suite mates are acclimating to campus and giving her some breathing room and she has a smile in her voice again. Oh, she also got the radio fixed...........Best Buy's mistake. And she's finally found a couple of decent spots on campus to eat, so her diet does not consist of cereal only, anymore.

Tonight (Friday) she is going out for supper with her suite mates and looking forward to a quiet weekend, has her homework done and thinks college is going to be a good/fun experience! SHEWWWWWWWW.............I thought I might just have to go get her and bring her home! Oh, no, that was just the mommy in me. I'm enjoying seeing those wings stretch and strengthen so that she can make her migrating flight.

Do I cry or dance?

NO, the house has not sold yet! It may just remain in our possession for a long time, and that's okay with us, we think. We're really not sure what God is doing in that area, but we're not fretting about it. And no, those tents are not where we intend to move to. :)

I have just had a whirlwind week and half. It started on Saturday, August 16. Lauren, Emily (Lee's girlfriend), Amie (my sister-n-law) and I left Lathrop at 5:30 am, headed for Bloomington, MN and the Mall of America. It was Amie's first visit and a last road trip before school started for Em & Lauren. We had so much fun laughing, talking and shopping. We only stayed one night, headed back the next day, but it was well worth it. You can see (barely) the fun we had trying to get in the view of a camera in one of those small picture machines! Those are only meant for one or two mind you, it was quite interesting getting all four of us in there, but we had fun.

The next couple of days were packing and last minute appointments for Lauren before we headed off to Cape Girardeau. On Wednesday, she and I took off in my car and left her dad with her packed car, so that he could drive down after work. Move in was on Thursday and we went for the early bird time of 6 am. It was early, but take heed parents, it was THE smart thing to do. We had plenty of help, plenty of room, plenty of time. As the day got later, we kept thanking ourselves for giving up the sleep, as the lines got longer, the temp. got higher and the patience grew thinner.............as observed from Lauren's already set up room and made bed. Lee and Emily had joined us as well, so that big brother could check things out and give his stamp of approval!! As if that was going to change anything, but we were glad to all be together, knowing it wouldn't be the case for awhile. Leaving Lauren there was very hard, but would have been harder had we not made additional plans for the next few days.

From Cape Girardeau, Lawrence and I with Lee and Emily following, headed to a campground in Lesterville, MO. The name? Bear cat...........I would not recommend it. Very backwoods, lacking in customer service and later found out it has a BIG history with free-thinking/acting/smoking/drugging culture!! Anyway, we pitched our tents, fought the bugs, sweat like crazy and cooked hot dogs. On Friday, we rented canoes (can you believe those are up to $40 now?) and spent about 5 hours on the Black River. Once back, we closed up camp and headed off. Lee & Emily back to St. Joe and Lawrence & I to Arcadia to a B&B to celebrate our 23rd anniversary.

We stayed in a very old (1847) facility. It was a catholic girls boarding school for 100 years amongst other things, such as a hospital during the civil war, a college, a high school and a daycare. This campus is huge with a cathedral, gymnasium, classrooms, etc. The history was quite interesting, but we stayed in the Bishop's room! I had no shower, only a tub - which I hate. There was a chair and couch in the room that must have been original! When you sat down, you went clear to the floor!! No kidding. Lawrence and I had a laugh, ate some great food and enjoyed imagining what life was like there in it's hay day. On Sunday we headed home.
I realized as we headed home that what we had done after leaving Lauren was priceless. To have left her and driven 8 hours home, I would have been bawling the whole way. Instead, we kept ourselves busy and active and it truly helped prepare me for the "empty nest" we came home to. It's wierd and nice; some days I cry, some days I dance!

Lauren's first week has been a little traumatic..........but that's for another blog. Will catch you up later...........you'll need a break after reading all of this!

A Fun Day.

This little guy is just one of the many precious nephews I have. I got to go play with him today while his mommy went on a business lunch. I knew I'd get at least 2 hours with him and hoped for more. So off I go; a little early so as to acclimate him to my presence! He's got a little brother coming in October, but is thus far the only one getting his parent's attention. You know what that means! He's not too sure about being away from them for any length of time. So I get to sit down and watch a kid's DVD called "Boz" and mommy slips away quietly. He REALLY likes Boz! About 11:30 I get his lunch ready and once Boz says good-bye, we head to the kitchen. He LOVES to dip things.......pretzels in yogurt, fries in ketchup, anything in ketchup, even his fruit in ketchup.........if you can't get him to eat it, just dip it and he'll go for it! His mother had told me that he may lay down 12:30 or 1ish........but had been taking later naps the past few days. She's supposed to be home around 1, so I figure I have another hour of play time after lunch........but no, guess what the cutie did? As soon as lunch was over I realized we needed to change his diaper. Well, he wasn't into that, but we managed and then he starts pointing at a blanket and getting fussy! I finally asked if he wanted to lay down, take a nap? and he said yes! He even helped me turn his little noise maker on, took the blanket and when I lifted him to the crib, he lay down. Can you believe that? Little stinker went right to sleep and didn't wake up until after mommy got home. So, an hour alone........but I stayed until he woke up and got to play with him a little longer. What are these kids coming to? Taking a nap without a fight? Un-heard of.................:) Guess I'll have to come up with another plan to spend more time with him.......maybe send mommy and daddy on a date-nite! Oh, by the way, not one tear I'll have you know.................

My baby is a young woman, but that was just me yesterday!

I am bemoaning the passing of time. It's truly a blink of the eye and wa-la, you are done with diapers, night-feedings, potty-training, hauling half the house with you everywhere you go, fighting the child to get them hooked in the carseat, answering a million why questions, shopping for school supplies, fighting them to take a bath, then fighting them to shorten the shower, listening to them cry about their hair, or their clothes, or their friends, on and on and on..........or so you think it will go. Then you turn around and the child has transformed into a young adult. In fact, isn't that you staring back at you? I can't be old enough to have a daughter this age, I'm still this age, aren't I? One week, that's all we have left til she is gone off to start her next chapter. That of college student, independence, new experiences, new friends and less of us. I pray we have grounded her enough to enjoy the wings we give freely in order to fly back to us and to her God. I want to bless her and encourage her and pray the best for her, while fighting back the tears and desire to lock her in my arms of protection! I'm so very proud of you darling........