Labor Day Weekend at Blake Island

 

Logan's 1st PHS XC Race

 

First Day of School!

 

Lia's Off to BYU!

After a whirlwind week, I just returned home from taking Lia to BYU for her freshman year of college!  Overall, we really had a successful week and got so much done to set her up for a good start for her first year at college.  Lia and I pulled out of our driveway on Tuesday, August 25th, after many days of packing, running last minute errands, and checking items off of a very long to-do list.  We drove ten hours the first day where we spent the night in a hotel in Burley, Idaho.  We got up the next morning and drove the remaining 3.5 hours to Provo and arrived at Helaman Halls a little after 12 o'clock which was when Lia's check in time had been scheduled.  After picking up her keys and ID card, we headed over to her dorm room in Chipman Hall to meet her roommate, Melissa, and her parents for the first time.  After months of texting each other back and forth, it was so fun to watch these girls finally have the chance to meet in person.

We spent several hours on Wednesday unloading everything from the car and unpacking it in Lia's dorm room before throwing in the towel and driving to Sundance to get a good night's sleep at my friend, Sarah's, house.  We then returned to her dorm room for a few more hours of work on Thursday and finished all of the unpacking and decorating by four in the afternoon.  Lia's dorm room looked so cute and it felt so good to have everything done before she began four days of Freshman orientation the next day.  After stopping by a cousin's house in Orem for a quick visit, we met up with Lia's roommate and her parents on Thursday night for dinner at a restaurant in downtown Provo.

Lia spent all of Friday attending her first day of orientation while I did a variety of things in Provo--going to some of the parent orientation, going to an early dinner with Callie and Brynn, and then visiting two more cousins at their homes before returning to Sarah's house around 10:30 at night.  On Saturday, Lia and I spent about six hours together taking care of everything else we needed to do before I left town for good.  We spent quite a bit of time on campus, picking up her books, finding her classes, exploring the library and student building, eating lunch in the Cougar Eat, and meeting with a family friend (who is a senior in the theater department) to talk to her for an hour about all things BYU theater.  After taking Lia to find her bank in town to withdraw some money and showing her how to use her clothes washer and dryer in her dorm, it was finally time to say goodbye in the late afternoon.  I gave her two big hugs outside her dorm building and wished her farewell.  I teared up a little bit, but Lia was all smiles and happily waved to me as I watched her walk back to Chipman Hall.  She didn't even turn and look at me as she opened the door and walked inside.  I was so impressed by how excited and ready she was to begin this new chapter of college life.

As I got in the car, I was able to blink back my tears as I drove to Sarah's house.  I then spent a fun evening with Sarah, David, and her two kids still living at home.  We had a delicious homemade dinner and spent a few hours talking, laughing, and reminiscing.  I was feeling really good about saying goodbye to Lia and was proud of myself for handling it so well, both in front of her and for the rest of the evening.  However, I learned the very next day, that thinking this was a bit premature.  On Sunday morning, I drove back down to Provo to meet my dear friend, Kerry, for brunch as she had just flown in the night before to move her daughter into her apartment for her second year of college.  After saying goodbye to her around 1 o'clock, it was time for me to begin my drive home.  Since the restaurant where we met for brunch was literally two minutes away from Lia's dorm complex, I seriously debated for a minute if I should stop by and say goodbye to her one more time.  I could tell by looking at my phone that she was back from church and eating lunch in the Cannon Center.  I knew in my heart that this wouldn't be the right thing to do, so I turned my car on and started driving towards the freeway onramp.  And then it just hit my like a ton of bricks that I was leaving Lia behind for good.  Never in my mothering career have I ever gone on a trip with a child of mine and, when it is time to go back home, this child is not going home with me.  And with that thought, I just started bawling.  I sobbed as I drove down the freeway through Provo and Orem.  And although I was eventually able to get my initial tears to stop, I cried on and off the entire drive to my friend's house in Boise.  

This six hour drive actually turned out to be very cathartic for me.  Since I was alone in my car, I felt comfortable enough to just let it all out while I mourned the fact that my oldest daughter's childhood had officially come to an end that day.  This entire experience was very helpful for me.  So by the time I got to Boise, I was able to spend the evening with my friend, Carrie, and didn't even shed a single tear.  Although I did cry quite a bit more on the 8 hour drive home the second day, it wasn't as much or for as long of time.  So I have already made some progress and am doing better today.  And although 90% of this entire experience is just so exciting, happy, and celebratory as both Lia and I have dreamed for years of her going off to BYU as a freshman, the one difficult part of it all is saying goodbye to her childhood and accepting the fact that she is now a young adult.  So with a very proud and happy heart, I close this significant chapter on Lia's life and look forward to all of the amazing experiences that she will get to have in this new chapter of life at college.

August 25th:

Lia's stuff all packed in our car and ready to go!

Lia saying goodbye to her siblings for the last time.  All three kids chased us down to the end of the street as we drove away.  Needless to say, it brought a tear to my eye.

October 26th:

After checking into Lia's dorm for the first time, we had to take a "before" picture to show how plain and boring her room looked when we first walked in.

After working in Lia's room all afternoon long, we took a well-deserved break and ate dinner together in the Cannon Center.  It was fun to eat Lia's first meal together in this cafeteria.

October 27th:

After finishing unpacking and decorating, we had to take an "after" picture of Lia in her darling, beach-themed room.  We brought most of the bedding and decor for her room from home.

Lia's desk all decorated with framed photos, beach decor, and pictures.

A close-up of Lia's cute corner with her little lamp and some other beach items.

The adorable hanging shelf that we bought online and hope will stay hanging all year long.

Two pictures I framed for Lia's room that I love--one of her grandma graduating from BYU in 1965 and one of Lia wearing a BYU cheerleading outfit for her first Halloween in 2008.

Lia with her roommate, Melissa, in their dorm room.

And another photo of them outside their dorm building, Chipman Hall.

Mother and daughter outside her dorm building.

A picture I took of the girls after dinner with Melissa and her parents in downtown Provo.  Look at those mountains that Lia gets to look at every day!

August 28th:

Eating dinner with Brynn and Callie after I attended a few hours of parent orientation on campus.

August 29th:

A picture of Lia and me in front of the awesome BYU sign on campus.

A quick photo I took of Lia in front of one of the two signs that are at the official entrance to BYU's campus.  Both of these signs are right next to Helaman Halls.

Lia smiling and saying goodbye to me for the last time in her dorm parking lot.

August 30th:

The one picture Sarah and I took together all week long as she was heading to church and I was leaving for good to drive home.

My friend, Kerry, and me in Provo after eating breakfast on Sunday morning.

The screenshot I took of Life 360 right before I started my long drive home.  I took this screenshot to show how close I was to Lia before I left Provo for good.  I think being this close to Lia made it a lot harder to leave her behind.  Sniff.

A screenshot of Lia's first Instagram story that she posted after her first weekend at college.  I just love how it shows all of the friends she is making and the fun that she is having only a few days into her freshman year!