Operation Co-ed

It's about time I wrote about the emptying of the nest.  First let me say that I cried beforehand for about a week straight.  I would tear up while merely talking; didn't matter what we were talking about or who I was talking to.  I was really worried how the "drop off" would go.  I had seen the mothers of daughters when we took Richard to college and thought then that it looked like it could be a touchy situation. 

We left the house in late afternoon on Friday, Sept. 3rd and drove straight to the Family Cabin in Island Park.  There is no other place to go that could be as theraputic as Island Park.  We had a great time.  On Saturday we went through Yellowstone Park (James and Suz were with us).  We had a picnic lunch and did a little hiking & a lot of munching along the way. 

That night we went into West Yellowstone because we had tickets to the Playmill Theatre for "Beauty and the Beast".  When the movie first came out, Jessica was two years old and we watched it nearly every day, with her on my lap.  "Beast" is what she called it; so how fitting was it that we went to "Beast"  before she went away to school.  It was a fabulous show and made me yearn for the days of doing musicals, singing and acting.  Jessica loved it too.  She and I had front row seats.

On Sunday, we went to church, went to visit my brother Greg and had a nice big dinner.  Of course there were many games of "Oh, Heck" played. 

Then came Monday morning.  Our departure time was 8:00 a.m. because Jess wanted to get there first and get the big bedroom, but the two Seniors in the apartment had gotten them and rightfully so.  We took all her stuff in, made the bed, put stuff away, met her room mates and all of that.  Her roomie, Erin got there at about the same time.  We left James & Suz car with Jess & Erin and headed to Idaho Falls to watch BSU vs. Virginia Tech.  Was that a great game or what?  Jess and Erin joined us and we had football food and a fun time together.  We then took them back up to Rexburg for the final goodbye.  I was nervous about it.  But when the time came, I was overcome with excitement for her and all of the new experiences that she's going to have.  No tears or anything!  Wow.  I was so impressed with myself.

In the middle of the night I get this phone call, "Mom, I'm throwing up every 1/2 hour or so and I'v enever been so sick".  So instead of hitting the road for Boise first thing in the morning, we hit the road for Rexburg.  "Great", I thought.  "A do-over is just didn't want to do.  She was sick, pale, feverish.  How do you leave that?  We got her fixed up with soup & hydrating drinks and various medicines and then left for Boise.  No tears this time either, but it was harder than the night before.

As we drove into Boise, the tears began to fall..  I became very interested in the scenery out my window so Gordon wouldn't see; I don't know why.  By the time I was in control, we were home.  Empty house.  Empty big house.  Empty teenage girl's bedroom.  Another round of tears.  And then...

Five days of my favorite little kiddies.  No kidding - Rich and Jo had gone back East to the game and it was our turn to have them.  Talk about a great transition!  By the time we were done with that, I was good to go.

Jessica is happy, so happy in her apartment, in school, and with all the new people she is meeting.  It is exciting.  I am ready to embrace all of the new experiences being an Empty Nester will bring.