Collegers going to college...

If you come across this post in the far future know that this week of my life was one of the most emotionally challenging weeks in my life.  I just swung from emotional high to emotional low moment to moment.  And I cried.  All good.

Wyatt decided he wanted to go to college this year.  

Dramatic pause.

Wyatt had been wondering what his next phase of life should be.  He quit his job at Pepperidge Farms way back in December.  He used his savings to be a full time dad to Oliver.  As spring warmed the air Wyatt knew he needed to make a decision about what to do with his life.  He debated going to work at another factory, enlisting in the Navy, or moving somewhere for school or an apprentice program.  He was leaning towards joining the Navy.  But he had his concerns as the world was heating up and terrible things are happening where military responses are the norm.  

When Wyatt was out in April I had a frank discussion with him.  I said: "Just go to college, you need to go to college." I assured him, he would get loads of financial aid as a single father.  He might get paid to go to college!  Wyatt looked into it and found out he could indeed get the maximum amount of financial aid and go to college for free.  He thought about enrolling for the summer term (I actually told him to do that) but he found out he would get more financial aid in the fall semester.  So he deferred.  He got in to Utah State for the summer term and deferred for fall.  

I held my breath all summer long.  I kept waiting for Wyatt to decide it wasn't worth it.  But he found out he got an additional stipend for child care on campus!  Miracle after miracle kept happening and before we knew it Wyatt was starting COLLEGE!?!?!

As luck would have it Wyatt and Clare's colleges started the exact same day (Monday August 26th).  It was important to me that I went out to Utah to help Wyatt get settled for college.  Even though he is set up in his apartment and doesn't need school supplies, it was important.  So I flew down and helped Wyatt for a couple of mid week days.

We went to DI and got Wyatt a desk and chair.  We got PVC and sheets at Home Depot and made Wyatt a room divider so he and Oliver could have some separation when Wyatt has to do homework.

 

We went out to dinner and played games with Oliver.  I got to take Oliver back up to Emma and meet Oliver's new sister (born in June) Elaine.

Wyatt let me take a picture of him on his "first day" it was actually an orientation day but it was first enough for me!  Look at this cutie: first day of kindergarten and first day of college!

Oliver and I dropped Wyatt off for his first day.  I got a little grandma time and took Oliver up to Preston, Idaho to be with his mom, Emma. 

I ended up having some extra time before my flight and met up with my life coach friend, Kolette!

And Clare Bear!  Clare started college at NAU at the same time!  Blessings and peace for Clare in her decisions about college.  She looked early for a college that didn't have standardized test requirements and had a dance team.  NAU fit the bill and had a rolling admission so she knew she was in a few weeks after she applied.  She spent her senior year having fun and feeling confident she had gotten into her dream college.  She skipped the BYU hot coal walk all of her church friends went through.  She knew who her roommate would be early and figured out her scholarship.  

Will and I went down with her move-in weekend.  The final three said their good byes and we flew to Phoenix.  We went to a Target right outside Phoenix and got almost everything Clare needed for her dorm.  Our rental car was a little too small but we fix everything!

We unloaded and met Clare's roommate and her family.  These two girls are super cute and already best friends.  I am so glad Clare has a good roommate!

Clare got her first day of school picture too.  We can saunter down memory lane for Clare too.  Here she is on her first day of kindergarten and first day of college!

Clare made her NAU letters with her fellow freshman and we got our last goodbyes in.

We stopped for lunch to meet up with one of my best friends, Debbie.  We did a home preschool share when Colter and Sofia were little!

S-U-M-M-E-R 2024 June-August

Oh yeah, summer time!  Let's recap this sucker.  We started strong attending Clare's very last Dance Fusion Dance Show.  I cannot believe we've been doing this since she was in 3rd grade!  Clare had a perfect senior year including a fantastic dance year.  I am so impressed with how hard she has worked and how much she has improved.  

 

Enjoy some throw backs to Clare's earlier dance shows: 

We took Will to a Father's Day brunch at a cute bakery in Livermore. We love this guy!  We also celebrated his birthday at a stake house.  Food is part of his love language. 

Clare's boyfriend, Logan, bought a cool car and took Colter out for a spin in it.  Colter was in heaven and we are so thankful Clare has a great boyfriend.  

Adell had her very first sleep away summer camp experience with her best friend, Maggie.  Adell has been to our church camp for a few years but always with friends and leaders from church.  This was a different church and several hours north of home.  She and Maggie boarded a bus full of other kids and was off!

Adell was gone over Fourth of July.  Our friend, Andres, came over and cooked a delicious meal for us!  It was a hot week breaking record high temperatures.   

At the end of the week, Will and I drove up to pick Adell up.  It was 119 degrees for the drive up.  It was so hot!  Adell had the adventure of a lifetime at camp.  They did so many hard things: rock climbing, white water rafting, horse back riding, lots of things.  She learned about getting out of her comfort zone to grow and she really grew! 

Will has been wanting to cut down the big pine tree in our front yard since we moved in.  It leans into the street and pine pitch falls all over his car.  We've lost a few branches over the years.  At last it was time to hire the big chain saws and have the tree removed this July.  I am so sad to see the shade go but it needed to be done.  OH, we have had outbreak after outbreak of ants in the house.  Every couple of days they are in a new room, the laundry room and family room, the kitchen, the living room, upstairs in the kid's bathroom...EVERYWHERE!  We've paid to have our house sprayed and had bug guys come out twice more.  Still, the ants are here.  It's been frustrating but I hear everyone is having the same problem.  Must be an election year?

Swim, swim, swim.  We just keep swimming every summer around here. 

Will and I took a work trip FOR ME! to Las Vegas.  We attended a workshop for marketing with the unconscious mind.  Mostly we enjoyed our time together.

Did I mention swimming?

Adell got herself a job at a local antique store!  I am so proud of her.  She went into the store herself, befriended the owner, and offered to work in the shop.  I love exploring the shop and might spend all of my money there while Adell is working.

Colter put together his gigantic lego kit from his birthday:

Swim, swim...you know...more swim.  Adell and Colter both popped their times at VSA's.

Will is starting another solar company.  He is working with an investor to start a lending component, home batteries, financing, solar, electric vehicles, charging stations, all the green energy things!

We got together with friends from Stanford days, the Fifes.

Our last summer hurrah was a trip out to Utah for a reunion of families we knew as newly weds in Boston.  All of us were newly weds without kids in the 2000-2003 time frame.  We all had our first kids around the same time.  When Will and I moved into the ward this little collection of friends adopted us.  They had created a Family Home Evening group where each couple took a turn hosting Sunday night get togethers.  These couples became our best friends.  

Over the years couples started moving away from the Boston area.  Smaller groups of us have met up here and there but this was the first time we all tried to get together since Boston days!  We had five couples attend: the Andersons, The Allens, The Cooks, The Jankies, and The Wirigs. We met for dinner Friday night.

Saturday morning we took our kids golfing with the Cooks.  I had never been golfing and was pretty bad at it but it was still a super fun way to spend time together.  The weather was a little cooler than it had been and we had a great time talking and getting a little walking in.  Colter and Adell got to drive the golf carts and learn how to play too.  

After golfing we drove over to Dave and Angela's house and welcomed Evan home from his mission in West Virginia.  We got to hear some of his stories and spend time catching up with everyone.

Saturday night was a classic FHE at the Jankie's house.  We all brought stuff for dinner and visited.  We didn't get to a game because talking and laughing was enough fun for all of us.  It was so great!

Sunday morning the Allen's hosted brunch.  We got to look over all of the scrap books Julie made during our Boston years.  Seeing babies born and trips we took together.  I am so thankful for all of these friends and the time we took to get together!

And the final summer activity in these parts is school starting in the first or second week of August.  I have about a million angry posts about this up already so I won't repeat myself. We are down to two kids at the public schools here in Danville.  Colter started middle school and Adell started high school!