Preparing to Launch

Tennie has been packing up her childhood. Items she has treasured for years are suddenly stuffed into a bag and piled up to take to Goodwill. Creative stories, stuffed animals, keychains, shells, books and photos, clothing, and souvenirs from our many adventures over the years have been remembered, loved one last time, sorted and piled. It is an emotional process closing up your first chapter called childhood, and yet, it opens up physical and emotional space for the next exciting chapter to unfold.
In Tennie's case, she is losing her bedroom, as Ceci will move in, so she really is keeping only ONE bin of treasures. She's very sentimental, so I've admired her courage to let so many things go.

She's also been spending hours setting up a new, independent life by applying for scholarships and loans, figuring out health insurance, registering her bike, buying books, getting an ID card, new banking, and a host of other minutia a new freshman must do.

We went to the BYU campus on Saturday to map out her classes.

The leaves are just starting to turn on the mountains. I'm pretty sure Fall on the BYU campus is one of the best memories for BYU students! Geoff and I are flooded with memories, even though so many things on campus have changed. We kind of want to follow Tennie around to her first ward social, her first day of classes, and other firsts! We promised we wouldn't, though.

We scouted the library for a good, sunny and quiet study spot and then rented a locker for her books. We all amused that her first locker ever is at BYU! I'm going to buy her a little mirror and some posters...

Ceci LOVED the library, saying over and over that she could spend HOURS in there. Someday she just might be spending hours in there!

Tennie and I have been shopping for everything she'll need in her dorm, from bedding to post-its, as well as clothes and toiletries and bike tubes and everything in between.

She's still got a list of things to do before school starts the day after Labor Day, and she officially moves into the dorm on Wednesday! This is getting very real around here!