I be all green!

MiB made it safely to the BigO and indeed did see LilBlue. I be green with envy...she fixed dinner for him. Well, okay not really, but it seemed like it! Wednesdays are "family night" and she and her roommates plus or minus a few others always plan to have dinner together. I love it! MiB got to join them! I don't know what they had but the pictures looked yummy!

I don't know why he chose to take one of her driving unless to show me she is still gorgeous no matter what she does...and make me notice she is wearing classy pearl earrings. She do take after her momma!!!

Pretty sure these are their dinner plates...looks uber yummmmmm!

I'm thinking this is after they ate, but I could be wrong. Since I got NO commentary with the photos I'm jus guessin here!

This is at Orange Leaf where she took him for dessert! Should of talked to her about that...he really don't need no dessert :/ This travelin' and eatin' the past two weeks is killing his girlie figure!

Anyway, I think they had a fab time and I am REALLY, really happy that his schedule allowed (even if he ditched dinner with his colleagues to see her) him to spend some time with her.  It was about a month ago we put her on the plane to go back to the BigO

Lest you think I was alone and having a pittying me party I was not, it was WW and we had a fabulous time as always!

And we took us a picture too, so phffff! And we missed YOU, Ms SpeechWriter!

 MiB also got to reconnect with some of our Offutt buddies!

 Awww...

This is a "boy" we knew from our first assignment! We were in the same squadron as his parents and now he is all grown up wouldn't ya say? His birthday is tomorrow...he will be only like 10 or so cause we haven't gotten any older since that assignment 24 years ago or so!

So off to bed it's waaaaay past my bedtime and I gotta get me some sleep so I can be at the Attic all day tomorrow! Not to be confused with IN the Attic, we don't have an attic, well, we do it is on the base, but it's not an attic, we just call it the Attic. I know you completely understand this now... NIGHT!

Thursday Thoughts!

Oh yeah, it's Thursday! I am Whiteman AFB, MO.  I was here last summer on a Midwest visit as well and this time instead of giving me a visitor pass (which I thought was so stinkin' crazy, HELLO, I have a miitary ID), they "put me in the system" so now I feel all so special! I am officially in DBIDS, I officially don't have a clue what that means but the young Airman who scanned my left and right index fingers and took a urine sample and put me in "the system" seemed mighty pleased...so I figure I might as well be too!

So since I drove up last night I got to have high speed internet and man did I feel like I was livin large! I was surfin' the net for a good portion of my evening while I watched, well, let's just say I tuned into something other then FOX news...

Thoughts:

• So thankful CC got me here!
• This trip brought back MEMORIES!
•  I'm praying today is productive in every way!
• I've  had Mexican food three nights in a row :)
• College students are sooooo young nowadays!

My college days home after a year in the dorms! I was in unit A the one on the far left!

 

I know I mentioned last year when I passed through the Burg that my college now has an over the road crosswalk. So yesterday as I was driving by I snapped these two pictures! They are not great, but I was driving ya know so they are what they are. Anyway I think it's really cool and I'm glad they finally did it cause I remember it being quite dicey somedays to get across there.

And speaking of college, our college girl is doing real good and I'm so excited I will see her before this day is over, whoot whoot! She will get to be here through Sunday afternoon. She was very excited yesterday when I talked with her because she finally got to meet with an academic adviser who could approve and plug in her transfer classes, she is much closer then she thought to being done. She is also taking summer classes this year to move even closer to that goal of being done! She's doing good and for that I'm soooo thankful, I just pray that her body continue to heal and recover from the crash last fall, she is still in treatment but we are hopeful she will continue improving and being back to where she was before this happened!

I gotta motor, the clinic awaits me...let's hope I am "CLEARED"

Put your traveling shoes on!

I am off again...I'm so excited it has worked out for me to get back to OKC for several days. I am heading down for the graduation of G. It will be a grand celebration as this is a major milestone that has been a long time coming and really it is just about having that piece of paper for the official validation of the incredible talent, skills, and knowledge of all things IT that he has.  WooHoo let the party begin...we will next weekend and there are some surprises on the horizon for this celebration. But I'm not tellin'

Have a great Sunday, it's a beautiful crisp day here and I am enjoying some mighty fine sunshine.

She's back at it...

Today is the first day of Lil Blue's second year of college...I know, I cannot believe it either! I am just thrilled she is hanging in there, I know it's not really where she may want to be right now but it is a good decision to stick with continuing her education!

I spent the last few days in the big O getting her settled into her new place at the university. She has her own room this year but still shares a bathroom. Then she shares a little kitchen living room area with all of her roomies, there are four of them total. I think/hope/pray it is a great year for her!

One of the many loads she hauled in!

With Aunt Turtle on a Wally World run for some necessities!

Let me also note that it was a nice HOT time while there, we were able to hit a couple scrapbook places and we managed a trip to Khan's as well so it really was not just a working trip, we played too!

Thanks Aunt Turtle for being my travel companion this trip!!!!

Thursday Thoughts...

Thursday...it's a beautiful cooler day here in the great midwest, unbelievably, it is only 66* as I type. I love cool mornings, warm (not HOT) afternoons and cool evenings. However, it has been HOT at all hours since I arrived so this is a wonderful, welcome change!

It has been fun to hook up with our NE friends this week, I am looking forward to making other trips back and seeing others that I missed this time. I think my next trip will be in August to help lil'blue get settled in her place for the fall semester.

Thursday Thoughts:

• Loving fresh Arkansas tomatoes
• All the driving hasn't been so bad
• HLM continues to grow, as I am too...
• Feeling good about the school transfer.
• Spending Father's Day w/my Dad was awesome!
  

Short and sweet today!

She's a Maverick now!

On Tuesday lil'blue and I spent a rainy day in Omaha checking in at her new school. We took care of her housing contract, paid a visit to the finance office to chat with the VA rep, stopped in at the security office for parking info, double checked residency status, checked her schedule and just made sure we were getting everything done we were supposed to for a smooth transition in August.

So far, so good! I am thrilled with the answers we got from the VA rep, all paperwork IS in order and even if the $$ doesn't come in at the appointed balance due time, we do not have to pay it, they will suspend the bill til the VA gets the payments to them...that is a great bit of news. Her book stipend will be twice a year as long as she takes a minimum of 12 hours and if there is $$ left they will help with any summer books she might need, should she decide to take classes (which I think she will be). So again, I say, so far so good!

And just so you know I am now on Offutt and living large in a suite...goodness, I feel truly taken care of, it's too bad I am leaving to head back to MO tomorrow...but dad and I are going to pal around for a couple days just me and him so it's all good!

Sorry there are no pics from the campus visit but it was raining and I didn't lug anything around that wasn't necessary that day!

Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down

That was the "what's on your mind" statement I just posted on FB a few minutes ago...really, it's not totally true, but it just sounded right since it is Monday, it is raining and I happen to be down today.

A late night phone call, lots of tears and more late night phone calls and a few texts later and it's a new day...

But the lingering thoughts of what is the outcome really going to be are swirling around my head this morning. I have been, as A would say, "close to tears" all morning. It all started with several phone calls from lil'blue last week who is stressing over school. So much so that she is emotionally overwrought during most of our conversations, so much so, that it rips my guts out to even answer the phone when I see that she is calling. She is as some would say, having a rough go. What can a mom do when she is 1400 miles away? Pray...pray without ceasing as we are told this in Thessalonians, oh trust me, I have been doing that, no question! Then I saw on one of my other FB friends wall this..."The Lord will keep you from all harm --he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121:7-8 This applies to my child, too. He will keep her from all harm, he will watch over her life and he will watch over her coming and going now and forever. So I find comfort in that, but the reality is I fear for her, for her loneliness, for her dislike of college, for, well, for a lot more reasons then I shall write about to protect her privacy. But let's just say, I would desperately covet your prayers for her, as I feel so far away and unable to physically lessen her worries. I pray that you would remember her as you pray that she finds comfort and an earthly friend to help brighten her days at school. That she would continue to seek out friendships and not retreat to the solitary space of her room; that she see God in the flesh through someone who she crosses paths with, that she is able to spot His hand of mercy, that He radiantly shine upon her today and each day with His favor in her classes.

She is 19 years old, I have to allow her to make choices, to do things in her own way, she must. I cannot always step in to solve things for her, to make her choices. I soooo want her to make decisions (good ones but I know there will be some not so good ones as well), it is part of the maturing process, right?, it is part of the whole becoming an adult. However, it is NOT at all easy to see and especially through phone calls that are tear filled. So thank you for prayers said from a mom who loves her child and is watching from afar as she struggles to successfully find her way on a road that seems to always be uphill,

She's gone...

A quick change in flights had lilblue leaving a day early...our girl is quickly preparing to start on another semester of school in MO. The weather in Omaha, her stopover for a few days, is not good today, so yesterday we switched her ticket to get her in before the bad weather hit. Now she has a few days in the big O before flying back to KC on Saturday and driving back up to school on Sunday to begin classes on Monday. The weather is suppose to be clear for the Saturday flight and on Sunday it is looking fine for her drive back to school as well, though I will still be praying until she is safely back at school!

It was delightful to have her around the house these past weeks, it just added something to everyday to have her bounding down the stairs each morning (well, okay, honestly, sometimes it was afternoon before she came down). Still, we will miss her smiling face, her laugh, her hugs.

Hmmmm, how many days til Spring finals??? Okay, let's not wish our time away. She is taking quite a load this semester to include calculus and discreet math, glad it is her and not me! I am not a math girl but that is not to say I can't do a mean to the penny balance on the checkbook :) I certainly can, thank you very much!

Upcoming in our world is the WDW marathon, updates to follow!

Off she goes...

LilBlue headed to MO today, on her own, flying for the first time by herself...she made it just fine, safe and sound. Tomorrow is the orientation and registration at the college. Her SIM will be there, what is a SIM you may ask? It is her Stand In Mom, which is my cousin, which we call mySherry. There are no worries with mySherry in the picture.

Of course she will return in a few weeks and then we will do the BIG send off, but we aren't going to think about that right now...

Over and out!

Honor's Night

Last night was Honor's Night at LilBlue's school and she was pleasantly surprised to be the recipient of three community scholarships! When the first one was announced she just about knocked the guy sitting next to us down and I was so dumbfounded I didn't have the camera ready and missed the whole thing. The first one was the Mid-City Bank expense scholarship.

The next one she received was from the school's athletic booster club.

Mrs. B announcing the Athletic Booster Club scholarships, three were given out this year.

With Mrs B after the awards program.

With her principal Mr. Rohlf's and her certificate showing all the scholarships she has been awarded to date. In addition to the two announced last night she was awarded the local Delta Kappa Gamma scholarship and the Freshman Merit Scholarship for her college of choice next year.

There are still some scholarships out there that have not been awarded and we are still hopeful she might pull in a few more, college is expensive so we are thrilled with what she has won so far! Way to go LilBlue!!!!

Future Bear Cat in the HOUSE!!!

It's official, lil'blue HAS been accepted to NWMSU!! While this is all so very exciting, it also brings us another step closer to her not being with us anymore. I have so many mixed emotions about all this I can't really put anything into words right now except to say she is in God's hands and I pray that she remains faithful to her roots and trust Him to meet all her needs.

No Thursday Thoughts...

It's already Friday...

Thursday was just too busy as we left for our trip to Maryville to visit the college. We are now home and I am tired. It was a very nice campus, small and lil'blue liked it so that's what counts, now we move forward with finalizing the admissions application and start working on the the housing application form due in mid October.

Instead of a Friday Flashback, I have a picture from today...