The next phase in Elizabeth's life's journey

Elizabeth returned from California and began her good byes.  She hung out with her friends, stayed up late talking to Michael, attended one final Georgetown College class, and made some
last meal requests.  She packed lightly, finished her summer reading assignment, and switched bedrooms with Michael.  

Steven and I drove with her to Knox.  We passed the windmills, ate ice cream at McDonald's, and eventually arrived in Galesburg.  She checked in, got her keys, and watched upperclassmen (and upperclasswomen) carry her luggage to her room.  She unpacked, met her R.A., and began her celebration of newfound freedom and independence!!!

Steven warned me not to cry in front of Elizabeth (have I ever cried?) because that would upset her and cause her to miss us more than she needed to.  I held it together until the designated "Time for Goodbye" activity.  But he was wrong!  Elizabeth cheerfully hugged us, told us she loved us, and posed for a photo with Steven.  As the tears flooded my face, she energetically bounded away to meet her orientation group.


Elizabeth texts and/or calls each day.  We love to hear about her new friends from around the globe (her 15 suitemates are from Russia, India, Pakistan, Cuba, Vietnam, Japan, and states around the US), who are teaching her about their home country's culture and customs.  She loves her roommate, Angel, who hails from Chicago.  She has cheered at athletic events, attended Opening Convocation, and heard a lecture by Civil Rights activist Elizabeth Eckford.  



I think the Human Rights Village has been so good for her because of the instant connection she has with all 15 of her suite mates (although she only has to share a bathroom with 3 of them).  I think if you are interested in human rights, you have a certain perspective and outlook that cuts across many areas of life, as opposed to other subjects (like math? or literature?) where your interest in that field doesn't necessarily predict your viewpoint on other areas of life.  So I feel like Elizabeth has found like-minded souls who share her interests and values beyond just one subject of study.

Elizabeth requested a Painting class but it was full.  She asked a professor if she could be added to his Schools and Society course.  He explained that first-term freshmen are not allowed into the class, but that he had checked her transcript and writing and made an exception!  The course will emphasize the role that class and race play in educational opportunities and experiences in America.  She is pumped about this class!  Yesterday her Human Rights course watched a movie about race and law enforcement … she read the book earlier this year.  One day she wrote "I love my psychology class!"  The most lovely curriculum-related text she has sent is the one that stated "I love learning again."  Her favorite building is the library, which she loved most the first time she toured Knox.  Be still, my academic heart.

Oh how we miss her and oh how we talk about her all the time.  We simply cannot wait - not one more day - to see her during Parents Weekend!  Two suitcases and some boxes are already crammed full, ready for the trip.  They are not my suitcases and boxes or Steven's suitcases and boxes; they contain all the requests for food and clothing Elizabeth has made since school began.  Yes, ramen noodles are inside.

Go Prairie Fire!

Summer 2018

One of life's intriguing aspects is how amazing moments can stem from painful experiences.  Case in point: The purpose of my siblings' visits with their family members this summer was to work through mom's estate, yet I have so many beautiful memories of our time together. 

Elizabeth stopped working at Cane's and really, really wanted to visit California.  Mary graciously invited her to stay with them about a week.  On her last evening with them, Elizabeth texted that she did not want to leave at all.  She leaves for Knox in two days and will surely carry with her many wonderful memories of her trip to CA and her time with relatives in Kentucky.

 

Solo to Cali

I can't remember traveling alone for a vacation since I got married.  Twenty five years later, I did just that and had a fabulous time (no offense to my beloved family, of course).  It was a trip meant to be, as I arrived at the very moment Bennett and Tiffany's family were hosting their going-away party at a nearby park.  So Mary and I showed up and were able to see all of them as well as meet many of their friends, who were so smart, interesting, and likable.  Such a fun party!  I was so glad the timing worked out.

I spent most of my days at Mary's, where I got to spend lots of time with Kate and Aaron.  Fun activities included tennis, biking, swimming (Mary and I were the lifeguards), race car driving (Mary and I were the observers), and a Stanford tour, which included an awesome same-sex statues display.  Aaron has a very cool hover board/go-cart thingy that the majority of people we passed either blatantly stared at it or asked questions about it.  I can't believe I didn't take a photo!  It was good to see Mark, and Father's Day dinner was spent at a nearby seafood restaurant.

Kate and I took some very long walks, during which we created a picture dictionary.  For example, these were our photos for Hydrant and Mailbox.  Impressive, right?

Even more impressive ... Bennett arranged for a tour of the Tesla plant in Fremont.  Wow.  (Sorry I made his family look into the sun when I took the photo outside the plant.) I can't wait for Steven to go on the tour - he would have the most insightful comments about what he saw and heard, given his 25+years at Toyota.
I got to spend the night at B&T's home.  They were so gracious to stay up until midnight talking with me, giving me much appreciated and thoughtful suggestions for a work situation, even though they had approximately 5820 tasks to complete before leaving for Amsterdam a few days later.  Mary and her kids came down the next day and I was struck by the synergy of the five children playing together.  Such beautiful, funny, engaging children.  No arguments, no bickering, no disagreements.  How does that happen?  Everyone in Bennett's family is so excited about their overseas adventure, and I am so excited to visit them next summer!

Can you find Kate in the tree?

Can you even begin to imagine how much fun I had?  SOO much laughing.

Thank you, amazing California relatives, for all you did so I could have a most incredible solo vacation!  I'll be back for sure.  If I knew how to insert heart emojis into this post, I would add about 1000 of them.

A beautiful girl and 12 years of very hard work

Elizabeth's graduation was more fun, emotional, and exciting than any graduation I have attended (and I've attended 22 at Georgetown College alone!).  The lead-up to the actual event was also fun, emotional, and exciting.

For example, this is Elizabeth going graduation dress shopping with me in Lexington.  She did not choose the dress in the photo even though I was convinced she would love it.  I laughed when she told me the only reason she even tried it on was because I asked her to.  At least she was polite about it.

This is Elizabeth getting her ears pierced many times because she is 18 and graduating and that is the deal I made with her. 

This is Elizabeth driving to graduation.  Magical fairies apparently gifted her with a heart crown.

The Kentucky Horse Park Arena easily fit the Class of 2018 graduates.  More than 500 of them!

Elizabeth graduated summa cum laude, awarded to those with GPAs over 4.0.

Then it was all over but the celebrating and staying up all night with friends.

Elizabeth and Rain, her best friend. 

Elizabeth and Emily, her pretty much lifelong friend (see previous blog entry).








Elizabeth and more friends.












Rosemary, Terry, and Angie came to Elizabeth's graduation.  Angie recognized several names from the program due to hearing stories attending various events of E and M's over the years.  







Not a day has passed since May 04, 2000 that we have not known how fortunate we are to be Elizabeth's parents, and we forever welcome any opportunity to spend time with her.  But it was especially nice to have a formal occasion to reflect on how hard she has worked the past 18 years.  We could not be more proud ... elated ... joyous ... teary ... excited ... awestruck ... wistful ... delighted.

Spring

Elizabeth was devastated on May 22nd, Voting Day.  Not because her candidates lost, but because she thought she wasn't registered to vote.  But I saw her name on the registry when I voted and that news made her day!  You're welcome.  Here she is, minutes later, running out in the rain to vote, like all good Democrats should.  Go Amy McGrath!
Elizabeth "finished" school a week ago - seniors' grades were due 7 days before school ended.  This week has been full of special senior activities, like a senior breakfast at Georgetown College and Field Day.  Here she is with her dear friend Emily.  Their beautiful friendship goes back at least 15 years.

Michael and his friend Bricen enjoyed (that might be stretching it) working on their Entrepreneurship: Shoes presentation for their business course.  Through their company, 2 Men N Sum Shoes (don't judge), they buy name brand sneakers, clean them up (with lots of elbow grease, according to one of their slides), and resell them for profit.  They provided advice on creating a catchy slogan, memorable phone number, and cool name (again, don't judge).  I loved hearing them practice and pretending to be their peer, asking thought-provoking questions.  They definitely earned that A.

And of course there has been basketball.  Michael's U16 Prodigy team won a tournament last weekend (left photo).  Prodigy also has a U17 team, which has struggled this year.  Last weekend they asked Michael to play up a level and be on their team.  He did, he rocked, and they won the entire tournament!

Mother's Day weekend activities sent us to multiple locations. I was selected by the GC seniors to give the faculty speech during the graduation banquet.  Michael was off to Indiana with Angie and her sons for a weekend of basketball.  Elizabeth worked each day.  And my three beautiful siblings arrived for hard work at Mom's.  Here we are, happily taking a break from the papers and piles and personal effects.  Life would be so much tougher across the board, were it not for my siblings.

Steven has taken on so many responsibilities related to Mom's estate, including the dreaded medical bill mountain.  He has done incredible work with her home as well, even recruiting Bricen and Michael to spend last Saturday in Morehead raking dirt and moving furniture.  Her home looks so beautiful.  The real estate agent posted 73 (!) photos on-line as evidence.  In spite of all the long phone calls he makes and physical labor he endures related to mom's estate, he remains enthusiastic, supportive, optimistic, and loving.  Always finding time for his family ... and our dogs.  Love that man.