We’re Off! BYU or Bust!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008, by Leigh Anne

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If things have gone according to plan we are on the road! Beginning our 12 hour drive to Utah. I hope everything fit in the car!

I usually post a recipe on Wednesday but I am hoping you will indulge me a little while longer with my story of woe and misery - sending my daughter off to college.

I want to share with you some remembrances of home I am sending with her. Not that I think she will forget me but I just want her to have some visual reminders of home and those who love her while she is away at college.

In one of those moments when she might feel a little homesick - hopefully one of these items will bring her a little comfort.

Her Quilt - as part of our Senior Quilt Night at church I made a quilt for Cali. All the ladies at church took part in tying it to show their love and support for the girls that were graduating. I hope every time she wraps up and snuggles in this soft quilt she will remember all the women who love her and support her- especially her mom.

Her Graduation Necklace - I gave this to Cali for her high school graduation. I purchased it online at Charming Gifts. The necklace has three charms - a C for Cali, a topaz stone for her birth month and a butterfly. The meaning of the butterfly is :

A new beginning; “If there was no change, there would be no butterflies”

This is a time of change for her, for me and our relationship. But change is good and beautiful things come as a result!

A Dream - Do Notebook - I made this notebook for her and on each page I put a quote about dreaming and doing. She can use it as her To Do list, assignment notebook etc. I hope that each day as she puts her To Do list together she will read that day’s quote and be inspired.

One of my favorite quotes I included is:

“We all have possbilities we don’t know about. We can do things we don’t even dream we can do.”

- Dale Carnegie

Did I Tell You Storybook: I actually put this together for Cali’s 18th birthday. I used the poem by Elizabeth Knapp . I hope this book will be a reminder of the “Life Lesson’s” that I have tried to share with her. I found pictures of Cali to go along with the poem. It is a real tear jerker!

Here is how the poem begins:

“Now that you are almost grown I look back and ask myself, Did I tell you? Did I tell you all that I meant to tell you, all that I felt was important.

Did I tell you or was it lost in the shuffle of our everyday lives, the busy full days when we taught and didn’t know it. What did we teach? Was it strong? Was it good? Will it root you in something real that will allow you to grow with a firm and sound foundation? Did I tell you….”

And finally the gift I will leave with her when I leave her… (O.K. I’m crying already as I write this!!!)…

This great print from Brian Andreas of Storypeople. The print says:

There has never been a day when I have not been proud of you, I said to my daughter, though some days I’m louder about other stuff so it’s easy to miss that.

I hope she will always remember this.

I know I have told her how proud I am of her over and over again but on those days when she may be doubting herself or her abilities I want her to have this visual reminder in her room of how proud I am of her - always have been and always will be.

I love you Cali!

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