We spent the day on campus for Open House.  It was hot and muggy later in the afternoon, during the walking tour around campus, but, other than that, we had a great day!!  It was a very informative day, and I feel much better about letting her go off  to college.  Many questions were answered, many fears calmed,  for both of us, mainly my fears, of course.  We had a great lunch on the international lawn, complete with watermelon and a live band playing in the background.  This is where Pistol Pete was hanging out for photo ops!  Isn't he the BEST college mascot EVER?!?!  Who couldn't love him? 

We were both very impressed by the newly renovated Colvin Center.  I am quite envious.   I now want to return to college,  just so I may go to the Colvin Center every day to work out, swim, and climb the awesome rock wall!!!  I had told Morgan about the WONDERFUL library on campus for years.  It is the best library I have ever been in.  However, it is also much improved,  if that's even possible.  It's amazing how much better everything is throughout the campus, since I was there many, many moons ago.  The students now have so many more supportive services and opportunities.  It's an amazing school and a wonderful opportunity  for Morgan to attend and earn her degree/s.  I am so proud of her!!

This is my baby girl. She just graduated from high school, and is about to embark upon a new adventure...COLLEGE!!!  An exciting time for her; a very, very scary time for mom!!  I just can't believe it's time to start "letting go".  I'm just not ready.  I'm sure she'll do fine and go on to accomplish great things, but, she's still my baby girl, and I want to keep her here with me forever and protect her.  I'm excited for her, I really am.  It's just so hard to let go of someone you've nurtured, protected, and loved for almost eighteen years.  Gulp.  We can do this.

I must say, once again, I am thoroughly enjoying my summer break! I'll even take it one step further, and venture to say that this has to be THE absolute BEST summer EVER!!!! Change is in the air, for sure. Good changes, scary changes, exciting changes! I've never been one to balk at change. It's always been a huge part of my life, as it is for everyone else, I'm sure. Many, many new and different things have been and will be happening in the VERY near future. I can't wait to tell you all about them as they unfold this summer!!!

I can't believe it is already June!! I only have two and a half more months with my baby girl. She will go off to college before I know it. She is already starting to assert her independence and is enjoying it much more than I'd like, driving all over creation to visit old friends, relatives, summer concerts, and such. Ahhh...to be footloose and fancy free!!

There is much to do this summer to get her ready for her new life as a college freshman. She STILL needs to get this "taking medicine" thing down!!! I have spoiled her and ALWAYS made sure she takes it on time. I should have made her be more responsible for this chore WAY before now. I know, I'll admit it, I am remiss in my duty of instilling responsibility. The independence thing, she's got down to a "T". My number one fear for her being at college is that she will forget to take her medicine and wind up in the hospital or even worse. She doesn't understand that all of her meds. are what keep her alive, even though I've mentioned it to her more than a few times. Most of her meds. are for heart failure. She just doesn't get it. She takes a whole handful in the morning at 7:00 or 7:30, at the latest, more at the same time in the evening, then, yet, a few more right before bedtime. There are probably eight or nine pills in the morning, four in the evening, then, five before bed.

Case in point: it is now 8:01 a.m., and she STILL has not taken her medicine, and then, come to tell me that she has taken it. We are not making much progress are we?

So saddened by my good friend's loss. She lost her precious, sweet, little six month old baby grandson yesterday morning. He was born with some very serious heart conditions. He endured many procedures and surgeries during his short, six months here on Earth. I never saw him in person, but, did see many photos, and heard some sweet, sweet stories about this little trooper. His grandmother and the rest of his family were very proud of him and loved him SO much. I truly thought this little guy would pull out of this and survive, just like my baby girl, who is now seventeen. I prayed for a miracle. Many, many people prayed for a miracle. Who knows? Maybe the miracle is that he is no longer in pain, no longer struggling to take a breath, no longer hooked up to monitors, etc. Bless his heart...he will be missed. He was so loved by his sweet family.

Ahhhh....my first actual "free Friday"!!! My first Friday of summer break!!! Can I just say a great big, fat, whopping WOO-HOO!?!? I've only been out of school for four days now, but, I'm loving every minute of it already!

Enjoyed my first day out of school this past Tuesday by taking off by myself, going to my favorite gym for a GREAT workout, getting a much needed pedicure, hanging out at my favorite book store in T-town, and just plain 'ol lolly-gagging around town, looking at lots of cool summer clothes, baby clothes for the grandbaby (Jakob, soon to make an appearance), items for Morgan's dorm room next fall, etc. However, I didn't really buy much at all, except a first aid kit for Morgan to take to college, a set of hand-print and foot-print plaques for little Jakob, a set of football and soccer wall plaques/hooks to hang in Jakob's room, and a new summer purse! Everyone has been hinting that it was time to ditch my humongous, ugly brown leather hobo purse (which, I actually LOVE), so, I succumbed to the peer/daughter pressure, and bought a smaller, brightly-colored plaid hand-bag, at Target!! I know, big spender, eh?

Let's see, Wednesday...wasn't extremely busy. I got a new haircut, well, not really new, just a regular maintenance trim, I guessed I'd say. I had one massage to give to a new client!! The other client had to cancel, so, it made for a very easy day. Love my new client; she is a very sweet lady who happens to do manicures and pedicures!! I asked if she would be interested in trading pedicures for massages. She said, "Yes!" Yay!! I'm excited!! I love to barter!! That's how I get a weekly massage myself!! I trade out with another wonderful lady, who gives great massages!!

Thursday, I just HAD to get some house cleaning in!!! I have actually been dying to work on my severely neglected house. It was absolutely horrible!!! I got a lot done, but, no where near finished completely. At least, the living room and kitchen now look a lot better. I still have a ton of organizing and culling to do. I am ready to clear ALL clutter, once and for all. That is my number one initiative for the summer break....de-clutter, donate, throw away, organize, and super-duper, heavy duty cleaning!!! Got to get the house clean and ready for little grandbaby, Jakob!!Look out, Mr. Clean!!!

After a full day of cleaning, I was able to get back to (I hope) my regularly scheduled weekly massage. Due to numerous end-of-school activities, (my Senior daughter and my own school responsibilities), I had missed the last two or three weeks of massage trade outs. :( I was in desperate need of a good massage, especially after starting that new Zumba class!!! Ewwwee, ouchee!!! I had knots I didn't even know about, until getting my WONDERFUL massage!!! It was WAY past due. Regular massage...a must!! Note to self: no more skipping massage day, EVER!!!!

That brings us to today. Much in store for the next few days!! Meeting with two different groups of friends today and tonight, then, more friends tomorrow, massages to be given tomorrow, swimming, cookout, etc. Much fun this weekend!! Can't wait!!

Loving life right now!! I don't think it could get any better!!! :)

Yes!!! Only two more Fridays left in this school year!! Ahhhhhh...... I am loving life right now!!! It will be even better in eleven days!!! :) SUMMER BREAK!!!! A teacher's favorite words!! Well, next to "SNOW DAY"!!!

I think I'm just about as happy as I could possibly be!! Many new beginnings on the horizon...Morgan will be starting college in the fall...(bittersweet beginnings..sad to see her leave the nest, but, excited for her possibilities)...Jake and Amanda are having their first baby this summer...and who knows what the future holds? I think it's looking pretty wonderful right now!

Never went back to sleep!! Now, I have this lovely headache...coffee time...Lord, please help me make it through this day!!

Why is it that I slept like a rock last night, through all the storms and tornado warnings, and yet, tonight, I have a horrible case of stinkin' insomnia?? Go figure. I mean, I slept hard last night...best sleep in a long time. Tonight, no can do. Ughhhhh..... Could it be I have just a few hundred things on my mind??? Hmmm....let's see, what could that possibly be? Let me count the things...

1. Baby girl has only three days left of her Senior year. :(

2. Said baby girl is not feeling well tonight. She had a migraine at bedtime.

3. She also thinks one of her lead wires (for her pacemaker/defibrillator might
disconnected). She tells me this right before she goes to sleep, with me.
That also tells me she is worried about it, when she wants to sleep with me,
I know she's worried or scared, or both.

4. I also just find out late this evening that there is an awards assembly at
her school tomorrow. Who tells me this? The school secretary calls me. Have
I been asking Morgy about this for the last couple of weeks? YES, I have. Did
she ever tell me when it was? NO, she didn't. I just hope my boss will let
me take the afternoon off so I can go watch the assembly. They have been SO
understanding, under the circumstances....me missing nine days in a row, when
Morgy had her surgery.

5. So much paperwork to do at school, and only eight more days to do it!!

6. So much packing and cleaning to do in my classroom, and only eight more days
to do it.

7. So much cleaning to do at my house!!! UGH...

8. Morgy will be going off to college in just a few short months. I won't be
there to make sure she takes her medicine. This is my biggest concern. She is
so not there yet, and it's all my fault. I am guilty. I have not made her be
responsible for her own medicine. This summer is our last chance to get this
accomplished. I've told her if she can't do it on her own, no college. It's
a matter of life and death. Most of her meds. are for heart failure. One
CAN'T forget to take heart failure meds. It's just not an option. Teenagers
shouldn't have to deal with that. Kids shouldn't have to deal with that. So,
I guess I dealt with it a little too long. It's her turn now. This will be
the hardest thing to turn over to her. I thought the driver's license was
hard. Lord, help me. Lord, PLEASE help her to remember...EVERY DAY.

9. I feel a great need to get my house in order. Me, Miss Unorganized Woman of
the Century, feels a very strong urge to clean and purge!!

10. I feel over-scheduled already. My summer is already scheduled!! Massages all
over the calendar. That's a good thing, I mean, for my business, however, I
kind of miss my teacher summers. :( I have tried to keep a three or four day
weekend in place though, so I can enjoy a little bit of my summer.

11. Swimming pool...ugh, here we go again....needs to be cleaned, scrubbed, and
refilled. What a chore!! However, my son, Jake, has so graciously
volunteered to help me with that!! It was so nice last summer to have him
living right next door, and so ready to help with the maintenance of the pool!

12. Many, many other things on my mind...lots of things to do, to consider, to
complete, to take care of...what happened to the concept of "slowing down" in
your old age? I think I'm busier now, than I have ever been in my entire
life!!

Now, that I have worked through this and jotted down the thoughts that are possibly
contributing to my insomnia, I am actually starting to get a little sleepy, but, alas, it is almost time for my alarm to go off!! Ha!! I see extra coffee in my very near future!! Eight more days of school, THEN, maybe I can get caught up with most of the things I need to do. Goodnight, all.

I guess I should say we've survived March and April with very few tornadoes. However, it appears that tonight may be a very different story. They are calling for multiple, large, long lasting tornadoes, winds up to 80 mph, baseball size hail, etc. This is normal for our part of the country.

I have our survival kit ready, which consists of my daughter's gallon size baggie of all of her various heart medications. That's it, pretty much. Oh, and socks and tennis shoes. Something about a tornado warning, just makes me want to have on socks and tennis shoes. Not flip flops. Not sandals. Not boots. Just good 'ol socks and tennis shoes. Don't want my feet to get all wet and slippery. Need to be ready to run, you know, just in case....

I don't usually stress over this stuff. Growing up in this state, it's just a normal springtime occurrence. I have seen several tornadoes in my lifetime. Not fun. No, not at all. But, the good Lord has spared me and mine, thus far. I am thankful for that.