Seattle Send-Off

It's so hard to believe it's been almost two months since we got back from Seattle!

Now that we've returned to something of a new "normal" around our house and all my pictures have been downloaded and I can talk about the trip without tears streaming down my face...

HERE I AM!

Wednesday, September 24 we awoke at 2:45 am to begin our adventure to Seattle.

We rented this monstrosity of a vehicle! We had it loaded and were driving away by 3:45.

(Dom's friends, the twins, came to say good-bye. So sweet!)

We had hoped that leaving so early would increase our chances of The Littles going back to sleep for a while.

NO SUCH LUCK! 

Those kids didn't sleep a wink the whole 36 hours we were on the road over the course of the trip.

It was pretty amazing though...we all (except Dom who was smart and DID sleep) got to watch the sunrise together.

And experience some amazingly beautiful views.

Here they are...jammies and all. We put The Littles in the second seat, within arms reach.

Dominic got his own row to spread out and sleep comfortably ;)

I had spent a considerable amount of time preparing for the long car ride and had put together a box of things/activities the kids had never seen before. We pulled from the box regularly to keep them busy, in addition to hours of movie watching.

Here they are with "special detective glasses" on to help them find everything on their travel Bingo pages. Dominic played too and I was surprised when he asked, "How come I don't get glasses?"

Hilarious!

P.S. I'm doing a separate post on car activities sometime soon.

That Wednesday we arrived at our planned destination in Portland at 4:30 pm.

That was a LONG 14 hours on the road!

I do have to say though that everyone was in really good moods and excited for the journey.

The most complaining we heard was from The Littles in regards to when we could pull another activity from "the special box."

After checking into our hotel I took Connor and Emma to the pool for a swim, we all went to dinner, and were asleep by 8:30. I'm surprised we lasted that long! (However Emmy did fall asleep in the booth at dinner. Poor girl was wiped out!)

We were up early the next morning and made it to SPU by 11:30 am. (Only 4 hours of driving!!)

Seattle welcomed us with rain, to Dominic's delight.

We immediately found his dorm and started moving him in.

Let me tell you...old narrow streets, lots of hills, a van the size of a small bus, 1 excited college student, 2 rambunctious kids, 2 numb parents, and rain...make for an interesting combination!

But we were welcomed by a community ready to help and excited for us to be there!

Dominic's roommate was just finishing unpacking when we arrived.

After getting everything from the van to Dominic's room, Jeff took the kids to release some energy while Dominic and I unpacked.

I never lived in a dorm myself and regardless of everyone else's experiences (good or bad), it was one of which I had always wished I could have had.

So exciting that Dominic gets this experience!

Jeff and the kids returned for some pictures before we ventured off to find lunch. 

The hallway...

and kitchen on his floor...

Main floor lobby...

And let's take just a minute to appreciate how beautiful the campus is...

We stopped at this one particular spot on campus where if you stand right in the middle of the bricks on the ground and clap, you hear a squeak.

I know it sounds weird but it's actually kinda cool.

And every time we walked through here the kids had to stop and clap. So funny!

The next few hours we juggled energetic Littles and getting Dominic all settled in with things like his student ID, figuring out the best way to get all his textbooks and trying to get his mailbox open!

We did have some time to kill before an official welcome so Dominic walked us down to the canal close to the school. It was so pretty! It was here that I started to love Seattle.

(Side note: This is the one school that Dominic had visited alone.

Neither Jeff or I had ever been.)

There was a lot of "killing time" while waiting for this or that.

There was really only so much exploring that could be done.

Jeff, Emmy and I were fighting colds so Jeff and I started chugging Airborne in between engagements. No time for sickness!

There were a lot of events for parents and families on Thursday and Friday, most of which were speeches done by administrators or faculty on topics such as campus security, "Empty Nesting," etc...

This particular one was a formal indoctrination. It was such a nice welcome!

At the end, all of the faculty formed a circle around the perimeter of the floor and the students were asked to fill in the middle.

 We prayed over the students and then each of them were handed a pin.

"SPU*Engaging the Culture*Changing the World"

I was doing alright emotionally at this point, until Emma Kate, standing in front of me, looked up and said through teary eyes, "Mommy, I'm going to miss him!"

I lost it. Tears streamed down my face. That lump formed in my throat that had been there every time over the past year in which I had envisioned this event. And for a moment, time stood still. The craziness of all of the traveling paused. Dominic was all moved in. The parent programs were done. We would leave this building and say good-bye  see you soon. 

I was excited.

I was sad.

And I realized my Littles were feeling the same way.

(Here 2 months later, it still makes me teary.)

*It helped to know that we would be back one more time Sunday morning to go to church with him before leaving Seattle.*

We took a few minutes to get some family photos before we left.

And Sunday after church it was a little rough saying good-bye.

Dominic, you are SO prepared for this. It's not always going to be easy and you may get a little home sick. But we will always be here to be your support and sounding board. 

Go forth.

Learn.

Grow.

Make a difference.

Develop relationships.

Laugh.

Give thanks.

And every once in a while, stop and really soak it all in.

The time goes really fast!

-Love your biggest cheerleader,

Mom

Things are Changin'

 I know I've been playing catch up lately and slowly making my way through the beginning of this year. But I think it's time I pause the catch up and be in the moment for a while. There is so much happening with the kids starting school and getting ready to send Dominic up to Seattle that I really want to write about it as it's happening, not several months from now. I need to make sense of all the emotions I'm feeling...how one minute I'm excited, the next...frustrated, and two seconds later I'm in tears with sadness that he's moving away.

Several months ago Dominic was invited to give a sermon in the main service at church. He gladly accepted and had lots of time to prepare. He's been in several leadership rolls over the last few years in youth group and has really become involved with the leaders of the church over the past year. He also has spoken in the youth service at least a couple times. Dominic has always loved being on stage and ever since coming to this church, his love for Christ and studying the Bible has grown tremendously.

When he first spoke of the invitation, sure I knew it was special, but it wasn't till the day of, that it really sunk in. I was so nervous! He was calm and so ready to do this.

P.S. If you'd like to listen to it here's the link (25 minutes long)...

http://www.hopecenter.cc/files/Sermon_Aug_31_14.mp3

When he stood in front of the congregation that Sunday morning this mom could keep her composure no more. Tears streamed down my face (like in the ugly mascara running down my cheeks kind of way!) Sure I was proud beyond words. But somehow as I watched this man speaking up on that stage, there came a realization that it is time. Time to start letting go. We have done all we can to raise him to know the Lord and to prepare him for the next journey of his life. This is his time. Time to shine on his "own." Sure, we'll continue to be there, to guide him and give advice. And I fully recognize that he'll be back. In and out of our home as necessary over the upcoming years.

But here he was, in front of so many who have helped us along the way, those who were supportive advisers to him when he wouldn't, or couldn't come to us. There he was teaching all of them. And us!

And I only pray that as he ventures off to Seattle he will teach more; that he'll continue to be a light and an example of love. That he'll continue to recognize the appropriate times in which he is being called to be a follower and then other times, a leader.

He is ready. SO ready for this next step! He has worked so hard for this and it's really exciting to see his hard work paying off. And I'm ready too, truth be told. 

But then there's this lump that forms in my throat every time there's a "last." 

Like his last day of high school.

Or his last day at work.

It's hard to believe he's been at Krispie Kreme for 2 YEARS!

That lump in my throat gets bigger every time I walk into his room and see that more things have been packed away and everything is gone from his bedroom walls. 

 And then that lump turns to tears as I see the kids writing notes to each other on their bathroom mirror.

But this is it right?!

This is what we spend 18 years preparing for! This is why we push and challenge and support them from the very moment we lay our eyes on those tiny fingers and toes.

 

Dominic, we are so proud of you. Beyond words!

It has been a joy and an honor to be your mom.

I cannot wait to see how God works in your life over the upcoming years.

You are an amazing young man and everywhere you go God shines His love through you.

What more could a mom ask for?!

I love you "more than words can say."

-Mom

 

Now, you ready?!

 

SCHWAB FAMILY ROAD TRIP!!!

 

3rd and Pre-K!

This year all 3 of the kids are starting school at different times, which has been quite nice, allowing for some adjustment in between each 1st day.

Connor started 3rd Grade August 25. 

He has Mrs. McCabe for a teacher this year and we knew nothing about her until Connor peaked through the blinds of the classroom to see a Buster Posey bobblehead sitting on the shelf.

Done!

That was enough for Connor to decide that she was the BEST TEACHER EVER!

When I heard that the district awarded her with the "Teacher of the Year" award last year, that was enough for me to be convinced.

P.S. I kind of like it when we don't know anything about a teacher ahead of time. No preconceived ideas and we get to decide on our own how good, or not-so-good she is.

My ginormous little man...long socks and all!

The second we stepped in the classroom I was reminded how young he still is.

There's even a rocking chair in the room. LOVE IT!

I about came out of my skin when I saw his name tag! 

This is the year they learn cursive!

(I still remember how excited I was to learn how to write "pretty.")

So glad they still teach it:)

Then there's My Emmers!

September 7 was her first day of Pre-K. 3 days a week this year! The same 3 days that I'm at work so we can still have our Tuesday's and Thursday's together another year.

She was so excited!

The poor girl ate it at the park the day before and scratched up her face pretty well.

She was a little concerned people would notice. Seriously?!

Look how tall she is next to her best friend, Charlotte!

P.S. I think Heidi and I would look exactly like this if we had a picture together at this age! Lol!

SO CUTE! I absolutely love these two!

And...she found her cubby!

It was so strange to not have Dominic starting school too. He's started the same day as Connor for several years now and it definitely was weird!

He will start September 29. 

CRAZY TIMES AROUND HERE PEOPLE!!!

Vegas Baby!!

These days it's a rare opportunity to get together with girlfriends.

Life is so busy and work, families, etc... become a priority.

So when the opportunity for us all to take a girl trip to Vegas came along...

well...this is what happens...

Lots of selfies! 

Lots of laughs.

Britney Spears.

Crazy sights. Only in Vegas!

Amazing restaurants!

The absolute BEST part though is getting to spend time with amazing women, some of which live close, and some very far away!

(So sad I didn't get more pics.)

UNTIL NEXT TIME LADIES...!

Only a Matter of Time

I know in many of my posts I talk about the idea of time and how quickly it marches on. I probably sound like a broken record and if anyone else, aside from my kiddos, ever read this, I'm sure you can relate!

The fact that I haven't written one single post since the beginning of January attests to the business of life and how quickly life really does pass us by. Here I am faced with the last weekend of summer already! I have "missed" birthday's, end-of-the-school-year, Easter, graduation, 4th of July, and many family adventures this summer...yet I haven't really missed anything at all. As the days go faster and time with our oldest son still in the house quickly slips away, I have become so much more intentional about being in the moment. These past months have given me perspective on the time we have with the kids, actually the time we have with anyone we really care about. This is partly why I haven't been writing. I do want to catch up though...if for no other reason than to have documentation of a really amazing year!

I look back to this time last year when Emma Kate was starting pre-school, Connor, the 2nd grade, and Dominic...his senior year of high school. I was so stressed about the college application process, visiting schools, and just how it all would come together. And here we are, ready for Connor and Emmy to go back to school. And savoring our last few weeks with Dom. Time and time again the Lord shows that He will never fail me if I continue to trust in Him. Why? Why do I continue to try to be in control?!

So I'm not sure where to go from here...over and over again I've debated whether to just ditch the year and begin fresh from here, or to go back down memory lane of 2014. If I started again from today, I would be cheating the kids out on so much, which is really why I do this...for them. So to anyone who reads blogs anymore, much less, mine...I'm sorry...you may read about Christmas in August or Easter in September; possibly even summer vacations in October. But to my kids...this is my gift to you. Hopefully someday as you read these posts, memories will come flooding back, bringing warmth in your heart and a smile to your face. I LOVE YOU!!!

George Fox Visit

The last time I wrote about Dominic's college journey, he had just been accepted to George Fox and Whitworth.

Since then, he was also accepted to his other 2 schools of choice...Northwest and Seattle Pacific.

All offered him Presidential Scholarships of 1/2, if not almost 1/2 of his annual tuition every year for the full 4 years.

George Fox and Whitworth invited him to participate in their scholarship competitions held in February and March, competing for additional departmental scholarships. We had known about these scholarship competitions for quite some time. We chose to save money and wait to visit the schools during this time.

This particular weekend, February 6-9, we were headed to George Fox. Dominic had conversed many times with their admissions advisor and was really excited to visit!

The plan:

Thursday morning Dominic was to fly up and take a school shuttle from the airport to school, where he would stay till Saturday afternoon. The students were to begin their weekend with a seminar given by a guest speaker and followed by a gala to get the weekend rolling.

On the home front, it took lots of coordinating, and quite frankly-headache, to get The Littles and dogs taken care of while Jeff and I were to take an early flight Friday morning to join Dominic at the school. There was a whole parents' program planned for the weekend while the students were competing. In addition, Dr. Clair, the dean of the Honor's Program, which Dominic had been invited to join, had invited our family, as well as others, for a casual pizza dinner at his home. All three of us had planned to stay Saturday night at our hotel and return home on Sunday, Dominic's 18th birthday!

Here's what really happened:

Thursday morning we woke to the worst storm we had faced all winter! The freeways were backed up with flooding, roads buckling, and accidents. Flooding and accidents were found on many side streets as well.

I was already nervous about the weekend. So many details. So much coordinating.

So much riding on this very weekend!

So I said a prayer and Dom and I headed for the airport.

The rain had subsided enough to give me some encouragement that everything was going to work out. I was feeling better on my way home from the airport after dropping him off, until the phone rang. It was Dominic.  He was standing in front of the check-in counter at the airport. They had advised him not to fly.  There was a serious storm advisory in the Portland area and there was a good chance that his flight would be re-routed. Since he was under age they wouldn't be able to put him up in a hotel if that occurred.

"What should I do Mom?"

Ummm....I don't know!!!

Put my son on this plane with the chance of him being stuck for hours, maybe days, in a random airport by himself?

Is it safe?

What if I tell him not to go and the plane lands safely in its intended destination?

I would feel so bad!

Could I risk him not being in this competition?!

He said he still wanted to try to go when my momma instincts kicked in...

I told him to see if there was room on our flight the next morning. This would give time for the storm to pass. After all, the competition didn't actually start till the next day. He would miss one of the three competitions he was in but it was better than not going at all.

There was, in fact, room on our flight and I prepared to head back to the airport to pick him up.

Until he called again.

Almost everyone had boarded the plane.

A man had heard Dominic talking to the lady at the counter, came over to him, told him that he was sending his own teenage sons on the plane. He had spoken with the pilot, who assured him that he would be able to land the plane in Portland as planned.

"Mom, I want to go! I have to hurry, they're closing the gate!"

This is a moment in a mom's life when she has to let go and understand that this is God's way of saying, "He needs to do this. On his own."

And as scary as that was, my response was, "CALL ME THE SECOND YOU LAND!"

And praise God! He did. It was a scary flight but they made it. However, the school had cancelled all the shuttles (driven by older students) to the airport due to dangerous road conditions. Seriously?! 

 Oh but wait...Dr. Clair, DEAN OF THE HONORS COLLEGE (and interviewer for honor's competitions,) was headed to the airport to pick up that evening's speaker, and would pick Dominic up as well!

So yes, he spent 2 1/2 hours in the car with these two gentlemen, getting to know them,

and visa-versa.  

Next it was our turn. At home the storm had subsided.

We were yet again...encouraged.

But when Jeff and I landed in Portland...

not so much!

We were so nervous! To many, driving in the snow is no big deal.

To Jeff and Laura Schwab...terrifying!

We rented our car, with maximum insurance, and slowly, very slowly, made the what normally is a 45 minute drive from Portland to Newburg.

Seriously! Portland gets snow but not snow like this! Every local that we came in contact with explained how this was the worst storm they had had in over 5 years!

Finally our car slid into the parking lot of the school!

And a very handsome young man was there, in between lunch and his afternoon competition,

to greet us!

To see his smiling face made everything worth it!

(Ha! In one competition a professor commented on Dominic's choice of wardrobe...school colors.

He had NO idea!)

The school was a winter wonderland!

And as bummed as we were to not get to see the campus in its usual conditions, it was beautiful!

We spent the day walking slipping from hall to hall for this presentation and that.

(Did you know that Uggs don't have much traction?!) Thank God for my hubby who saved me from eating sh** SO many times!

I cannot tell you how "warm" and inviting everyone was!

And the staff all knew Dominic by name. Of course!

Here is where I need to remind you that Dominic ONLY applied to private Christian universities.

Most of his high school years he begged to transfer to a Christian high school. He longed to be part of a learning community who shared in his beliefs. He was tired of fighting the secular teachings of his school, to which we always responded, "Grow where you're planted." and "Be a light to others no matter where you are."

But that was high school.

This is college.

God blessed him with an incredible intellect, one that has opened many doors wide open for him.

And private schools with amazing scholarships was one of those doors.

This was his opportunity to be a part of a community of believers.

The Honor's Program at George Fox offers a replacement of General Ed with an enriched program of studying great works with a Biblical foundation, in addition to all classes being taught by believers.

Perfect for Dominic! 

In every speech or presentation over the weekend the underlying message was,

"We want to help your student become all that God has intended."

(Even if that means attending another school.)

It was genuine.

It felt like home.

For us.

And for Dominic.

So many times Jeff and I glanced at each other with the look that said,

"This is his home."

The day's activities were wrapping up and plans were developing for heading to Dr. Clair's house for dinner.

On a hill.

Snow still steadily falling.

(It hadn't stopped all day!)

And it was now dark.

The kids were able to get a ride but clearly we would be on our own for transportation.

No way. We were DONE!

We said good-night to Dominic and found a little pizza place on the way back to our hotel.

"Abby's Pizza."

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

Not only was the pizza delicious and the ambiance warm and inviting, but we were quickly coming to the realization that this community was SO different from home!

Everyone was friendly!

People we didn't know actually smiled and looked us in the eye as they walked by!

Life in this small town centered around the university.

Shortly after finding seats around the fire pit at Abby's, another couple sat down next to us with their 2-year-old-son. We began talking with this couple, only to find that he was an alumni and they, as a couple, mentor new students. They gave us their information and told us to have Dominic call them if he needed ANYTHING. They were a wealth of information about the school and the community.

Jeff and I left Abby's Friday night with full bellies AND hearts filled with love for this place and the people.

Saturday brought more competitions...

Political Science and the Multicultural Competition.

Dominic was the ONLY "competitor" for the Political Science scholarship!

(SO many students did not show up due to the weather.)

And finally after competitions were over we toured the dorms.

The group of families we toured with were awesome! Such great people, mostly from Washington and Oregon.

And I wasn't the only one slipping all over the place!

Dominic was in dress shoes and as I type I still giggle picturing him slip every 5 or 6 steps!

I think he only fell twice over the whole weekend though:)

Everything at school wrapped up by late Saturday afternoon and everyone was advised to get home before dark due to the freeze that was expected that night. GREAT!

We tried to find a place to eat dinner only to find almost the whole town had closed up.

We did finally find somewhere. At dinner Dominic was sad. He didn't want to leave this community. He explained how everything just felt right and he didn't want to wait seven plus months to return. 

We had to get Dom out of his funk and certainly weren't going to do that sitting in a hotel room for the rest of the evening. I was able to talk Jeff into trying to find the closest movie theatre.

Thanks to the wonderful Google Map on my phone, we ended up in a neighborhood, a court in fact.

No theatre.

Hmmm....NOT a happy hubby!

We drove past car after car crashed into snow banks alongside the rode on our way back to the hotel.

Once there, Jeff refused to drive again till the next morning when we would venture back to the airport. I don't blame him! It was scary!

But after some research on our phones, we found another movie theatre!

Within walking distance!

A quarter mile.

Not too far in the snow.

Ha!

I literally had ice crystals in my hair!

We were freezing.

And NEVER found that theatre either.

But we had so much fun on that walk!

We joked and laughed and were silly.

And we were drenched by the time we arrived back to the hotel!

It didn't matter though, we were making memories.

The next morning we decided to make a go of it.

We scraped.

And scraped.

And scraped the car.

Jeff white-knuckled it all the way back to the airport.

It was way worse than the trip on Friday.

We got to the airport in plenty of time.

Enjoyed one last meal together just the 3 of us.

And flew home.

Happy Birthday Dominic!

A couple weeks later we found out that he won both the Honor's Scholarship and the Political Science Scholarship, the maximum amount possible. Yay Dominic!

YOU ROCK!

I think back to the days when it was just you and I in our apartment in Sacramento when I was in college and am so grateful for how far we've come!

I love you and am so proud of you!

No matter where you "end up" you'll be a blessing to everyone around you.