“…use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows.  For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence:  

Love others as you love yourself.”  Galations 5

*****

I went and got my nails painted dark bright pink today.  They are soooooo pretty!

House is clean and Caleb should be home soon and then an hour later the little kids will be home and then. . . . .David has his very first soccer game!  So exciting.

I want to post the photos we took when we took Grace to college.  It’s been a few weeks now and yes it is strange to not have her presence in the home. . . .we miss her.  But those feelings of “missing” are balanced nicely with feelings of “so proud of you.”

We drove the truck as she had lots of stuff.   She arrived before her roommate did and we were greeted by a nice group of people who promptly carried her things inside for us.

This cozy communal living room is just outside her dorm room.  I imagine lots of fun will be had here all school year long.

In no time at all, she had her things put just where she wanted them.

So many times she has stood in the gap for us as big sister/babysitter when necessary, and they have a close bond.  They know she loves them.

I say this all the time to the kids only I say it in modern English:

“You’re going to be fine.”

I feel that I must try the medieval way next time.

I told her if she ever feels lonely to just go to the library and….. “all shall be well, all manner of things shall be well.”  After all, her mother has been dragging her to libraries her entire life.

Meet the roommate!

Bless them.

*****

The college is close to where Rich and I grew up, so we have some connections to some of the people.  When I was a little girl, my young parents spent a lot of time with an older couple from church.  Our families at that time became very close and they had an older, teenage son who was such fun, my brother and I adored him.

Well, all of these years later, through our FB connections, we found out that our kids would be attending college together.  Literally, as I was moving in Grace, I went on Facebook and “randomly” discovered that Mike was moving in his son Caleb at the same time.  So of course we had to meet up later!

*******

Rich spent the entire next morning with Grace continuing to help her out with last minute things like what to do with her iPhone that she dropped and smashed right in the midst of moving in.

And then we had to say goodbye for a little while.  (Although we are always only a text away.)

One last family photo in the parking lot of the school.  Makes me laugh out loud.  I am being motherly and “helping” Caleb get in the photo.

“Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives.  That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse.  We have far more interesting things to do with our lives.  Each of us is an original.“

Galations 5

Grace, you’re an original!  And I love you.