ben leaves for school

it's been a couple of days filled with mixed feelings.

ben is off to university at colorado school of mines.

emma and i helped him move into the dorms.

as a mom, i am so happy for him 

to be starting this new stage of his life

and i am so proud of him for earning his way into this prestigious university.

but also as a mom, i am going to miss his daily presence in my life.

i will miss his energy, his positive attitude, his laugh, his music, his kind and quiet ways, 

his daily interaction and comradeship with sebastian.

as a mom, i hope i have been able to love and teach and pass on the tools and reserves

 he will need to meet the new and demanding challenges that he will face.

sigh......

up goes the university sticker on his back windshield,

a proud, american tradition.

another factor that is making this a tough few days is that emma leaves today

for duke university in north carolina.

these two have been inseperable for months and the greatest of friends as well.

again, what happy/sad days.

sigh......

emma hung all of his clothes and organized his desk for him.

ben has a great roommate named caleb.  we met his fun family too.

caleb is from colorado and playing football for mines as well.

i think the two of them will make a great pair supporting and encouraging 

each other in the classroom and on the field.

wow, what a nice dorm room and suite they have!

it is new and clean and spacious.  whoa, times have changed since i went to school.

today was csm's convocation ceremony for all the incoming freshman and

their parents.  

after hearing the speakers and scanning this crowd of oustanding classmates,

i am again so impressed with this university and it's extremely high standards yet

comfortable, supportive and down to earth atmosphere.  

i am very excited for you ben and know that you are in an environment in

which you can thrive.

this knowledge, calms my anxious heart.

with love and support always, 

and a reminder that we are just up the road a ways.

mom