4 Weeks...

Peyton has been away at college for four weeks. So far, so good...

I remember when we were so proud of ourselves as parents for keeping her alive for four weeks! It seemed like such a big milestone.

She seems to be loving college life. She dyed her hair the first week, so our cute redhead now looks like this:

I think she expected us to be mad. Honestly, I kind of like it. Go figure.

I'm assuming classes are going well. We really don't hear much from the "Great White North."  I think that's a good thing? Also, if you got that reference, you are SUPER cool...hoser.

We did get to see her over Labor Day. She and Emma sweet-talked Mark into letting them come home for the long weekend.

Macie was probably the most excited to see her...

 I think the feeling was mutual.

I'm sure Peyton was super excited to hop in the car again the next morning...

 It felt a little like this:

We put her to work at the Catholic fair booth at the Twin Falls County Fair Saturday night. I think Uncle Scott was happiest to see her there. He needed all the helpers he could get! We've been helping for the last several years and I think Peyton would have been bummed to miss out.

We got to have a little fair fun, and a lot of fair food on Sunday.

Mark missed his baby a wee bit I believe...

Not me though. I'm stoic...

We will get to see her for Homecoming the first weekend in October. I think we'll totally play it super casual though. ;-) Oh, and....Go Vandals!

Tverdy, party of 3...

Well, it's finally happened. The time has come for Peyton to leave for college. In fact, she and Mark drove away about an hour ago.

Even though we have been preparing for weeks, I think the denial is still super strong for all of us.

We walked by this pile so many times that I'm pretty sure we stopped noticing it!

It doesn't seem like too much stuff. I'm sure that dorm room will fill up quickly though.

Here it is in packed form...

I feel like I've been doing a pretty good job of staying chill. Especially since jury duty coincided with moving week. Nothing like having to wait until the last minute to see if you are able to travel. And I am the eternal optimist so I was SURE I would get to go. Finding out at the last minute that I didn't in fact get to go was bit heartbreaking.

I did lose it at Church Sunday. The priest had all of the students headed to college stand in the aisle and the congregation blessed them. That's so far been the only time I cried. I also made my people take photos after Mass to commemorate her last Sunday at home. They were thrilled.

We had a fun going away lunch with Emma's family after church. I hope she and Peyton will be successful roommates! I think they will do well.

Syd is still super terrified to be our sole focus. She's pretty sure swimming will take up a lot of time so she won't constantly be bugged by us. I imagine she'll find a few extra hobbies if we get too obnoxious.

As of now, I'm waiting to hear that they arrived safely. Tomorrow is official move-in and I made Mark promise they would face time me so I can at least see her room!

The tears haven't actually started yet, but I'm definitely on the brink of crying. I'm pretty sure it will be short lived if and when it comes. At least I hope so! Peyton will probably stay fairly tear-free since it's Mark there and not me. Fingers crossed anyway!

And it's ONLY 7 weeks til U of I's Homecoming and I get to see my girl again.

Life skills...

"I can't believe I'm 15 years old and I already have to pay taxes!" - Sydney Tverdy

Dude, you're preaching to the choir. I can't believe I'm 43 and still have to pay taxes!

A year or so ago, Peyton mentioned that she didn't think she was ready for college because she didn't know how to do anything.  Including filing tax returns. Well, as much as I think this would have been a good skill to teach her this year, I ended up just doing them for her...again. Maybe next year. (Yeah, right.) Hopefully we have prepared her for being on her own. Thankfully, she will have her friend Emma as a roommate. Pretty sure they will be a good balance of adulting skills. Peyton knows how to cook, do laundry, manage money. I'm not at all worried about her study skills. What are we missing? I'm sure there is something.





We seem to be screaming through April, which means my first baby will be turning 18 shortly. And then there is graduation. We should probably work on getting those announcements out. Throw in a few swim meets for Syd and another nerd camp and a driving test to obtain her license and she seems even busier than her sister.

I think the next few months are going to be a blur.

It's Official!

This chick is #UIdahoBound!

She's filled out the housing application and sent in her deposit. In 5 short months, she will be on campus.

How is that even possible?

I think we knew all along this is where she would end up. It makes the most sense in all aspects. She was accepted everywhere she applied, and received a crazy amount in scholarship offers. But none could come close to U of I financially.  Even Idaho State would have been more expensive. I'm not sure how that even happened.

We are pretty excited.

Some might say we brainwashed her...I'm not following that logic. ;-)

   

Just because she has always been drawn the the black and gold doesn't mean we had anything to do with it! She makes her own clothing choices. Always has...

What? ;-)

For now, she has her work cut out for her addressing these babies...

Being a grown-up isn't all it's cracked up to be sometimes. ;-)

Oh, and watch out Nate and Erin...it will be here before you know it!