Goodbye Florida, Hello Utah...BYU Bound!

I don't even like to think of it as a goodbye but the time has come that the boys are spreading their wings and flying the coop. I guess I should feel grateful they are leaving to live in a place that we will be living in too... at some point... and a place where we have lots of family and friends but that won't take away from the sadness I'll feel everytime I sit down for dinner and see their empty seats. For years, they have looked forward to someday going to college at BYU and are lucky enough to have friends from all chapters of their lives who will also be calling Provo home. One of my favorite memories I'll have of life in our Florida home will be looking out back and seeing kids being pulled behind jet skis, a basketball game being played in the pool or a media room full of boys playing video games and watching movies. I'm definitely going to miss not having a full house...and boy it was especially full the last week before they took off.

The last week in Florida...






I was so grateful to Jack for flying back to Florida to spend time with Sage while I flew with the boys out to Utah to get them settled.  It was also comforting to know the boys would find many familiar faces in Provo when they arrived in addition to grandma and grandpa including friends from NY, Seattle, Ohio, and Florida.  And I must admit I too looked forward to crossing paths with old friends who would also be dropping off kids!

Move in day...  Jack had taken plenty of suitcases of their stuff out with him in the weeks leading up to them moving out but there was still plenty of hours spent shopping for all those last minute things they needed to get them fully settled in their dorm room! They were happy to be in Helaman Halls Building 9 where their good friend Will would also be.   With Covid still at the center of everything college life would be very different including a staggered move in of all the kids into the dorms allowing for social distancing, a majority of online courses, masks, and no social events but everyone seems to be making the most of it.   

Thankfully this goodbye was easy knowing in a matter of weeks I'd be back but that doesn't take away from my heart still feeling the weight of knowing I have empty bedrooms to return to in Florida...