houston, we have lift-off!

last thursday, M's long anticipated day finally arrived- it was time to take her to college. BJU in south carolina. which as i mentioned, is very far away. as in 700 miles far away. we were hesitant to take our car that far, so we rented a '06 dodge caravan. and it was really nice. i wanted to keep it, but dave made me give it back. we needed to take the girls with us, as B is still nursing, and we didn't have anyone for A to stay with. we were all a bit nervous about 14+ hours in the car with an infant and toddler, and our worst fears were indeed realized. there was a lot of weeping and crying, like we expected, and then A and B started, too. (just kidding!) the DVD player that we borrowed didn't really entertain A like we were hoping, so it was a long ride until she fell asleep. a very long ride. and loud.

here's the girls as we were starting out. happy faces now!

and now we have arrived many, many hours later. M is checked in, and is ready to start settling in the dorm.

here she is partially settled in, and the little girls are happy to see her.

they are even happy to help unpack! i took M to wal-mart to get some last minute stuff. including a little step ladder so she can get up on her bed!

it's not really home until your bed is made, and your quilts are on. now that the quilts are on the bed, and the pictures are on the shelf, M feels at settled in, and she's ready and eager for her classes to start, even though that won't be until Wednesday. we were so happy that dave's parents were able to drive up from Florida to visit us. more on that later.

in the weeks that led up to M's leaving for college, i've been a bit weepy every time i think about her leaving home. she's so far away! (i think i may have mentioned that already) for almost 20 years she has been a daily presence in my life, and i could not imagine our life without her. but after spending several days on campus, and getting to meet her roommates, professors and just general observations, i can honestly say that both dave and i were very peaceful about leaving her.

BJU can evoke strong reactions from people- both positive and negative. either you love it, or hate it. no middle ground, it seems. there are many rules- some seeming very trivial and legalistic. but they are very honest about what is expected, and make no apologies for what they believe is in the best interest of the students. dave and i are appreciating their high standards, and their commitment to see them carried out. i have respect for M, and all the other students, for willingly submitting to the authority of BJU. we don't need to debate whether the bible says it is wrong for a woman to wear jeans, or watch PG-13 movies, or listen to Rebbecca St. James. BJU says these thing are not going to be allowed or tolerated. they are setting a standard for behavior, holding the line, and saying NO COMPROMISE! perhaps we need more families, churches and schools willing to take such a strong stand for what they believe.

M will do just fine, and in fact will thrive, and be a better person when she graduates in 2012. she will have had a thorough education- spiritual, cultural and academic. she will be a good RN. she will be a compassionate RN. but most importantly, she will be a Godly RN.