MOVE-IN-MADNESS DAY (August 15, 2011)

Cari's last day home was a Sunday. After church we had lunch as a family with Cari's boyfriend, John Mark and his family, at her favorite restaurant in Natchez, LaFiesta. [All the time and money that she and her friends spent there the past few years--she should have owned stock in the place. LOL...Now that she wouldn't be going there several times a week now, made her want her last after church lunch there.] After lunch she spend some time at with his family and then came home to finish packing. She picked up a movie for all us to watch. Before the movie, we moved most of her things she had packed to to the porch.
I don't think this photo actually does it justice as far as how much she had. I told her she didn't' have to take it all now, but you know how daughter's often don't want to listen to their moms. Well, this was one of those times. Behind here are four larger Rubber Maid boxes of "stuff" stacked to two high. She's so excited.

Cari and John Mark (he was such a trooper dealing with documentation obsession)

See what I mean?

He was even helpful in loading the vehicles with the heavy boxes. And yes, they were heavy! One box alone was nothing but shoes!

Randy's truck loaded. We decided to go ahead and load up that night since we were planning to leave early.

Even had some things on the backseat.

The back of Cari's SUV. She had seats laid down.

Her backseat section..

We probably didn't really need three vehicles, but we wanted Randy to be able to come back home after he unloaded boxes and such. I wanted to be able to stay as late as I needed to to get her settled...which is why we used 3 vehicles to move one college student into her dorm. We had most of her stuff in Randy's truck and her SUV before we even started on mine. So we used the back of mine for her closet. Yes, this was her entire closet (less the shoes).

Her closet and space was NOT as large as she thought and she did send some things back with me.
Another angle of Cari's SUV...

Passenger side of her car...

Yes, it was getting dark by the time we finished loading the vehicles.

Randy before we left. Yes, I was in a documenting mood...

More documenting...
Just before leaving...

And there she goes...

And she's gone. Moved out of her home for the last 11.5 years and to her her new home...

Before unpacking images:

Catherine's mom, Erin, helping unpack and get her settled in...

Cari's college bedroom....

the other side...

Her roomy closet (that is before she put her clothes in there)...

Hers and Catherine's double sink vanity...

Now some of my labors...

Cari's things sorted and organized in baskets under her sink.

Cari's side is the left side...

Cari and JM posing for pics in her finished room.

Doesn't her room look cute? And oh yeah, they do too!

Her name letters that my friend, Kate, gave her for grad gift.

Love her mirrored closet doors...

I had to go by her the plastic chest of drawers. And I still brought a few clothes home. So far all she has been wearing are her workout shorts and tees. I wouldn't be surprised if she brings more clothes home soon.

They have this nice little foyer/kitchenette area for their microwave and fridge.

Cari painted this at Catherine's Senior Paint Party back in May.

They even had a nice size bathroom.

Erin and I have them in good shape for toilet paper and cleaning suppies! I think this will be enough for this semester and next. [Notice the Rubber Maid box below the towels.]

I forgot photograph a view like this in Cari's room showing how she did her jewelry and such behind her dorm door. Trust me...it was cute and organized too!

Catherine's artwork...

Cari's roommate, Catherine in her room...

Trying to get a casual shot of them in the room watching TV or something, but there someting about telling people to act normal that prevents them from doing so.

It usually creates this.

The view from the parking lot.

The outside of her dorm...which looks more like an apartment building than a dorm.

JM car and Cari's in the parking lot...like I said I got a little carried away in documentation some days.

Cari and JM started walking toward his car when we were leaving to go to the restuarant. I was like "Hello"..."she can ride with you all the time now, but I am about to leave to go back home." I wanted to have a few minutes of alone time with my baby girl since we had not really had much since leaving the house. I wanted an opportunity to tell her how proud that I am of her and jsut how "okay" I am about leaving her because I know she is ready. It is so much easier to let go as a parent, when we know our child is ready for the next phase.

My car was further down. After I ran to walmart this last time, I had to park further down.

I realized while we were having dinner that I forgot to have someone take a photo of me and Cari in her dorm...after all, I was the one who spent hours and dollars helping her get it all together. So I asked John Mark to take one before I left...before I hugged them bye and gave her the letter that I wrote that morning before we left. I didn't cry when I left, but I did when I wrote that letter.

I will do one more post on this give a few more details without photos of things about this day that I want to remember. Photos trigger memory, but sometimes we need to write our thoughts down that do not have a visual image to trigger memories. Some things are truly Worth Remembering.