Keith starts 10th grade and Tara starts College!

Here is my handsome some son, Keith! He started the 10Th grade on Aug. 10Th. Ever since my oldest daughter started kindergarten I have taken a picture of my kids every year on the first day of school. It started out with only Amber in the picture. Then the pictures were of Amber and Tara. Finally the pictures were of Amber, Tara, and Keith. Then when Amber went off to college the pictures were only of Tara and Keith. This is the first year that the picture was only of Keith. Doesn't he look sad not to have his sisters in the picture with him? It's sad to think I only have two more years of taking pictures of him the first day of school and then he will be in college:(
Aug. 15th was Tara's moving day to college. Below is a picture of her getting in her car for the trip. Amber rode with her and Keith and I went in my car. We had both cars loaded down with her stuff! We got to the college and got the cars unloaded. We were so glad that big, strong Keith was with us! Tara's room is on the 2ND floor and Keith carried all the heavy stuff up to her room for us. Then we all went shopping for some things she needed and some groceries for her. Her room is an efficiency apartment and so she can cook in there. That is good. It will save her money.
Here she is sitting on her bed. Her roommate is a girl that she has been friends with for about 7 or 8 years. Can you believe they got the exact same comforters for their beds without knowing that the other was getting that one! We could not believe it. So their beds matched which I think is nice.
It was really hard to leave her there. I cried coming home. I really miss her so much. She is only a little over an hour away so will be home often. She says she is coming home this weekend. I just miss having her here every day. I cried a lot yesterday, too. I am doing better today although I have cried a little.

I have to tell you what she did last night. You have to understand that Tara has no sense of direction whatsoever. I printed her out a map and highlighted the way to Wal-Mart. Now all she had to do was leave campus, turn right on the road that runs along the campus, go up a couple miles to this other road, turn left, go a few blocks and there is Wal-Mart. Still I was worried about her going there in the dark for the first time without me. She called me about 9pm last night and told me that she and her friend were going to Wal-Mart. I asked her if she knew how to get there and she said she thought so and her friend said she knew. In just a little while she called me and said they could not find Wal-Mart and almost didn't find there way back to the dorm! I had to laugh. I told her she should have taken the map I made for her. She told me she could not read the map and drive! I told her that her friend could read the map while Tara drove! I am worried about her driving home by herself this Friday. I know she can make it once she gets on this certain highway as it is a straight shot from there. It is just getting her out of the city and to that highway that worries me! Of course the map I gave her shows her the way to go, but who knows if she can read it and follow it. I did not have time to go over it with her before we left her as the guy she is dating came to the school to take her out.

She was really nervous about getting to her classes today, but she did just fine. I told her she would get the hang of it soon.

Sunday Amber and I spent the day getting a lot of her stuff moved into Tara's room. She still has more stuff to get moved in there, but it is nice to get her out of the den. Our den was overflowing with her stuff. And I know she was tired of pulling out the hide-a-bed every night and having to make it up. Plus the frame on that thing was falling apart and hard on her back. When Tara comes home she will sleep in the bedroom with Amber.