Second Year Here We Come!! Go Bulls!!

As the summer came to an end, Mike came to visit for the week leading up to time for them to return to Tampa for school. It was a pleasure having him here, he is a great guy. It seems as though he had just arrived and it was time for them to head back to Tampa.

Of course, Paul & I had to go down with them, all of their things could not fit in Suzannah's car. We traveled down with them and helped moved them into their respective dorm rooms and once again it was time to say good bye! Of course, I am thinking to myself, "I have been here before and I know what to expect, this should be easier". WRONG! I cried again and missed her before I could get off campus. She is so full of life and so much fun to have around. So once again, Paul and I headed back to Panama City to our "empty nest".

Paul and I headed down to Tampa in November to leave from the Port of Tampa to take a four day cruise to Cozumel. Of course we went a day early and managed to take our "Pod children" out to dinner. Paul, Suzannah, Mike, Melanie and Meghan and I went to The Olive Garden for dinner and it was so neat to have dinner with them and hear about how the semester had been going. Melanie and Meghan will also be Suzannah's roommates next year. They have plans to move off campus Fall 2011. We enjoyed our visit and then met Mike and Suzannah the following day for lunch before heading to the cruise ship. While were gone Suzannah, Meghan and Melanie would hear whether or not they had been chosen to be in the Honors Fraternity Phi Sigma Pi.

We returned to Tampa to find that the girls, all three of them were chosen for Phi Sig. They also found a townhouse to rent next year and Suzannah needed me to sign the application. Paul and I went and toured the model and it was really nice, I am sure that they will be happy there. Once again, I am moved out of my comfort zone just thinking about Suzannah living out on her own.

You try and raise your children to be independent, stand on their own two feet, be good citizens, good people and to make good decisions. So why is it when they spread their wings and fly you are filled with mixed emotions. On one hand I thought, "Wow she is such an amazing young lady and I am so proud of her". On the other hand I was thinking "Where did my precious little Suzannah go?"

Suzannah flew home for Thanksgiving from Orlando and Iwas relieved that I did not have to worry through the 12 hour round trip from Tampa. It was so nice to have her home and get to spend some time with her.

Before we knew it Christmas vacation was upon us and she and Mike came home. Mike spent several days with us leading up to Christmas and we enjoyed having him visit. Suzannah and Mike decorated our tree for us. Even though I have an empty nest, it seems that I have plenty to do and it was so wonderful to come home and the tree was done. I think they enjoyed it too. Christmas came and went and once again I was getting used to having her home and she was spending time with her Gram.

Since Suzannah has flown the coop and Paul and I have attempted to get adjusted to our empty nest, it seems as though the time when she is gone goes by so slow and then when she is home it just flies by. I guess that makes the time we spend together even more special.