SVU pre-season game

Courtney had a pre-season game in Virginia Beach the day we flew out. We weren't able to go but we were home in time to see a lot of the game (plus it was recorded so we watched from the beginning). They announced her name, which was cool, and we got to watch her play for a while.

Courtney played well and SVU won the game.  She is in a different color and with a different number, but we still love watching her play.

After the game, the coach took them to Virginia Beach so they could play in the water.  The girls didn't have their swimming suits but a lot of them still go in the water.  Courtney had a lot of fun on her first away game adventure.

Abby Fox, Courtney, and Sydney

Flying home

Bryan and I flew home early on Saturday. Courtney had a exhibition game that was going to be broadcast on the school's youtube so we wanted to get home to catch as much as we could.

Bryan was thrilled to be in the window seat so he could watch the world go by. He downloaded the map on his phone and was able to verify that he was seeing what he thought he was seeing.

We landed in Las Vegas and drove home safely.

Natural Bridge, Caverns, and sights

Courtney had soccer practice in the morning so Bryan and I explored around. They have some beautiful parks, hiking areas, and other areas to see. We went to Lexington and walked around the cemetery, and the town, and went to some houses. It was a fun morning.

When Courtney had time, we went to Natural Bridge and hiked down to the Bridge. It was a beautiful area. 

We then went to the Natural Bridge Cavern.

We then took Courtney out for some ice cream and to say goodbye. This was brutal but she is going to do amazing! Bryan and I dropped her off at the Lofts and drove to Richmond so we could fly out on Saturday. Yes, I cried all the way to the airport.

SVU campus

Bryan and I were going to hang around for a few days while Courtney got settled. She had soccer practices during the week so Bryan and I went exploring while she was at practice. She received her uniform, so that was exciting.

These are the steps Courtney goes up and down each day to go to campus.

Move in day!

Courtney will be living in the Lofts on campus. This is a 4-person room with a shared bathroom. Courtney had a time set to move in and we were there on time. She met her RA, Lauren, who showed us the room, gave Courtney her key, and gave her some advice to moving in. 

Courtney's bed:

A gift from her roommate on her bed:

Courtney's filled closet:

Courtney in front of her desk:

Outside her room:

We had to go to Walmart to buy some things we didn't want to pack and haul across the country. We also got her bed set up and made, along with all her stuff put away.

Two of her roommates are volleyball players and had moved in earlier in the week.  She got to meet one of them when she was on a break from practice. 

Once she was all moved in, she had a soccer practice led by the captains to get to so she dropped me back off at the hotel.  Bryan was flying in that night and would drive a rental car from Richmond to Buena Vista.

Driving Courtney to college

It took 32 hours, but we got her to college.  Courtney has chosen to attend Southern Virginia University in Buena Vista, VA. 

I drove out with her (it took 3 days) and Bryan flew out to join us in Virginia.

August 13:

After loading Courtney's car with her stuff, we took off for Virginia.

Our first-day goal was to get to Grandma and Grandpa Pack's house in Colorado. They weren't going to be there but Julie and her kids were. Traffic was pretty bad around the ski areas so it took a long time to get there, but we made it.

August 14:

We got up really early, packed up, and took off.  I was surprised at how little there was to see on the east side of Denver but it made things interesting. The speed limit is so slow also!! 

We drove through the east part of Colorado, all of Kansas, and into Missouri.  We spent the night in Mount Vernon, Missouri.

We only stopped for gas so we didn't see much outside the car but there were some pretty sights as we drove by.

August 15:

This day saw us going through Missouri,Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, and made it to Buena Vista

We got in really late, found our hotel (the same one we stayed in when we checked out SVU in April), and went to sleep. We were exhausted. It was a long drive but we were finally there!

Courtney's 18th birthday

I can't believe she is 18 years old!! Courtney requested a Barbie doll cake, which I hadn't made in a few years for her. It was fun to do again. She also got her huge Texas donut for breakfast and some juice.

We had dinner for Courtney and Grandma Oman (since we would be gone when it was her birthday).  After dinner, Courtney played games and we had cake and ice cream. It was fun to hang out with family before taking Courtney to college.

She is now an adult. Watch out world!!!