Every year on the night before school she had laid out her new school clothes, meticulously packed her back pack not missing one item from the school supply list, and then stood in front of the mirror trying to get the perfect hair style.

So, from kindergarten thru high school we followed the tradition of taking her picture by the house number with the perfect hair, new outfit, and overstuffed back pack. I love looking at those pictures with the kids. They cringe when they see them.  Why did you let me wear my hair like that! I cannot believe you let me wear that outfit, how embarrassing! 🙂  Hold on people…you picked out the outfits and you worked for hours on your hair.  But you looked so cute!

This year was a little different when laying things out and packing the back pack . We took Samantha back to Drake this past weekend for her senior year in college.

Her last first day of school.

These are the things we laid out and packed. I have shared with you some of the items we worked on for her first apartment in previous posts.  And here is  a mosaic display of all of the pillows, décor and furniture that will make up her new bedroom.

Thank goodness my husband is good at Tetris. Between the truck and her car, everything fit, snuggly.

Five hours later we had arrived at her new house and after moving everything in, I took the traditional picture of her by the house number. Her house number. 🙂

Sidenote: Every single year that our kids went off to school, kindergarten thru a senior year in college, I have cried saying goodbye to them. Every single year.

Thank goodness this isn’t a live feed blog.  I am just ugly crying writing this post. No one wants to see that face or hear me blowing my nose.  🙂

And please tell my I am not the only mother that balls her eyes out every year.  Anyone?