It's Sinking In

Currently I'm speechless.  When I admit that I'm speechless, I really am speechless.  Why am I so speechless you might ask, well it's all sinking in.

In November I was shocked when I opened our mailbox to find a large envelope from SC's Green Team.  Jason, the GT sponsor, was offering me a scholarship.  That day, my parents and I were so tickled with that envelope we couldn't stop talking about it.

Since then the talk has died down a little bit. But everyone once in a while when we run into someone that we haven't seen in a few months, my mom is the first to share the news and smile like a grinning fool.  She is also the one that talks most about SC and how excited we are about the school.

A couple of weeks ago, I finally got everything the admissions committee needed, including a few extra letters explaining why I'm one semester short on my transcript and why my grades aren't the best of things in this world.  I've been milling around since then, just waiting and waiting.  I tried my hardest not to think about it, but my anxiety over things reflecting a lot on my near future kind of got in the way.

I was wondering what I would do if SC didn't accept me.  I hadn't planned on anything other than SC since fall of 2010 when I first met with Rodney, one of the SC representatives who has been ever so helpful over the last couple of years.  I was getting pretty worked up over this too.  I had started looking into some community colleges and started filling out a couple of applications.  I was just worried that one of my fears was going to come true and that I would be stuck there suspended in mid air only to fall flat on my face and not be able to have a second option to turn to.

I hadn't sent any of my other applications out yet though, and what do you know, the stars aligned and God did what He does and I got a pretty e-mail in my inbox yesterday from Rodney.

What I'm getting at ladies and gentlemen is this: I'm officially a Southwestern College Moundbuilder!

I should clarify, I actually read my acceptance e-mail via Facebook. I don't know if that's a thing that SC does, or if Rodney does it, or if he did it because he's gotten to know me over the last few months and decided to let me know once he found out or not.  Regardless, when I first read: "Congratulations on your acceptance to Southwestern College!" I felt mixed emotions. I felt a jolt of excitement, a rush of adrenaline and a little shock.  It happened so fast that I actually started crying on the spot.

I of course, yelled too. After managing to calm the dogs down I called my mom, though I was still crying.  She was confused at first because I had stayed home yesterday and went to the doctor because of a horrible ear ache.  Later she told me that she thought something bad had happened at the doctor's office.  I told her the news though, over the phone, even though I'm not supposed to call her at work, I just couldn't contain the excitement and I had to share it with her; she had worked so hard with me to get here, I couldn't wait until she got home.

Rodney had told me to watch in the mail for a purple envelope in the mail with the official letter and the typical "you've been accepted" type things.  I was expecting Tuesday to see my purple evelope in the rusted out and bullet hole covered mailbox.  Low and behold, today when we got home from the Sport Boat and Travel Show, mom checked the mailbox and found a PURPLE envelope. We both screamed in excitement.

We didn't realize that
A) It was a big envelope
or
B) it was going to be that purple.

Of course, we all rushed inside so I could open it. It was probably a good thing I waited to open it in the house because it was packed with lots of SC goodies.

More sticky notes, another pen with sticky notes inside,
a jinx bracelet, a key holder, and another lanyard (the third
one to be exact).

Now, as I'm sitting here with a pounding headache and my ears aching so badly I want to scratch the entire ear canal out of my body, I realize that this is really happening.  I'm growing up.  Before I know it graduation will be here and then gone.  New Orleans trip will have passed and I'll be starting a brand new chapter in a massive series of books called My Life as I begin college.  As much as I want to say "This can't be true, pinch me and I'll wake up", I know it isn't.

I just now realized how much enthusiasm
I'm lacking from being ill.
But it's true, I'm accepted!

The last few months I think my parents have slowly started realizing these things too.  That in a few short months they'll be following me down to Winfield and helping me move into my first living space outside of their house and then leaving me behind when they go home.  My dad though, I kind of worry what he'll be like when that time comes. I know that both of my parents are going to try to be the big macho parents on campus and try sucking it up and not crying in front of me, but I know they will.

Especially my dad.  We've been through a lot this past year, and in 2012, though we're only two months in, we've spent a lot of time together and have had some great laughs (so many in fact there were a few instances where I'm sure we almost pooped ourselves...).  I guess in some ways I'm kind of a daddy's girl.  He'll be the first to break, I just know it.  But this isn't what I'm worried about.  I know it's normal for parents to get emotional about their children moving out and things, especially their youngest, I get it.  I'm worried about how my dad will handle it two or three months after they leave me at school.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to be one of those kids who comes home only on holidays, I live too close to do that kind of thing, plus, I love my family and my mom's cooking.  I think it's just going to be hard for him because we've begun to patch our relationship up and then I'm moving out.

I know though, that this is just something we're all going to have to adjust to.  Life is constantly changing and we're all having to constantly adapt.  I'm sure the first few months will be difficult on all of us, but I know we're going to make it through, we have no other choice, eh?  If there's anything else I know, it's that God will be with both of my parents and make them feel secure about everything.

Bit of a long winded post, eh? I just had to share the news and feelings, it's a massive thing happening.  I mean, actually, legitimately, happening now.  It's all real.

Also, while we were out and about today, that is before we came home to my purple envelope, we some how ended up in a kitchen store some where between Park City and Newton (I fell asleep after we hit Park City, so I really don't know where it's at) and I found a jinx cookie cutter! The jinx cat is affiliated with SC, it's kind of the unofficial mascot for the school, I'll have to explain soon.  I'll have to make sure to post photos of my test cookies for graduation using the jinx cookie cutter. (:

I wasn't even planning on having cookies at my graduation
party. I couldn't pass up a jinx cookie cutter though!

Link of the day: Awesomeness that is my good friend Jess, who I met via the internet a couple years ago.  She lives across that MASSIVE pond and makes cakes that make me drool. She's pretty awesome.

Days until graduation: 91
Days until moving day: 177