Time for Thelma to Tell Louise Goodbye…

Well, it’s my last night in California. We’ve had a very full day. Payton and I spent several hours at Woodland College today. The campus is absolutely beautiful: palm trees and sunshine galore, and a Starbucks in close proximity! We met with an academic counselor, scheduled her classes, paid her tuition (YIKES!), discussed her scholarships (YEA!), and basically asked a lot of questions and got a lot of information to try to digest. I think both of our brains were ready to explode. (Nothing that a Starbucks drink and scone didn’t fix!) The good news is that it appears that most, if not all of the classes she took this past year will transfer successfully to the new college. She’ll also be able to receive 3 elective credit hours for working part-time. It is called General Work Experience. That was a nice surprise.

I also got to meet all of the “adoptive” family who will be caring for Payton while she’s in California. They have all been so gracious to us and will be providing Payton with a temporary home, assistance in her job, and lots of advice and guidance. I feel so much better leaving Payton after having the opportunity to spend some time with all of them. Thank you, Brandon, Shannon, Matt, Hayden and Kellen (and Keenan, of course!)

I’ve got to get up at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow to head for the airport, so I’d better end my blog with this entry. This will probably be my last post, since I’m fairly certain that I’ll be sobbing hysterically at the airport and won’t be able to type coherently.

I’ll close with the lyrics of a Rascal Flatts song that Payton and I heard many times during our road trip. I took the liberty of changing the word, “wish”, to “prayer”. It will probably always remind me of this memorable time in our lives.

"My Prayer"

I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,

And each road leads you where you want to go,

And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,

I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.

And if one door opens to another door closed,

I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,

If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

more than anything, more than anything,

My prayer, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this, is my prayer.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,

All the ones who love you, in the place you left,

I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,

And you help somebody every chance you get,

Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,

And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,

My prayer, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this, is my prayer.

I love you "Sis"!