We've brought our oldest son to UW-Green Bay... where he is now a senior... and engaged.

We sent our #2 son to the Las Vegas area to serve Jesus Christ as a missionary...

Now it's time for us to put our only daughter on a jet headed out west where she's going to college...

Daddy's little girl has flown the coop.

Yesterday morning we drove down to Milwaukee Airport, I helped her with her luggage and getting through all the airport preboarding crap... hugged her, told her I loved her... and then she turned and walked away.

I felt about the same way I did when my it was her older bothers turns. 

I felt the same way I did when it was my parents standing at the Salt Lake Airport while I was the one in the jetway.

I felt excitement.

Excitement for her to get out and take on the world.  Excitement for her to have all the adventures her restless heart has yearned for.  Excitement for her to take what we have taught her, what she has learned and her experiences so far and become the Stevi she wants to be.  Everything she'll ever do as daddy's little girl, living at home has already been done... now it's time for her to try her hand at what comes next.

She is the girl I have loved ever since I gave her her first spongebath, cleaning all that birth gunk off her tiny little body... but no longer all the hair clippies and scrunchies that seemed alergic to the little container in her room.  No longer the training bras that somehow became full bras that don't fit her mom (or the strange little cotton things in plastic wrappers that mysteriously ended up in the bathroom garbage can. ;~D ).  No longer all the volleyball games that I went to, even though I don't really like volleyball.  No longer the soccer games, I cheered for her at, even when she was on the bench.  No longer the tears that escaped against her wishes because the boy of her dreams liked someone else. 

She might have been the frilly, pink things all over the house, but she dropped the whole "girly girl" thing about the time the training bras appeared on the scene.  She might have been the girl with a different date every weekend, but I think the boys were a little scared of her.  She might have been the girl who other girls turned to for fashion tips, but she was too busy life guarding, cliff diving and watching motorcycles roar by to be bothered with any of that... besides, when you work in a swim suit, who cares about fashion or make up?

If there was a baby anywhere within 10 miles, she was drawn to it like ants to a popsickle melting on the sidewalk.  That led her to spending her time since graduating high school as a full time nanny for the bishop's family (apparently a stay at home mom with 6 kids under the age of 12 and new twins could use a little help ;~D ).  When one of the families at church had a baby with Down Syndrome, she was there to help... Showing up to their home a few times a week to take care of household chores so the baby's mother could give the baby the extra time a special needs baby requires.  When she babysat for people at church, she wouldn't accept payment if the parents were going to a church activity.

Ask her what she wants to do, she'll say, "Go to Africa"... but that will have to wait.

It's not like she's going to some strange land yet (although there are people who consider Rexburg, Idaho pretty strange. :~D ).  She's going to my alma mater, Ricks College (yes, Sanchonino, Lifehappens, and anyone else who cares to chime in, I know it's now BYU-Idaho, but my diplomas, paramedic uniform and baseball cap all say Ricks, so bite me! ;~D ).  She's going back to where she spent a lot of her childhood years and made a lot of friends (many of them are still there).  Some of her friends from here went to college there last year.  Part of the fun of living a lot of places is when you meet up with people from two or more of those places... talk about a clash of worlds.  Between them and meeting new friends, I don't think loneliness will be a problem.

So Stevi, it's time for you to get out and live your life.  Everything you'll ever do as Daddy's Little Girl living at home has been done.  We set out to give you a wonderous childhood, and from what you say, we accomplished that, so the rest is now up to you. 

When you feel like laughing, laugh like you've never laughed in your life; when you feel like crying, let the tears wash over your face unashamed.  Inhale all that you can from every moment.  Be the Stevi you've always dreamed of being.  Be the Stevi that stands up for what's right and good in the world.  Be the Stevi what stood by your friends no matter what anyone said...

Be the Stevi who kissed the goat!

I'll miss you Stevi, but I wouldn't rob you of these adventures for the world.  

I LOVE YOU!