I Hope You Dance!!!

My baby has hit her half way mark!!!!

Kylee went to China in January to teach little children English and to show them a bit of what life is like here in the United States.

It has been an awesome experience for her and the other teachers that she shares the apartment with.

Even though I miss her I would not change a thing. For the first time in her life she has been able to really do something just for herself . Kylee has always worried about others well being and now it is time for her to grow and benefit from what life has to offer.

The experiences that she has had and the memories and friendships she has made are priceless. It will be very hard for her to come home when the time comes.

The children adore her, who wouldn't, she is just like a grown child and everything is better when she is around! We love you Kylee and are so proud of you!!!!

We had a going away party for Kylee a few nights before she left.

So many people showed up and supported her decision to go.

Family and friends were so wonderful donating money for this experience of

a life time.

Kylee worked very hard saving her money so she could go and volunteer her time.

It was a team effort that she will benefit from forever.

We made all different food that the Asian store told us would be unique to China.

After tasting it, we would like it to stay in China...

We will keep our Chinese food American style, as we know it !!!!

My house smelled for days... I can't even begin to describe the smell!!!

The shrimp chips (a fav. in China) to say the least , was interesting.

The desserts were very dry, more like crackers.

I found myself explaining to everyone that entered that it was for

the experience and not because we liked the taste!

We passed around several shots of about 6 juice drinks...

I want to say one was, seaweed, cucumber, passion fruit, dragon fruit etc.

There was about twelve people doing the shots...

We lost a few to the toilet!!!!! Kylee being one of them.

But shared huge gut busting laughs!!!

The looks on their faces after downing it were priceless

Watching the beads of sweat forming on their foreheads from the anticipation was awesome

But watching most of them gag and try not to lose it was so fantastic

that it made us search out for more unsuspecting victims at the party.

We liked torturing each other and our guests!

It was a fun time!!!!

Kylee and I stayed up all night packing her suitcase.

I enjoyed spending that quiet one on one time with my baby,

I wanted to make sure she had everything she needed since I wouldn't be there.

I checked everything on the list twenty times making sure I didn't miss anything

Moms do that ya know

I began to cry at about 3:30 a.m. She really was leaving and it was hard!

She asked me to not cry because it would make it harder for her.

I stopped... but only for her

I was beyond exhaustion but I wouldn't have traded it for the world!

It reminded me of the nights before my boys left for their mission.

It meant something to me to make sure they were ready.

I can't explain it but it is more then just packing a lot of stuff in a suitcase for your child.

It's something special, kind of spiritual in a strange way

It sounds weird but almost like a type of ritual...

Someday it will make sense.

I wrote secret letters to her and hid them in her suitcase.

I hid some things she said she didn't need ( I knew she would)

I gave her some charms with Chinese symbols on them for Christmas

I was hoping it would bless her with

SAFETY, LOVE, KNOWLEDGE, FREINDSHIP

and STRENGTH

She came up with the great idea to put them on a chain

She wears it every day!!!

We shopped for days before not knowing what they would have over there.

We do know that they don't have Tampons over there and the toothpaste tastes like

poop!

It's kinda hard figuring out how many of the girlie things ya might need for 6 months.

Being a mom, I worried that the other girls didn't know that you can't get them in China.

So I packed some extras for them just in case!

Moms do that...

You can't go without those things for sure... at least not American women !!

We headed for the airport with two large suitcases

One loaded with her stuff

The other with school supplies that she would need to teach.

She met some of the girls at the airport

I worried and wondered who she would connect with

Moms do that ya know... they worry

I wanted everyone to see what we see in her

The special things about her... the reasons we love her

How fun she is and always the life of the party

The tough I can kick anyones butt side, and the

loving, gentle, I would do anything for you side.

I prayed they would see that in her and appreciate what she has to offer.

All the girls looked a bit nervous saying goodbye

Kylee was quiet so I figured she was nervous too.

Of course I asked her if there was anything wrong?

My mouth just blurts it out when people are quiet

I'm trying to get better about that!!!

I reminded her where everything was a 1, 000 more times

She told me "Mom, I know you showed me a million times."

I might have!!!

Mom's tend to do that

We took pictures

I look like an ostrich trying not to pass gas!!!

Ty, Kylee and Amber

Max, Briana, Jack and Adam

( Adam's ''I look constipated' pose was inherited from his mother)

We are unable to relax and smile like normal people...

You are still cute Adam even if you do look constipated!

Cameron and Jessica

Adam and Brooke

Special kisses from her nephews Jack

and Jace!!!

a few tears... that's all she would allow us to shed.

Besides we weren't sad, we were very excited for her

and thrilled that she chose to do this!

This was going to be great!!!

All her brothers and sisters also wrote letters of encouragement and love and

secretly stuffed them in her travel bag so she could find them on the plane.

I watched as she inched her way up the security line.

She had never traveled anywhere alone before.

I have always been the tour director

She was on her own now

She told me "Mom, I'm fine." as if she was a little embarrassed

that her mom was still watching her from afar.

I knew at that point, that it was my time to turn and walk away,

she's not my baby anymore

I needed to let her go.

So I did... I walked away

Just then, Briana said "Jen, Kylee's calling for you"

I thought maybe she wanted to say one last goodbye,

I turned back towards her trying to find her in the long line.

She had made it up to the security desk...

She had a panic look on her face !!!!! Her eyes looked like a deer in the headlights!!!

"Where's my Passport""???

"Mom, mom, where is it?"

I gently reminded her by pointing to the pouch around her neck that held

all her important documents.

The same place, that we rehearsed over and over and over again until she said

"Mom, I know, you've told me a thousand times!!"

I could have said something about being right

But I didn't...

After giving me that oops, ha, ha embarrassed look she walked through security.

She turned back one last time, with her face now relaxed and mouthed the words

"I LOVE YOU"

That's when I felt the bittersweat tears start to flow...

I just watched my baby as she jumped from the nest

The nest that she felt warm in, loved in and where she felt protected from danger.

She took that first leap,

She stumbled,

But she got back up and took off again

This time spreading her wings and flying completely on her own

To places she has never been before , to see the things I could have never shown her

and to gain the knowledge about life that's beyond what I could ever teach her.

My daughter was becoming a woman, a Beautiful Woman,

and she makes me proud!!!!

****I didn't go in her room for two days but when I did I laid on her bed and thought

about how happy I was for her and how fast the time would go. She would be home

before we knew it and then she would be onto her next adventure as if she never left. I was proud of myself for holding up so well with a now very empty house. I almost felt a little guilty that I was not feeling sad at all. I turned on my side and saw a picture of her.

So what, maybe I cried a little or a lot... but hey,

That's what mom's do!!!

2 comments:

CORY said...

This post makes me want to baul my eyes out. I laughed out loud at the "I could have said something about being right... but I didn't" part. So funny.

Kylee has always been amazing. She is such a sweet girl. You are pretty amazing too. Mom's are amazing because that's what they do.

April 14, 2011 11:41 AM

Britanna and Kev said...

Shucks, Jen. You made me cry....It makes me think of my mom own mom when I moved to college and when I got married. I love moms. Thanks for always bringing us in to your family too, I love you guys. :)

April 15, 2011 9:03 AM