Off the Needles: Graduation Gift Finally Done

I finished my niece, L's, high school graduation gift with one day to spare before she left for college. It was a race to finish, but I was determined. There are many mistakes within the blanket including dropped stitches, double stitches, purling when I should have knitted and vice versa.

It is nowhere near perfect. It's a gift of love and that is the only perfect part of it. I told L to think of it as a life lesson. It was filled with lots of mistakes, some missed opportunities (to do the right stitch), but also many rows that are spot on.

L picked out the yarn in May and while I was a little skeptical of how they would go together I must admit they look great. It's totally hip and cool just like L.

Before school started for my kids or college for L, we took a short road trip to the University that L will be attending. It's my alma mater, and while it's been 25 years since I was a freshman in college, I logged many hours on that campus and still know it like the back of my hand. All these years later, the memories of my freshman year jitters are fresh in my mind. The nerves, the excitement, the fears.

It was so fun to walk campus, find L's classrooms, tour the student union, and pick up a fun birthday gift for L and drive around and get our bearings. C and M totally got into the college atmosphere, were fascinated with how the dorms and dinning halls worked and impressed that their mother was once a hip and cool college student. A was really only in if for the lunch at Applebees' and the ice cream at the Dairy Store. She has her priorities!

It's hard to believe the L is a college freshman. Where have the years gone? When my husband and I were first married, Miss L was just a toddler and we would love to have little "dates" with our niece taking her to the pumpkin patch or out for ice cream. She was our first experience with "little people" and we loved getting to practice parenting on her. I'm not sure my brother and sister in law were so thrilled, however, when we introduced bubble gum to a two year old! Who knew!

Walking the campus with L and my three kids felt a little like practice too. Like she was our oldest getting ready to go off to college. Bittersweet. Knowing that in reality our youngest was starting Kindergarten in just days made it even more realistic.

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It won't be too long before we are taking a campus tour with C.

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Thanks L for being our test case, for letting us see you grow up into the godly young women you are today. What a great role model for my children. You are going to do amazing things. We'll be praying for you every day!