A Boy and His Car

When Issa got her license, Nana was ready for a new car and passed her old one on to Issa, which was still a really nice car that Issa still loves. When Evan got his license, Nana wasn't ready for a new car but she still wanted to help Evan out with his first car. So...he has been shopping. Saturday, Brad and I took him to CarMax and he bought his very first car:

The lighting is terrible, but CarMax even put a bow on his Civic for him.

He absolutely loves this carL

And his first solo drive in it was to show Nana:

Yesterday he picked up a friend and went to lunch, and last night he drove us all to McKay's and ice cream. He is so excited for this new chapter, and we are so grateful he has a safe car for it.
 

Street Legal

It was a big week for Evan! He passed the driving test and is now street legal:

 His first solo drive was to Bojangles. He is so excited to be able to go where he wants when he wants, and he really is a good driver. We start car shopping this weekend now that he can test drive, so fingers crossed!

She's Home!

Issa came home from study abroad Saturday!

 She had the best experience! She aced her classes, but more importantly she learned how to be a traveler. She truly immersed herself in the culture. She met people and explored non-touristy sites. I was so proud of how she navigated every little bump. I have loved listening to her stories, and I'm so grateful that she truly took advantage of the opportunities presented to her.

The biggest bump is her luggage got lost on the way home. Thankfully all of her most important things were in her carry on. Delta was awesome. We spoke with an agent every day, and they found her bag in Paris and delivered it to our house yesterday! Now we can start unpacking and doing laundry so we can repack before she moves back to campus next week!

Book 20

I finished book 20 this morning!

I have read everything that Glennon has written. I started following her blog years ago, and I really appreciate her honesty and heart.

This book was very different. It is more a collection of thoughts from many, many people about 20 big life questions. Once I grieved the lack of her narrative, I really enjoyed this one. There were some interesting nuggets, and it was nice to read so many of us are going through so many of the hard things together.
 

Books 18 and 19

Book 18 was our book club pick:

I didn't love it, but I'm going to finish the trilogy. This book very much establishes character and world, and I've heard the final two books are incredible. There were about six very different plotlines that very minimally overlapped, but I'm curious to see where they go.

Book 19 was another book we are reading as a campus:

This book talks a lot about the overparenting and social media use of Gen Z. I think Haidt overstates his case in multiple places, but I don't disagree with some of his findings. It makes me very grateful that Brad and I let our kids climb trees and use adult tools. 
 

And Now He's Off!

Tuesday, I moved Evan into his dorm room at NC State for their wrestling camp. He is there with a good chunk of his team, and he says he is learning a ton!

They have dual meets every day, and the first day her went 2-0:

Yesterday he went 4-2:

He said one of his losses was to a guy who placed at state and he can see why! 

With both kids away this week, Brad and I are actually enjoying our little preview of empty nest. We certainly miss them and love getting their updates, but we also are loving the time together and the ability to be a bit more spontaneous. 
 

She's Off!

Issa is officially living her best Italian life! She was supposed to fly out Saturday, but her flight was cancelled. They were rebooked Sunday on better flights, and she was off:

On the long flight, she had the whole exit row to herself, and when she landed, she immediately fell in love with the countryside--especially the trees. She is learning the two and the culture, and she is able to eat so easily and so well.

I am so proud of how she is launching herself into new experiences, and I can't  wait to keep hearing about her adventures.