On Saturday January 5, we took
Ben To University!
Wondering how this day could have arrived so quickly, we took 19 yr old Ben downstate where he is a second semester Freshman at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL. He plans to major in Education and be a teacher.
The night prior to his departure, he went out with friends Sean, Weston, Elizabeth and Brett to dinner (pictured lower) and then back to our house for movie and games. Weston also goes to EIU so Ben didn't have to say his goodbyes to him just then- but he did to the others. Ben lives on the 8th floor of Carman Hall, a co-ed dormitory on the east side of this small campus - which by my informal observation - seems to s
port a 3 to 1 ratio of girls to guys on campus. Wow!
Kathy didn't make the trip downstate as frankly there wasn't any room left in the van - what with all the stuff that Ben was taking to his new home. As expected, she was a blubbering mess as she said her goodbyes to her second born in our driveway prior to departure. I was forbidden from including in the pictures any of the snaps where she was wailing uncontrollably - but suffice it to say it got pretty ugly.
Brett, Rick & Weston moved Ben into his room and got his TV, computer, mini fridge, printer and other assorted do-dads in working order. After we got him moved in we took the lot of them out to lunch at the Original Jimmy John's and then Brett & I began our 3.5 hour ride home. Picture all the way on the bottom is Ben walking away from us to his new home at EIU.
His postal address should you want to drop him some cookies or cash or something is:
Ben Johnson
Carman Hall
2207 9th Street # 867
Charleston, Illinois, 61920
All our Love and best wishes to our Benjamin.
Make us proud, Son!
