Care Package for my College Kid

Caleb has been busy this week with the rush activities for the incoming members of his club.  They've had activities every evening this week and are finishing off with a camping trip this weekend.  When I talked to Caleb he was already hoarse.

The girls and I loaded up a care package with cough drops, hot tea, vitamin C, Jell-O and some Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup.  The goodies should arrive in Lubbock on Monday after his long weekend and hopefully he can recoup and be ready to focus on his classes! 

I'm not sure how Caleb keeps up with everything between club, tutoring others, working in the Bible office, student senate, Ambassadors, Honor's program and his classes!  I get tired just thinking about all the stuff he's involved in, but he seems to enjoy every minute.   

I think if I was taking hermeneutics, homiletics, missions and Greek II my brain would be toast and I wouldn't be able to do anything else but study.  But somehow he manages all of it and still keeps his name on the Dean's List!  I'm kind of proud of that boy! 

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you,
 even as your soul is getting along well.  3 John 1:2

S-Care Package

While Caleb and his friends were home for fall break, they asked that the next care package include oatmeal butterscotch cookies.  So today the girls and I packed up some Mike & Ikes, Mac 'n Cheese, tuna, fruit snacks, and granola bars. 

We also included some movie candy, popcorn, and a Dr. Who DVD of the Weeping Angels episodes for a dorm movie night.  Caleb and his friends from club, Kyodai, usually have a movie night sometime during the week.  I'm sure it's after they get through studying! 

We topped the package off with the cookies for the guys and a super scary card!  When he opens the package the flaps read, 'It's Scary How Much We Miss You!'  I can't imagine why he doesn't open these boxes until he gets to his room. 

For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. John 5:20

Brotherly Love

Caleb called to check in today and some where in the conversation with the girls he mentioned that he was out of brownies.  He said he generally leaves his dorm room propped open a little with a bowl of the girls home baked goodness to share.  

His R.A. put in a request for chocolate chip cookies.  The girls filled Caleb's box with plenty of snacks and fun.  They topped it off with several dozen cookies. 

The girls decorated the box with "You're 1 Tough Cookie!"  Somewhere in the process of baking the cookies, Abigail managed to burn her arm on a cookie sheet.  On her card to Caleb she wrote, "Hey Cookie Monster! I hope your cookies don't taste like my burning flesh!"  I'm sure it'll make him laugh. 

Prepare food in the summer so that you may gathers provisions in the harvest. Proverbs 6:8

College Candy Care Container

Time for another care package to my favorite college kids.  Usually one night a week Caleb has a group of guys from his club over to watch a movie, so we filled the box with movie candy.  We include six flavors of Mike & Ikes; four flavors of Sour Patch Kids and pop corn. 

The girls topped the package off with homemade brownies, a special request from Richard.  Last they added some Monsters Inc. decorations with the message, "We Miss You a Monstrous Amount!"

The box should arrive in time for this week's movie night! 

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  John 13:34

Be Blue

What do Mike and Ikes, Oreos, Eclipse and Crunch bars all have in common?  They all come in wonderfully blue packaging, making them perfect additions for today's care package, 'We Are Blue Without You!'  We filled it with snack and useful items for the boy.  Abigail included the sweetest card:
Hi brother, 
I love you! I can't wait for you to come home this spring break!  I bet you'll be glad to get away from classes for a little bit, even if you have to do some home work.  Text us when you get this and don't forget to share snacks with Richard! 
Love, Love, Love,
Abigail 

And they shall take a cloth of blue and cover the lampstand for the light

Numbers 4:9

Valentine Care Package

The girls decided it was time to send their brother a care, after all it has been almost  a month since they've seen him.  This time they collected goody bags for Caleb, Richard, Levi and J.J.   Each bag was filled with candy, sugary goodness and of course Valentines!  

For Caleb who is thorughly enjoying his Psychology class, Inside Out cards.  For Richard, who is in the LCU Band, musical instrument cards.  For Levi, who is in ROTC, Rescue Ranger cards.  And for J.J. who drive a huge diesel truck, Monster Truck cards.  

Frankie hand made a sweet card for Caleb that read 'Happy Valentine's Day' on the outside.  On the inside she wrote:

Big Brother, 
I hope you are having a wonderful time at college.  We all miss you and love you a whole lot. I also hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day.
     Love, Sissy
        P.S.  I love you! 

showing love to a thousand generations of those
who love me and keep my commandments.  Exodus 20:6

Holy Care Package Batman!

After having the boy home for Christmas break, the girls were beginning to miss him.  So we gathered some of his favorite things to ship him a care package.  And for Caleb, most of his favorite things center around food.  We filled a box with fruit cups, Pringles, Pop Tats and chocolate.    The girls also made cards for Caleb with sweet notes to let him know how much they miss him and keep him up to date on their latest adventures. 

With each package we've picked a fun theme to keep the boy amused.  He never opens his packages in the common area, he has learned to wait until he returns to his room to open up his boxes! I can't image why, I mean what a great looking package!  It looks like a package for a big brother with two sisters who think he's pretty awesome! 

 His sister stood at a distance to find out what would be done to him.
Exodus 2:4

Winter Care Packages

One Sunday per month the moms at church with college kids meet up and pack gift boxes for the students.  Each mom brings a dozen items and then one of each item goes into the care packs.  For Caleb's package the girls and I decorated it with red paper and wrote, "We Miss You Snow Much!"  And for the package we made for Richard we use light blue paper with the message, "Don't Flake Out on Your Exams!"  

Each of the moms wrote Christmas cards for the kids so they would have a package full of warm wishes going into finals week!  

It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.

Deuteronomy 11:12

Hot Stuff Care Package

When Caleb talked to the girls he told them they were sending all of his favorite things, Star Wars, Pizza, and Avengers.  So we had to think really hard about what other things he really likes that we could incorporate into snacks.  

The boy love his chips and salsa!  Abigail makes homemade salsa that when he was home, he would eat at the rate of a quart a week!  So we loaded a box with spicy Cheetos, Firehouse Pringles, spicy peanuts, Hot beef jerky, Fire gum, and even the Clint Eastwood movie FireFox! 

I'm not sure he will be thrilled with our packaging but I know he'll love the goodies and the sweet cards the girls made him! 

Send me your light and your faithful care,

    let them lead me

Psalm 43:3

Avengers Care Package

The girls are at it again!  They don't want that boy to get hungry while he's away.  And if you know anything about Caleb you know he loves his snacks!  This time we put together an Avengers themed package.  We found everything from Cheez-Its, granola bars, Nesquick, fruit chewies, Band-Aids and salted peanuts in Avenger packaging.  

The girls also included cards to brighten his day!  I love reading their sweet messages to him, you can tell how much they love him and how excited they are for his time at LCU. 

The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,

    and their inheritance will endure forever.

Psalm 37:18

Star Wars Care Package

The girls are having a great time putting together care packages for Caleb.  The one that went in the mail today was a Star Wars themed package complete with Vatorade, Hans Rolos, Bobba Gum, and even Leia Buns!  We found Star Wars themed jelly bellys, gummies, and Cheese-Its. The girls made sweet cards to include with the warm wishes.  

Send me your light and your faithful care,

    let them lead me

Psalm 43:3

Minion College Care Package

Time to send another care package to Lubbock!  For this one the girls and I chose a Minion theme from Despicable Me.  We filled his box with Twinkies, applesauce, apple drinks, gummy fruits and other minion merchandised food.  We looked for the minion Tic Tacs but the stores were sold out! 

The girls also made minion themed cards for their brother, one with a Doctor Who motif and the other with a Lord of the Rings reference. The boy loves Sci-fi so all references were appreciated.  

There are just so many fun ideas and you know the boy is loving the snacks.  Again, the lack of a constant abundance of food is his chief complaint about college.  The home schooled kid was spoiled by doing school work less than thirty feet from the refrigerator! 

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink
Matthew 25:35 

College Care Package

The drive home from LCU was kind of quiet on Friday afternoon.  Saturday was a very long day, and it was just odd how quiet the house had become.  Not because Caleb is loud but because we were all used to interacting with him.  

So I took the girls out and we put together his first care package to arrive on Monday. On one of our pizza pick ups for the pantry we had asked for an empty pizza box.  We arranged dollar bills to make the pizza and quarters for the toppings. 

The girls made cards, Frankie's said, "You have a Pizza My Heart." And Abigail's card read, "Fitness? More Like Fitness Whole Pizza in My Mouth!"  

Sunday after services came the first phone call and it was glorious.  Caleb was hanging outside the caf waiting for lunch and called to check in.  The girls and mom were thrilled to talk to him.  The quietness was quickly filled with jabbering and shortly after his call things began to resume.  

This next phase will look different, but it is hard to be sad knowing this is what's best for him and the natural progression of life. . . care packages and phone calls and who knows, maybe an occasional laundry run! 

The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded

    than the shouts of a ruler of fools.

Ecclesiastes 9:16