If I was being totally honest, I would say that it has been a long summer. Not a bad summer, just a long summer. God has used this summer to do some house keeping in Shad and I, removing some strongholds that were holding us back from being who He wants us to be. Needless to say, that is not an easy process and that made for a low key, not so exciting summer. But Shad, the kids and I did enjoy each other and had some adventures on the new boat that we bought this spring. Shad and Josh did a lot of fishing, although Shad will tell you it’s been a disappointing fishing season.
We ended our summer break with a trip east. Every summer we go back to the desert to visit the family-like friends that we made when we lived there 5 years ago. (5 YEARS!) The weather was not the typical hot and it was pretty smoky from all of the forest fires in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. We saw a lot of black hills on our drive over. We enjoyed a hazy, cloudy day at the water slide park and visiting with great friends!
Because Labor Day is kind of late this year, when we got back from our trip, we fell right into back to school mode. For the first time ever, we started school before Labor Day.
This guy started middle school today, 5ht grade. I have a hard time typing that without getting tears in my eyes. This boy, our first born. He came into our lives and shook things up. I tell him all the time that he taught me how to be a mom. In the last year he has grown up so much I can barely keep up. I can see him maturing right before my eyes, physically and emotionally. This morning he woke to his own alarm clock and was ready for school by the time I got up. He showed no trepidation as he boarded the middle school bus.
(For the first time ever, he decided to wear his hair differently. Instead of the usual buzz cut, he kept it long on the top. He even combs it! Ahhhh!!)
At about 11:30 last night, Hannah came into my room and said she couldn’t sleep. I laid in bed with her until she finally fell asleep at 2:15 am! Her biggest worry was not having Josh on the bus with her this year. My big brother, Mike, was only a year above me in school, so I can relate to her feelings. There’s something comforting about having a big brother paving the way for you at school. And, even though he may not have really talked to me at school, it was a comfort to know he was there. Also, for the first time since Kindergarten, Hannah’s best friend, Sophia, will not be in her class. How they managed to be in the same class for the last 4 years is beyond me, but it sure was a blessing. I reassured her that their friendship is so well established that not being in the same class will turn out to be no big deal. Also, Sophia’s mom and I already made plans for the girls to ride each others’ bus home on a regular basis. As of 1:30 am, I was planning to drive Hannah to her first day of fourth grade today. (The kids usually like to ride the bus on the first day.) When I got up at 7:20, the girl was awake and talking with her brother. By 8:45 she was getting on the bus like it was nothing.
Coming next week, the tearful post about this little munchkin starting pre-k. Oh boy!
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