First Day of School

It always feels like Summer flies by in a blink.  One minute we're looking ahead to almost three months of sun, water, relaxing, and vacations, the next minute we're facing the first day of a new school year, scratching our heads and wondering where the time went.  

We had a wonderful Summer.  And now we're off to the start of a wonderful school year.

Paige, although not technically in school, is starting a new year.  She'll be doing some school at home with me.  She always likes being a part of the fun, so of course she needed a picture to document the day as well. 

Merry Grace is now a 1st Grader.  She has a teacher who she thinks is both "pretty and has good style" so she's sure she'll have a great year.  (Obviously those are the most important qualities we search for in a great teacher. ;))  Her start to the year has been much easier than Kindergarten.   She's mostly excited about things and is quickly making new friends.

Ian is in 3rd Grade.  He has a teacher who we have never had, but who everyone says is so nice.  We've heard wonderful things about her and so far that seems to be true.  He's enjoying the year and comes home positive and upbeat about his day.  He sees Merry Grace at lunch and sometimes recess.  I asked him if he waved to her when he saw her.  He said, "Yes and I give her a hug, too."  I think its sweet and Merry Grace loves it, too.

 Elise, my sweet sixth grader, who is starting off on the new adventure of Homeschooling.  So far its gone really well.  We're only a couple of days in, but she has mentioned several times how much she loves school, which is something we haven't heard in a very long time.  After the first day, she sent me this text, "Thanks for being a great teacher at Tarheel Middle.  BEST school EVER."  Pretty much made my day.

So we're off and running, getting used to earlier evenings, earlier mornings, and a little more structure.  But so far its going well and we're looking forward to lots of good things happening this year! :)

Legacy

Given my current addiction to all things Olympic, its not surprising that I've gotten caught up in some of the amazing stories of women in the Olympics.  Take the story of Pandelala Pamg who became the first Malaysian woman to win an Olympic medal.  Or Sarah Attar who became the first Saudi woman to compete in the Olympics.  Not to mention American women like Kerri Walsh Jennings & Misty May Treanor, Venus & Serena Williams and Gabby Douglas who also made history this year with their wins. 

Being the mother of girls, this has made me think about the messages I want to send my own girls about the bright future ahead of them.  But I can't help but think about the future, without thinking about the past.

My Grandma Delia was a woman who showed me how wonderful it was to be a woman.  She embraced her femininity and didn't apologize for it.  She reveled in homemaking, in making people feel welcome in her home, in taking care of others.  She loved those things and was good at them.  I learned from her how wonderful it feels to be loved.  I learned to be proud of being a woman and to make use of the divine gifts I've been given as a woman.  I learned that you were never too old to try something new.  She was full of faith and trust in the Lord.  I saw a woman who could carry all the softness and tenderness in the world, and yet be independent, strong and brave.

My Grandma Jarrell is a woman who has shown me that women are tough, strong and resilient.  That you can face heartbreaking trials in life, but that life can go on and be beautiful.  I have learned from her that when there's a job that needs doing, you can dive right in and do it yourself.  She has never held back from something that might seem scary or unfamiliar.  You face the task head on and move forward.  She can be witty, sarcastic, and hilarious or stoic, fierce and strong as the situation demands.  She's talented.  She's smart.  She's generous. She's a woman of faith.  I've seen from her how wonderful it is to be fully present in your life and really living it, not just watching it pass you by.  She is indomitable.

My Mom is a woman who is the epitome of Motherhood.  If there was ever someone who was born to be a mother, it is her.  She is patient and kind.  She somehow managed to show me that she was always there when I needed her, but also allowed me the independence to spread my wings and fly.  She is smart and dependable and steady.  She is the bond that makes our family strong.  She has shown me how wonderful it is to be a part of a family.  She is resourceful when times are tough, she keeps going when the going gets tough and she never, ever, ever gives up.  She taught me to rely on the Lord, to turn to Him when I needed help and that He would never let me down.  As Abraham Lincoln said (and I echo), "All that I am, or hope to be,  I owe to my angel mother."

When I was getting married, a sweet lady at church told me, "You come from a long line of elect ladies."  And she was right.

So when I tell my girls about the bright future ahead of them, I will tell them about the bright women who came before them.  Those women who were trailblazers in their own lives and in their own ways and who have helped pave the way for them to blaze their own trails.

Say that Again?

The other night at dinner, we were talking about school starting, including who the kids' teachers might be.  Merry Grace said, "I hope my teacher isn't a zombie."  I'm thinking we should put this on the back burner of things to worry about, but get our zombie plan in place, just in case. ;)

My Grandma J sent my kids these awesome wigs the other day.

How can you not love a woman who sends things like this just for fun?  Anyway, the next morning, Elise was wearing the black wig and Merry Grace said, "If you painted your skin green, you would look just like Franken-Einstein."  That sounds truly terrifying. 

Last night, I was snuggling with Paige a little before bedtime and she was chattering away.  She was trying to tell me that I was small enough to do something or other.  But what she said was, "You're small and Daddy is big.  You have a little tiny brain and Daddy has a big, giant brain."  Sometimes there are just no words.

Gosh, I love my kids. :)