1st day of school 2012

Emma on her first day of 5th grade

Addie on her first day of 3rd grade

Gwenyth on her first day of no grade 

(she wanted to be like the big girls)

We all walked down to school today for the first day of school.  I love the feeling of the first day of school-from the special breakfast we eat together, to the love notes I tuck in their in their lunches, the fun stickers I cut out to share with a friend, to finally see them wear the cute outfits they have been choosing for weeks, and to see their classrooms and their new seat partners.  

I have one daughter who thrives on newness and embraces life's changes with excitement and curiosity.  My oldest, Emma, always dives into any new experience with a no holds bar, throw caution to the wind, "here I come" type of attitude.  She took her first steps as a one year old-away from me, and I knew on that day, that this wouldn't be the first time I watched her back, as she moved with excitement towards her next goal.  I embraced her personality.  I guess I could have made her needier or more dependent.  I could have made the world around her seem less trustworthy in an attempt to make her cling more.  God has been good.  He has been faithful.  I know that everyday I spend with her, the countless moments we share are opportunities for me to build into her, settle her feet on good soil, broaden her perspectives and and when the time comes she will use those moments to propel herself forward.  

         I have another daughter who approaches life's changes with cautious anticipation.  Addie rarely jumps into anything in life with both feet.  She needs to think through, process, make sure all the bases are covered, and then worry a little about any pending life occurrence.  To live in the now, she has to trust past experiences with out stressing to hard about what is to come or what might happen.  It is a constant dance.  She drags her feet (figuratively and sometimes literally), when we try something new.  We have to force her and often liken her to Peter in the Bible-we have to get her to step out of the boat and once she does, we assure her it is there she will meet God's security, love, provision, and adventure.  I know that everyday I spend with her, the countless moments we share are opportunities for me to build into her, establish a God-based courage, to show her that when new, unfamiliar, unplanned and unworried things arise, God is there and will bid her forward.

This school year will be good.  School is more than the teacher my girls get, the class size they have, the recognition will or won't get, the tests they will take, and the homework they will complete-it is a daily exercise in trusting my Lord and Savior, asking him for wisdom to raise my kids, learning where my desire to protect and control meet God's sovreignty-when and where to speak up defend and when and where to let go and let God.  

Motherhood is a constant dance-between my nature, my heart, my fears, my hopes and how those meet with the nature, heart, and hopes of the Creator of my kids.  Every year, my girls learn and grow a bunch, but so does their mom.  Listening to the Teacher and just trying to stay out of detention over here:)

Here we come 2012-2013 school year!