First Week of School

 This week...

 Sophie started 2nd grade

 and decided it is pretty great,

I started riding my bike in the dark in the mornings with Sophie's Tinkerbell head light strapped to my forehead, hoping the neighbors don't recognize me,

Our sage bloomed,

I cut out miles and miles of lamination,

I congratulated myself on how well our new job chart was motivating John Curtis

until I discovered he has been stashing his toys between furniture and behind doors instead of actually picking them up,

and we are all started adjusting to early mornings and busy evenings and all the juggling that comes in between.  It's not perfection, but it's good.

So Long...

 days spent lounging by the pool, 

 extra laundry,

splashing in the pool,

carefree afternoons with nowhere to be

7 AM bike rides, 

sleeping late.

So long summer!

Painting Baby Shower

 We had the neatest baby shower for one of the girls in our Sunday school class.  Since it was her 4th and we were just giving diapers so there would be nothing to open, we decided to paint pottery.  We picked plates up from the pottery place in town and painted them at the church during the shower.  It was a lot of fun and the little girls even got to take part.

The diaper cake I made for the baby girl

Back to School Breakfasts

This week we held our 3rd annual Back to School Breakfasts.  You can look back and see year 1 here and year 2 here and here.

Tuesday at my house:

 

Wednesday at the park:

 Thursday at Janet's house

 Friday at McDonald's

The week ended with Meet the Teacher.  Sophie got just the teacher she wanted.  The  twins are in her class as well as her best friend from her class last year. We're ready for a great 2nd grade year!

More Weekend Pics

Glorious Saturday

Gratitude

Nichole Nordeman is one of my favorite artists.  I've talked about some of her songs here before, but this one has been going through my head for weeks.


Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade.
Would you send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid.
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case


We'll give thanks to You with gratitude 
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If you never send us rain.


Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups and fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time.

Or maybe not, not today

Maybe You'll provide in other ways

And if that's the case

We'll give thanks to You with gratitude 

A lesson learned to hunger after You

That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead
And if we never taste that bread.


Oh, the differences that often are between
Everything we want and what we really need.


So grant us peace, Jesus grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not todayPeace might be another world away
And if that's the case


We'll give thanks to You with gratitude 
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need.
And if you never grant us peace


But Jesus, would you please.

What We've Been Up To

 While I never planned for this summer to be an especially busy one, it has definitely turned out that way.  The week after we got home from vacation Sophie had a 3 day Day Camp at our church.  

 That weekend we had a garage sale and lemonade stand (can't believe I didn't get pictures of it) at our friend's house.  Then Sophie left for her week alone with Grammy and Bumpaw.  This week also included  Music Camp at my parents' church, visits with DeeDee and Mimi, and lots of swim time with Tate.  We went to watch her performance Friday night.

And as for John Curtis, he's been up to his usual...

PLAY,

PLAY,

and more PLAY.

We enjoyed our week together with lots of play dates and fun with friends.  Now we're ready to slow things down a bit and enjoy the last 2 weeks of summer before Sophie starts school.