The night before school....

     I would really love to write some cheesy poem about it being the night before school starting and all through the house, but I am too tired to do that... So tonight... I am going to make my memory with bullet points... I find that quite ironic since I have wanted to use a few bullets for various reasons the past few days!

• This is her very FIRST day of school... Oh how I wish she would have that big bow tomorrow and a smocked dress on... I know Bobby Carol is watching over us tonight and in the morning he will make sure she is safe!  ... He stayed to take her two days to school instead of just one... he was the best!

The next year Papa wasn't with us anymore, but Mark took her in the truck to remember him by.... She was so excited to go to school...

By 2nd grade, we had moved back to Lincolnton and she went to school the first day in Papa's truck again!  She graduated to wearing a skirt to school instead of a dress!

Third grade... my favorite of all these pictures... I could eat her up... I love that smile and eagerness to get to school... I hope it stays that way forever!

The next year was a big one!  Both of them at the same school... KB in 4th grade and Ben in Pre-K... they look so young!  sniff sniff

No longer babes...no longer at the same school... KB's first year at middle school and Ben is going to K-5!

And last year... oh my how they have grown since then... KB going to 6th grade and Ben to 1st!

I'm sure tomorrow will be filled with pictures to make more memories... I'm excited....

• My baby girl, going to 7th grade, who is 12, will be entering LCMS for the third year... she isn't dumb...just that out of place class that is going to middle school for four years instead of three.  She has grown so much this summer.  God plans things just right... he knew I needed someone to learn how to wash clothes, iron, vacuum, and show a little tlc around the house!  He knew that would make me feel better about being away from home so much!  She has been even more of a helper this summer because she babysat that precious little brother of hers!  We didn't have any killings either...so that is a plus.  I am so proud she is my daughter... she is nothing like me though...I love her organization... her perfection of everything she does... and how much she generally cares at this age...and I didn't!  It makes my heart swell with pride to receive text messages about former teachers missing her and even one volunteered for her to come and live with them!  May she always have this love for learning...or least make her teachers think that!  I pray for a smooth year in middle school.  I love middle school children... I know some think they are corny and are afraid of them... but I think that they are pretty neat!  I'm hoping she learns to keep her sucking teeth, moaning and groaning, and rolling eyes to the home environment... or else she might be spending some time in trouble!  Good luck in 7th grade Sis! 
• My baby boy is going to 2nd grade.  I'm afraid this is the year he might realize that even though he can tell all these boys what to do... they are finally going to realize that he is much smaller than them and not listen to him anymore... what a shock this will be!  He is so excited about school... he told me the other day he couldn't wait to get back... This little one... just like me... would rather socialize at school... do his work as fast as he can so he can check out what everyone else is doing... and doesn't mind being really honest about things that aren't important to him... This scares me... I want him to be a tough little boy, but I don't want him to be mean and disrespectful... My cell is on speed dial from the school...I am sure!  Good luck tomorrow Boo... may your first day of 2nd grade be memorable and fun and more exciting than the summer of your mama going back to college and leaving you at home with a "girl" was! 
• I'm saying a special prayer tonight for those mamas taking their babies to school in the morning... that is one thing that I have never gotten to do... it makes me sad that I can't be there to take my babies and kiss them good-bye...and see their classrooms on that first day... I just don't think open house is the same... If I ever become a principal... I will personally cover the classes so mamas can go and see their elementary babies on the first day... I am jealous... I know that KB would rather eat dirt than have me walk inside with her, but I sure would like to hold Ben's hand while he walked down the hall.
• We are headed to bed early tonight... you know it will take us three hours to get to sleep... the butterflies are there... the nerves are there... and of course the worries are there... God watch over this school year, wrap Your arms around their little hearts and make them feel loved, and be with the parents who are experiencing the separation for the first time!  It gets better...I promise! 

Sis and Boo... I hope you always love school... as much as you do now... and may you shine to someone else just have as much as you make my heart shine!  I love you both!

Everything Happens for a Reason

     This last week I had the "honor" of taking some girls to camp.  I didn't realize that I had signed up for an FCA camp until about two weeks before hand.  I asked the girls if they were okay with it, and none of them had an issue.  I should have known they wouldn't... it was just what I needed!
     I have never been involved in FCA... shame on me for that!  When we arrived at camp we got FCA Bibles and I noticed Bible verses around the dorm.  I immediately looked at the schedule and noticed that there were several quiet times, "huddle" times, and even chapel every night.  Being Negative Nelly I thought to myself that I had made a huge mistake and these girls were going to hate me for bringing them to a camp about church instead of cheerleading. 
     My mind quickly changed once I walked into the make-do chapel (basement) of the dorm.  The praise and worship music, skits, and speaker were absolutely wonderful.  I thought to myself that I needed that more than the girls and even if they were disappointed that I could learn from this experience.  The first night when we came back to the dorm I heard a few girls say they enjoyed the speaker and the music was good.  I was glad that I had not completely struck out! 
     During quiet time, the girls were told to read their Bibles and it was simply amazing to see these girls spread out across the gym floors reading the Bible!  Not one of them looked up, checked to see the time, or fell asleep.  Again, I felt a little better about the situation.  The second night of chapel was very eye-opening.  The message was on forgiveness and while some people may say they forgive...it truly is something that has to be given to God.  I could tell that many of my girls had the wheels turning in the brains and so did I.  I completely removed my doubts that night as I had several girls want to talk privately about forgiveness, life issues, and the hard choices that teens have to make.  As I sat there with these girls, I silently prayed that God would put someone in Katie Britt's life that she could talk to about the things that some girls just don't feel comfortable talking about with their mamas.  I was very honest, discussed things that really mattered, and hopefully eased their minds on some of the issues they were dealing with in their lives.  It brought me back about 25 years and made me remember the things I used to worry about and how unimportant they are now...but they were huge when I was that age. 
     The rest of the camp was pretty amazing.  I did not have the opportunity to sit with the girls in their huddles and hear everything they had to say, but I did receive a little card that told me three of my girls had rededicated their lives!  Yes... I know I was meant to take these girls to this camp.  The last night of the camp the speaker said she hoped we would take the way we felt home with us and keep our spirit alive we were feeling that night.  My final affirmation that this was right for the girls was when I was standing in a store and a mother came and told me how her daughter had gotten the Bible and shared with her some verses, told every aspect of the camp, and gave detail by detail descriptions of the testimonies presented.  Thank you God for giving us the opportunity to bond together not only over cheerleading, but over Your word.  It was a great week... and I actually wish we could do it again!  :)