First Day of School 2012

Last Tuesday we started the new school year.  While a lot of mom's across our town were fighting back tears, I was very excited to send my children off on a new adventure.  Is something wrong with me??  I mean, I love my children to pieces, but I also have no problem watching them grow and go off on new adventures.  Maybe it is because I loved school sooo much that I get all giddy at the thought of school supplies, books, learning, etc that it overrides my sadness as a mom watching her children getting bigger by the moment.  Don't get me wrong, I do have moments of realization that take my breath away but when it comes to sending my children off to school I don't.

Anyway, before we loaded up to head to school we tried to take our yearly first day of school pictures.  We tried our hardest to get a good picture, but most of the time the children, especially Shelby, were more interested in being silly then serious.  At first this was rather frustrating, but then I said to myself, "Hey, if she wants to be silly, let her be silly.  What better way to capture their little personalities then when they are being goofy."

This first picture is actually the best one we got but most of them.....

were like this

or like this...

Then we moved onto individual pictures. 

JP's first day of kindergarten.

(Don't ask me what the leaf was about.  They both decided they needed a prop to pose with.)

Shelby's first day of 2nd grade.



Okay, now I am ready to cry:(  Where did the time go and I miss my babies!!!! 

Can I get a Witness?

JP is actually listening...well, sometimes....

Sunday at church during the children's sermon Pastor Bill asked the children what was the only way to Heaven?  The children (at least most of them) quickly replied, "You die."  Of course we adults got a huge kick out of that.  We knew the answer that he was looking for, but children are quite literal so they gave him an incorrect correct answer.  As he went on to explain more about Jesus and what he did on the cross and through is resurrection so that we could spend eternity in Heave with God he asked the children where Heaven was and my sweet, shy JP who never speaks up said, "Straight up."  I was unaware that it was him until the end of the service so you can imagine my surprise when Rachel told me.  What a stinker!!!

Monday morning Shelby was walking around the house pretending like she was dead, but she could walk.  I think that she might have said the word zombie but part of me can't believe where she would have heard that word so I am not sure.  At any rate, she made a comment about walking around dead.  JP said, "Everyone walks around dead."  So I told JP that there was no such thing as dead people walking around.  And without missing a beat he said, "Yes mom, we are all dead in our sins."  HOLD UP!!!  Did he just say that?!?!?! was the response in my head but what I said was, "You are right JP; you are so right.  How do we become alive?"  He replied, "God makes us alive."  Then I asked him what God did so that he could make us come alive.  And he said, "Jesus died on the cross."  Bingo!!!  So impressed that he seems to be getting it:)

All this time I supposed everything went in one ear and out the other, but somethings are actually sticking.

So, About the Rest of July....

So what did the rest of July look like??

Well, we sent off our cousin back to Argentina in style.

The kids and I enjoyed some pool time at Grammy and Papa's house.



I braved our first sleep over while Pratt was away. (In case you are wondering, it went off without a hitch.  The children had a great time and stayed up way too late, but that is what you are supposed to do at a sleepover.)

We played tourist for the day with our friends, the Dalzells, complete with a day at the beach and a trip to Coligny Plaza where we found Sweet Carolina Cupcakes, Frosty Frog, and The Frozen Moo.



The girls tried to take down Uncle Matt when he came to visit.  I think it was a tie.

JP went to camp at school and the theme was Circus.  My sweet little clown!  I mean, it doesn't get much cuter than that<3>

Shelby also went to camp at school with her bff and our neighbor Neely.  The girls had a blast and Shelby really enjoyed showing Neely her school.

All in all it was a great month and it flew by.  After June seemed to drag on and on I just can't wrap my head around how fast July came and went.  We are now at the one week count down for school to start and fall activities to begin.  Shelby is super excited about Tumbling class and we are hoping to get JP some golf lessons.