{ A New Journey }...

Well, we have survived the first two days back at school! Kaylee and Jake love their teachers and kids in their classes, so that's good news. Their school had a "Meet the Teacher" night a couple of days before school started and that seemed to settle any nervousness we might have been feeling. I am proud to say that I didn't shed a tear on the first day or the second. Maybe that's because I had my fair share of crying the week before. Anytime I would think about my kids heading back to school, I would feel the watery eyes coming on. I was sad to know that they would be gone ALL DAY LONG (a little sad anyway), but mostly just sad that they have to grow up. I was struggling a lot with the thought of all day kindergarten. I just feel like they are still so little at that age, but the world wants them to grow up so fast. There are a couple of things that made me feel COMFORT about this and the picture of Kaylee and Jake is one of them.

I love the fact that they are at the same school, riding the same bus to and from school. Kaylee is such a great big sister and she loves watching over her little brothers. I dropped them off and walked them into their class the first day, but they were going to ride the bus home. Kaylee had instructions not to let the bus leave until she made sure her brother was on there too. Last year, the first time Kaylee rode the bus, she got on the wrong bus. Luckily the bus hadn't left with her on it. They realized that she wasn't on the right bus, but she was in tears when she got home and I felt so bad. Sooooo...Jake doesn't have to have an experience like that because Kaylee has already been through that. The joys of being the oldest! :) I know that no matter how much they might bicker at home, that they will always watch out for eachother at school.

Sunday night we carried on our tradition of Casey giving the kids a father's blessing. Before he does that he takes them into the office for a little personal interview and asks them questions like, what they are excited about and what their goals for the year might be. This tradition and their blessings are a source of COMFORT for me too. Kaylee was blessed to have a quick mind and to be able to learn new things, to make new friends and have a positive influence on them. She was told that people notice how sweet and tender she is, that she will be outspoken when she needs to be but that she will be able to use her humility and shyness as a tool too. Then she was reminded that she is a daughter of Heavenly Father.

Jake has been so calm since starting school! It's like he completely grew up overnight! I keep waiting for that tired, end of the day, meltdown to happen, but it hasn't...yet. Maybe it won't??? This also makes me feel a sense of COMFORT because he obvioulsy is ready for the whole kindergarten thing. Why would I have ever thought differently? Just because he's still my rowdy, free-spirited boy at heart! Some of the things that were said in his blessing was to obey and be a good leader, to use his talents and abilities in recognition for good, to behave himself well and listen to the Holy Ghost to know what is right and to develop the skills he has been blessed with. He was reminded that he is a Child of God.

We love you both and hope that this is a great year for each of you. We are so proud of the way you keep developing into your own, unique person. We can't wait to watch you learn new things and to share your excitement in all of that with us. I love our little chats while walking home from the bus and having a snack. Sometimes it's hard to hear you because you both are talking at the same time, (and then Drew has to chime in) but I love hearing the excitement in your voices! :) I also love that you (Kalyee) ask how MY day was...how cute is that???