Admittedly THE longest post anyone has ever written about the first day of school!

Caleb! Today is your first day of 3rd grade!! You met your teacher yesterday and she seems pretty cool. You have your new backpack, shoes, clothes, hair gel – I think you’re ready! Baby, I hope you have a fabulous year this year. I pray that you find a good group of friends who you can be YOURSELF around. Caleb you are pretty cool. God made you and did a pretty awesome job. Work hard at trying to be the man that God wants you to be. Sometimes it is easy to be distracted and look around at all the people we wish we could be like. I do that all the time. But, remember, God has a plan for you. And has given you unique gifts and talents to accomplish that plan. Don’t waste those gifts trying to be someone else. We love you, Caleb; we believe in you and are excited to see what this new school year brings. God first, Baby!


The Luke! Today is your first day of 1st grade!! I pray that you have a great year this year, Buddy! You met your teacher yesterday and I think she will be good for you. I’m praying that she encourages you and inspires you to love learning. You are so excited about walking to school with your big brother. Remember to stay with him! I know that God has great plans for you Little Luke. I love how you aren’t ashamed of the gospel and that you LOVE God! Wear your cross and point others to it! I pray you have a great year of learning and friends. In that order, Buddy. Learning and friends. We adore you Luke. Go Luke!

Little Kate! It’s your first day of preschool!! You are going to have fun and meet some new friends. Please obey your teachers! Try to help Ella to remember to obey too. And always remember – GOD is with YOU! We love you Lily Kate! Very, very, very, very MUCH!!

Gracie!! It’s your first day of preschool!! You are going to love all the puzzles that they have in your classroom. Please remember to obey your teachers! Lily will be there to help you and you be there for her too. We love you SO much little Ella Mermaidy!! And God loves you even more!!

Caleb always calls LK "my girl"  This girl loves her big brother!

Brothers making crazy faces

Caleb begging the "Mamarazzi" to please stop. Apparently I'm embarrassing.  Last year I was cool, this year I'm NOT!

Isn't this a gorgeous walk to school?  Love the mountains.  I really never get tired of them.  E-V-E-R!

Ella already got her dress dirty, before it was even time to go!  They were SOO excited.

UPDATE on the day:

• Caleb - Had the best time.  "Way better than I thought it was going to be mom!"  Apparently he is sitting next to another new kid and they chose to sit by one another at lunch and play together at recess.  God is SO cool - Caleb's quiet time devotion this morning just "happened" to be about a boy starting his first day of school and how he had to go up to people and introduce himself to make friends.  Caleb didn't mention that until dinner time and he thought it was pretty neat.  I love how God is so awesome like that!
• Luke - I asked him if he made any friends and he said, "No, but I got snack."  Apparently he has priorities.  He seemed to like it, but honestly that child is so content and easy to please that he could be living in a card board box and as long as they gave him snacks, he'd be thrilled!
• Lily Kate - Was beyond excited about going to school.  She was a little worried when she realized that I wasn't going with her, but was over it when I told her that her sister would be with her.  Wouldn't that be so cool to always have a friend?  When I came to pick her up she immediately wanted to show me all her work.  She had a blast.
• Ella - This girl cracks me up!  As soon as she saw me she yelled, "Mom, I made some prahjects!"  Her art work was awesome.  She also told me, "I missed you.  You're my best mom."  LOVE HER!  She called her Nana to tell her about her day and told Nana, "My mom is so proud of me."  I am SO proud of her!
• Crazy Lady (AKA SabMad) - I was nervous dropping the boys off and cried when I dropped the girlies off.  Then I called one of my BFF's and listening to her 6 kids in the background gave me some appreciation of my silence.  I slept for an hour, talked to my MIL, ate lunch and stared around the house.  I really need to be more productive tomorrow.  Or at least next week.

All in all, I think it was a great day!  The school is literally in our backyard, so the boys are begging to walk by themselves tomorrow.  Then the next day they want to ride their bikes. 
I made them sad by telling them that I am walking them all this week and picking them up too.
Then I made them happy by telling them that after that they can be on their own.
Mercy this mothering thing is bittersweet!