1st and 3rd

Our summer has flown by.  Our summers as youth pastor always have.  They go something like this: camp, missions trip, trip to visit grandparents, camp, squeeze in family camping, camp... so on and so forth...  Jason has also taught a class at the Bible Institute here for the month of August for 3 hours at a time on Thursday nights.  That's not something you just throw together.  He creates the curriculum, syllabi, reads a billion books, and puts together some powerpoint presentations.  He's a GOOD teacher.  I can brag.  This is MY blog. :)  I love listening to him and he can make any topic interesting (even for 3 hours!).

With the close of summer is the beginning of school.  Jonas is starting 3rd grade and Ella is going into 1st grade.  I'm sad that school's starting.  I enjoy the kids at home all summer.  Jonas is a very good student.  He's been reading books like White Fang, The Call of the Wild, Redwall, Hardy Boys, Robinson Crusoe, and way too much to list.  Ella is, well, very friendly.  I'm nervous about her going to first grade.  That's real school and real work and all day every day.  Ella is SO excited for school to start though.  She can't wait to meet her new teacher and to be with her friends everyday.  Jonas plays it cool.  He's not very excited but he realizes that summer fun can't last all year long.  

I'm thankful these two can attend our churchs' school.  It's excellent.  The facilities are wonderful and the teachers are even better.  However, It just won't feel right to send these little 2 out the door on Monday morning and not see them again for 7 hours x 5 days a week.  It will make me happy one day when we are all home together.  In the mean time I'm comforted with the fact that they are friends and they are headed to school together.

pictures by Em Marie Photography

I'm reminded of this post at this time last year, and smile.  This is God's will for them (and me) at this time and my attentions will be focused on the little two, starting Monday.  There's a lot of work to be done and fun to be had there!