Back to School

Ready for 4th grade!

(too old to pose with the teacher, but loves to pose with the dog!)

~Walkin' to school~

~'Lil miss kindergarten~

~Meg with Miss Bishop~

A new season...

Wow. I just dropped Meghan off at her kindergarten orientation. She is so ready for school -- intellectually, socially -- but I could tell she was fighting a little to hold it all together. As am I.

She has these little mannerisms of nervousness, of tear-fighting, that others may not even see, but I love being able to recognize these gestures. A flick of her hair... a tapping together of little fingertips... my girl.

I can no sooner fight my children growing up than I can tell the grass to stop growing... the seasons to stop changing. And just as each season of nature holds its special gifts, so too will each new age and stage hold its own joys.

The "at home with kids" years have been very challenging to me, but there have been lots of precious memories, funny moments, and lessons learned along the way. Can any mom ask for more?

Good Medicine

Sometimes you just need to get away as a family. We discovered a favorite spot last weekend in Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming. The kids loved roasting food over the campfire, "sleeping" (?) in the tent, playing in a snowdrift, reading together... all against the backdrop of some spectacular scenery.

Sheltered by the Snowy Range, we found a green tundra marshy with moose tracks in the valleys, sprinkled with white granite boulders, sheltered by firs, and adorned with so many wildflowers. Tiny chipmunks punctuated the stillness with their little chirps (always just beyond Keeper's reach!), and Clark's nutcrackers appeared at each mealtime.

Hope to revisit in more than just memory.