Week One

Cute girls 

The girls had a smooth, calm, and great start to their first week of school. Shelly is loving middle school. She has a terrific group of teachers and enjoys her classes. Lily is happy to be back with her friends and she likes her classes and teachers. 

An unrelated series of photos of the girls from this summer
I always like to add pictures to my words

I'm always relieved when they are happy and back in the swing of things with school. With all of the activities swirling around us, it feels good knowing that school is going well for them both. 

Braces

About a year ago Shelly went to our orthodontist for a consultation about her teeth and the potential for braces. They determined that she wasn't quite ready and had a follow up appointment scheduled for this summer. 

On the 15th of July, we went for the appointment and found out Shelly's teeth were ready for braces. She had lost all of her baby teeth and her jaw was at the perfect time to begin treatment effectively. So, her braces appointment was scheduled for the 23rd of July. 

She was so excited to get those braces on and was literally counting down the days. I was thrilled that she had such a positive attitude about getting braces. I wore braces at about the same age as Shelly and as an adult I am beyond thankful to my parents for paying for my braces. 

Shelly was a champ! She got her braces on in about 45 minutes and handled it beautifully. We are fortunate to go to a terrific orthodontist in our area. He and his assistants really made the experience easy and pain free. 

Shelly's estimated length of time for the braces is 24-28 months. We can't wait to see her smile once she's done with her braces!  And, until then, we are loving her smile with her braces!!

The Back to School Tea

Every year I do a little something for the girls when they return from their first day of school. This year I kept our annual "tea" pretty simple. We had ice water and Krispy Kreme doughnuts accompanied by a couple of back to school gifts.

It's our chance to hang out and just talk about the day. There are no interruptions and everyone gets an opportunity to share about new teachers, classes, and friends. It's one of the things I enjoy most about starting a new school year.

Sixth Grader and a Tenth Grader

They headed off to school with smiles (mostly) and a good attitude. Shelly was very excited to enter the middle school and be one of the big kids! Lily was looking forward to seeing her friends once again. 

Sophmore

Ready to catch the bus

6th grader

School Time

The girls are gearing up for the start of school tomorrow. Lily is heading back to high school as a sophomore and Shelly is embarking on middle school as a 6th grader. 

With all of our plans for our family, this new school year is taking on a different twist. The girls will have two first days of school this year. 

So, we are planning for the first one. They will be on the same school bus and that is a comfort to this mother. I like knowing that Shelly will have her big sister with her.  

Thankful that these two are happy and flexible young ladies. And, now, I am off to pray that all goes well for them this school year. 

Update

The girls and I spent two weeks in Virginia Beach visiting our family. In the middle of our trip John joined us. We had a chance to spend time with our family, take a super fun trip to Busch Gardens, enjoy time at the beach, and eat some yummy food. 

While we were there we had the opportunity to tell our family that we will be moving back to Virginia Beach within the next six months. With this decision comes a lot of emotions with times of highs and lows. As a family, we are eager for the new adventures ahead of us. We also are facing many unknowns. So, the current plan is take it all one day at a time. 

Happy Place

Sometimes it just feels right to be in your very favorite place and that is exactly how I'm feeling. And, I'm glad to have my girls right here with me, too.