First Day of School Tomorrow

The girls begin their school adventures tomorrow...away from home.
We've been homeschooling for the past 2 years.  One is so excited she had a hard time sleeping (the little miss) and one had a hard time sleeping because she is anxious and scared and not wanting to go (the eldest miss). All was well until it was time to lay out their clothes for the morning.  She went to do it and came back in tears.  She just couldn't hold it together anymore.  It took me by surprise and completely upset me...although I hid it well...I hope.  I am already very nervous and anxious, myself, about this and have had many sleepless nights since we decided to do this last April.
Both girls will be in school all day. We've never had this experience before. Most parents get the gradual release (if mom doesn't work outside the home) of first preschool for a few hours a day and then kindergarten for a few more hours a day... This will be an all at once thing. I shall miss my girls.  See I'm getting all tear-eyed just thinking about it. I shall miss teaching them. I shall miss the giggles and moments that happen when you least expect it.  I know they'll be home in the evening...but I will miss them all day.  Never thought I'd say that! When they were babies these days seemed so very very far away.  Now they are upon me and I'm all choked up!
You may ask "whatever will you do with all your free time?" haha...very funny! I will be working in the office that would eat me alive if it could. So that is my answer..."What free time?"
 ~let the adventure begin and may God grant us the wisdom to traverse it with grace~

busy Busy BUSY!!!!

Lately I've been...

-taking the girls to swimming lessons. They loved every second and how I loved watching them love every second.

-we haven't done taxes yet so I've been getting that together to hand off to the bookkeeper

-getting the girls ready to head off to school next Tuesday...and I've been surprised at the emotion it's bringing out in me...I already miss them and yet I'm super excited for them. I loved every second of my academic career and I am praying they are the same...that this time 'round they will have teachers that are perfect for them and that they will find a lovely friend(s) among their classmates. It's hard handing off our precious girls to a stranger for the school day. 

-catching up on office work from our lovely time away. Being on the steep learning curve that I am on this is not as simple as it sounds,but we are thankful for all of the work coming our way and that requires all that office work. 

-trying to fit as many "fun mom" things in with the girls as possible all the while doing the above, oh, and canning. 

-growing a garden

-having fires in the backyard and roasting s'mores.

-having family weekends with just the 4 of us...heavenly

-having a visit from my mom where we got to go out to lunch just the two of us...that was nice and a long time in coming. 

-buying 60lbs of peaches. Tomorrow, if they're ready, I intend to put them up for winter...picture it with me: peach cobbler, peach smoothies, peach pie, mmmmmm just peachy peachiness. 

-making strawberry jam (which turned out more like strawberry syrup...but it's still yummy) AND raspberry jam...which is perfect if I do say so myself. I've also been enjoying the irony of making the strawberry jam with pectin and the raspberry jam without pectin...and they turned out the exact opposite of what you would think they would given that. 

-trying to find the balance in life...if I wanted to I could be in the office 10 + hours a day. But I have children to cuddle, cook for, love, and take care, as well as a husband to...well...love...and a house to try and keep in some semblance of order...and then there are all the other things like well...God, my soul, family, friends, eating healthily so I don't just pack right back on the pounds that I worked so hard to get off, and exercise and on and on and those are not in any order of importance...I have no idea how to do all of those things and the "on and on" in any kind of balanced way.  I'm a focuser. I don't know if that is a word...but I focus on one thing very VERY intensely and get it done and then move on to the next thing and repeat. I can't do that with the above mentioned things. If doesn't work.

-looking forward to trip down to Palm Desert for my Grandpa's 81st birthday at the end of September.  Everything is booked as of today. Fantastic!

In all of this I am really savoring the moments and enjoying the lasts and the firsts.  I am spending a lot of time praying.