What a Difference

a school year makes.

Today was Baby Sister's last day of school. For comparison, here's the gang on her first day of school.

I might spend the rest of the week going back and forth between those pictures. If only to judge whose legs got longer quicker.

Do you know what I see most in the photo from today? It is real comfort. A sort of peace that wasn't there in August. In August, we were doing our best. Which, at times, meant faking it a bit.

We're not faking it anymore and we feel at home here. Those victories have been hard fought and aren't lost on me. In fact today, moments after this photo, Big Sister took a terrible spill which bloodied both knees (and kept her from kneeling at Mass!). Would you know she, all bandaged up and really weepy, went straight to the loving arms of her teacher? Her wonderful teacher who has loved her all through the year. Taken my little British school girl and made her a-okay in Music City. I could say the same for all of their teachers, their friends, the families we've befriended. We are so grateful this year. We see providence in our everyday.

It has all simultaneously gone too quickly and been such hard work that it is gratefully and finally over. It does seem a bit like we're mice on a wheel, having not really taken a proper (even a British/six week) summer since 2012. That was the Olympic summer for a point of reference.

But no matter how we feel about it, the school year for us all is quickly coming to a close. I cannot tell you how many of our prayers have been answered here. By having friends, loving our school and feeling at home.

My baby will soon go to Kindergarten and my oldest is "so excited!" about 7th grade. So while that may be bittersweet for Your Girl Friday, it is also so rich in goodness (and good news) that I cannot possibly complain. I wish you could meet our friends and see our school (and hooray for those of you who already have and will soon!). You'd see just what we mean about that sense of peace.

It's been a long year. But I can see now that it was also all meant to be. We're living it. We're here. And really happily so. Even tho I'm awfully weepy of late.

xo