Kicking and screaming we kissed Summer break goodbye and said hello to school!! Yesterday was the littles first day and they had a great day. LOTS of fun pics, but those firsts have to be documented, right?!
Grace, 8 1/2
{first day of 3rd grade}
favorite color: pink
favorite character: Elsa from Frozen
favorite game: The Shopkins Game
favorite food: steak, noodles, and broccoli
I love to: dance and draw
I hope her whole year is this smiley and dreamy!!
Hudson, 6
{first day of 1st grade}
favorite color: gold
favorite character: Zane from Ninjago
favorite game: swimming
favorite food: corn dogs
I love to: play with my family
Meanwhile...he is SO his father's son!!
"How many pictures do we have to take??"
he he he
There's that sweet jack-o-lantern smile I love so much!!
DEFINITELY a joy filled spirit!
{and same answers three years in a row!}
Perfect fit for him!! He notices every little detail! Everything must make sense and fit together just so. Love him to pieces!!
Official backpack pics!
Lunches packed with some yummies...stir fry chicken bites, shells with butter and parmesan cheese, apple slices, blackberries, and a chocolate pudding pouch!
They both loved their new magnets from planetbox and I love that we can use the same box and just buy a new carrying case + magnets every year!
And we're off!
The do-we-have-to-take-a-picture-at-school look.
Why, yes we do! Mama wanted a pic of the two of you together and Grace in her cute new glasses!!
Ready to go into Mrs. W's Wonder Kids homeroom!
I have a feeling our days of walking her in are coming to an end... *tear*
Hello, Mrs. W!
Something about dropping off your *baby* that gets me every time!!
With his sweet teacher, Ms. H!
Bye mama! Such cute Honeybees!!
But the best part about going back to school is catching up with all your friends!! Hudson was super excited that Lilly is now at his school!!
They both had a great first day - that's always an answered prayer!!
When I picked up Hudson he ran to me and gave me the biggest hug! He said, "I had a super fun day!! Ms. H has the most amazing treasure box!" {he got a LEGO out of the treasure box!?!!!! he was OVER THE MOON!!} Later his buddy Jayden's mom told me that Hudson said Ms. H was sooo pretty + nice - he he!
Grace said she had a great day but that they didn't get to go out to recess because it was too hot. (the good 'ole South for you!) That her desk (in like a little desk group of several desks together) is the farthest one back from the whiteboard but "I can see perfectly with my new glasses and I like it back there." (the stuff they notice!) And that she is sitting with two boys next to her that she tried to keep on task all day (ha!)
Frozen yogurt at our fave spot to wrap up a successful first day!
We ran into some school friends and you would have thought they hadn't seen each other in YEARS!! Such crazy girlies!!
{and yes, they were WILD after school. extra apologies to other froyo patrons that were there!}
All in all a great start to a new school year. My biggest prayers are for safety, for learning mixed with copious amounts of nurturing, and for the littles to shine with God's light from within in every circumstance they are faced with.
Daddy and I love you more than words can say!
Go get them!
XOXO,
Mama
P.S.
Second day of school fashion. Her style is really changing and she looks so grown up!!
The littles had their last day of school on May 21st, but as usual, I'm playing catch-up!!
They've changed so much in just a year so I want to make sure and capture these moments for our blog book.
Ready to go, gifts in hand for their 3 main teachers! I took the easy route and had the shop wrap them for us so I didn't get a picture, but we got them personalized Lilly Pulitzer stationery and jewel stone gold bangles like these - kinda preppy but that's the mood we were in!
Grace, 8 yrs. 2 mo.
{last day of 2nd Grade}
Hudson, 5 yrs. 11 mo.
{last day of Kindergarten}
What a difference a year makes!!
Sweet kinder buddies...Caroline, Henry & Hudson!
One last morning of hugs from his teacher, Ms. V...
Grace with her beloved Miss D! Oh, how she has loved having her this year!! We have been spoiled with amazing teachers throughout the years and Miss D's sweet nature just raised the bar that much higher! Thank you for making her 2nd grade year AMAZING!!
Mrs. L has been Grace's Gateway teacher for the past 3 years!!! We love Mrs. L!! I can't even begin to tell you how hard it was to say goodbye! At least Hudson has her for 2 more years!!!
CraZy girls!! These two besties are sumthin' else!
F R E E D O M!!! Hello, Summer!!!!
{not sure why Hudson looks like the Statue of Liberty!!}
And just like that, we now have a FIRST grader and a THIRD grader!!
HOW did that happen??!
It was such a beautiful day! Thank you for all the sweet prayers and kind comments!
I thought I had been able to fix my camera and I was so excited, but after just 3 pictures it stopped working again - boo! I did manage to capture this one just as we were entering our church...
Proud mama fighting back tears of joy!
My heart!
Our beautiful baby girl...you looked radiant! Most importantly, you have a beautiful heart!
{love our church's stained glass windows too!}
Attempt at a quick family pic...some of us were not that into it. he he he
Our pew marker...thank you Ava's grandma for adding our children's names to these! Such a sweet keepsake!
LOVED seeing our pews filled with so many loved ones! What a special gift to Grace!
{Mama Wanda, Haguit & Shabella - she was SO happy to see you, even if you had to leave before I could snap a pic! Love you all!}
Twin smirks from my boys!
Pictures are not really allowed during Mass and I understand why, but that is such a tough thing when it's a special milestone like First Communion! Our Assistant Director of Religious Education did take some of all the children and I can't wait to see them! Hopefully she has a good one of Grace receiving Communion for the very first time.
Grace, along with three other children, was selected to bring up the Communion gifts - such a special honor - I tried to take a very quick, unobtrusive snapshot, but she was on the other side so it was hard to see her.
Ditto for when they sang their Communion song after receiving Communion for the first time. They sounded like little angels!
Love this sweet moment I captured right after Mass!
Proud parents!
With one of her PSR teachers...thank you, Mrs. Connie! Teaching the 2nd Grade Communion Class is no small job - we are so thankful for sweet teachers!!
With Noonie and Papa J!
Mimi!
Aunt Marilyn!
Pop!
Aunt Segi & Uncle James!
Aunt Lexi!
Sweet girls! And check out Hudson...he was verrrry into the cookies and lemonade - ha!
Aubrey & Grace...such sweetness!
Sweet Grace - what a special day!
My grandma would have loved this one...
After Mass, we went to eat at a local Italian restaurant and we shared the party room with Nicholas' sweet family...Congrats, Nicholas!
"Best Day Ever"...indeed it was!
In keeping with my tradition of writing little love notes to Grace and Hudson on vintage cards, I ordered the tiny vintage Communion card on etsy. It was supposed to have been unused, but when it came in (all the way from France!) it had writing on the back...from 1950! What a fun thing to find! She loved it!
Grace loved passing out the petit fours - her special request! Some had tiny pink crosses and others had her monogram.
Such a special day for the little pumpkin - we are so proud of you, Grace!
And because I love all things Kentucky Derby...we couldn't let derby day go by without having a little fun!
Making their predictions...
And even though "Weeee" (Hudson's horse) nor "Spark" (Grace's horse) won, these little vintage cards were soooo fun and so addictive!
One of these days I'm going to make it to the actual Derby! *wink*
