The Traditions

I addition to our theme for the year {see the post below}, we have a few more traditions each year as we head back to school.

The day-before-school meal at a favorite restaurant.  Last year it was Chinese.  This year we went Mexican.  Yummy.

Pictures with the first-day-of-school outfits and grade signs.  The kids love this tradition--but the decorating of the sign has gotten progressively more elaborate each year to the point of not being able to "read" which grade the kids are entering (with the exception of Josh, of course, who did not decorate, thus leaving his sign legible).  In case you can't tell, Josh is 10th, Emmie is 7th, Olivia is 5th, and Jack is 2nd.  They are growing up.

Notice Josh in this shot.  He WOULD NOT smile for any of the pictures.  And every time he started to smile or laugh, he turned his head so I couldn't take a shot.  Typical teenager.

Here are Jack and Livvy lining up for their classrooms.  This is Livvy's last year in Elementary school.  I will soon only have one walker in the family.

After sending them back to school, I went out to lunch with a few friends.  We had such a great time and two hours went by before we knew it.  But then one of them said she had to hurry home to make her kids cookies for their first day.  DUH!  I have usually done that too.  But this year it had completely slipped my mind until she mentioned it.  So they shamed me into hurrying home myself to whip up a batch before heading over to pick up Emmie and Josh.

Glad I did.  They all really enjoyed that welcome home from their first day.

Seek Light!

It's hard to believe we are already to back to school.  Today was the big day. So in preparation, we spent some time over the weekend talking about what our theme for the school year would be.  I have been thinking a lot lately about the concept of light in our lives--from where it originates, how it helps us grow, how we seek it out.  I am struck with the idea that light is the basis of so much good.  Light is purity.  Light is knowledge.  Light is goodness.  Light is love.  Light is testimony.  Light is strength.  Light is understanding.  Light is law.  Light is power. Light overcomes darkness.  Light is life. Light give sight. Light is good.

There is so much of darkness in the world today--darkness that our precious children have to face alone on a daily basis.  Are they prepared?  Do they have the store of light necessary to combat that darkness they face each day.  To be sure, there is also much light in the world.  But do my kids know how and where to find it?  Are they prepared?

So our theme for the year is

SEEK LIGHT!

We spent an evening talking about light and why it's so important to actively seek it out to enrich our lives and to live the lives we need and want to live.  We focused on D&C 88:6-13 which reads:

 6 He [meaning Jesus Christ] that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth;

 7 Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.

 8 As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;

 9 As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;

 10 And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand.

 11 And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;

 12 Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—

 13 The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.

I hope we can actively seek light in our lives, the light of Christ, so we can be strong and grow this school year.

Trip in a Flash

A couple weekends ago, we decided to make a flash of a trip to Nauvoo to spend a Saturday.  The trip was built around Emmie's first time at the temple.  I was able to take her and Josh to do some baptisms before spending the day visiting favorite spots, eating and playing at the country fair, and seeing the pageant.  With not staying over, the day was eternal (we pulled into our drive way around 2 AM, after driving following the pageant), but fun.  It's always great to spend time in Nauvoo to keep perspective about what's important.

Summer

Here are a couple random summer shots before school starts!

BYU Alumni had BYU night at the I-Cubs games--which amounted to about six families sitting together in a section MELTING in the hot July Iowa heat.  Can you see the heat reflecting off our skin?

And a family Night at the pool.  Some pretty sweet diving going on.