The Last Week of School

I think the last week of school tugs at my heart strings every single year.  The last few days of school and all the assemblies, end of the year programs, and force us to reconcile that time is marching on very quickly.  It literally seems like weeks ago that we were taking our babies back to school in August and it is already time to say goodbye to another year, teacher, and memories. 

As if the last week of school hasn't been emotional enough, I spent the day yesterday in my grandmother's house in Radford finding some treasures.  She is in a nursing home now and two months ago my Dad put her house on the market.  Amazingly this week a great offer was offered on her house.  I am thankful this burden is off of my parents, but now the hard work comes of removing thirty plus years of stuff from their home. 

I am a sentimental sap and I am sure that the new young family that bought her house will take this old rotary phone down ASAP, but I love it.  It is the only rotary phone my kids have ever seen and I love that it still works and she used it faithfully until her illness.  I admire this set of grandparents sensibility and frugality.  They did not replace it with a newer fancier model because frankly it still worked.  My generation could certainly use some of my grandparents wisdom.  They never ever lived beyond their means and they were generous with what they had. 

Of all the things I loaded up from her house, this was my favorite treasure.  This is her United Methodist Women's cookbook from 1987.  At first I was sad that she had not submitted a recipe for the book like her friends, but then my Mom pointed out that she never cooked from a recipe so it would have been hard for her to put one down on paper. My grandmother was a lifelong Methodist.  When I recently got news that our Methodist church was moving our pastor and his family, she was one of the first I whined to on the phone.  She gets it that Methodist pastors do not stay around forever.  She was very active in her church until just recently. 

Today Hope and I spent the whole morning at David's field day.  Those outdoor events in the hot sun worry me for our kidney challenged dude, but the weather was great and I did borrow a tent to put up for his class to sit under.  Here are Hope and David with David's ultra sweet teacher!

The class hula competition!  If you hear a rumor that the Superintendents wife got turned in for cheating with DAvid's teacher, there is not proof  that we actually did anything wrong.....:)  What a super fun morning!

David ready to race!  Spending the morning with this awesome class touched my heart so much.  His friends know that he is "different" and has an IEP, but he is so loved.  Everyone cheered him on but not in a patronizing kind of way.  God has blessed David with such a great peer group and school environment.  I left there today grinning and thanking God for those who surround our boy. 

This picture makes me belly laugh because here is David in the dress up relay!  He did not run fast when he got dressed in that getup he prissed across the field waving!  This kid wears me out but he is a blast!

Sweet friends!  Kelsey is not only a classmate but our neighbor! 

Kyle also had his field day today and the kids were all so hot after school that we went to Hungry Mother to swim.  These two had a ball!

Kyle going off of the high dive!  It is officially summer now that Kyle has gone off of the high dive.

Look at those smiles and belly laughs from these girls.  This is what summer is all about.  I do not want to give my children every material thing that they want-I desperately desire for them not to be caught up in posssessions but I do want to give my children my time, my love, and my attention to build memories that they will forever carry with them.  I love to see my children belly laughing with each other and friends. 

Kelsey and Hope teamed up against David and Kyle to "play chicken fight" as Hope calls it.  I just sat close by smiling and thanking God for these children and this moment. Times have been tough lately with lots of stress and darts flying around us, but today feeling the sunshine on my face and watching my children have fun together my heart was full.  Praise be to God.