school is out & bring on the summer!

And that is a wrap for the 2018/2019 school year.  4 kids in 3 schools & it was a great and exhausting year.  There were lots of moments of celebration and some tough challenges to over come but the kids did it with lots of encouragement, prayers, & butt kicking from us and the amazing educators in their lives. They attend schools were their friends and teachers are FOR them & seek to know them and this is a huge blessing- one I do not take for granted. These days are exhausting to be sure- especially as I figure out how to live with MS but at the same times they are also fleeting and these babies are growing up so fast. I love capturing these moments because I find myself studying these images and looking back on all that has changed this year.

This teacher right here. I just cannot say enough on her desire to truly see & love Rayne well this year. She was all in & communicated all the time with us. This partnership between home & school is where magic can happen for a girl who needed to feel safe and loved! I'm so freaking thankful!! 

Just love Evy & her emotions- maybe because although in most ways she is her father's daughter THIS hot mess-ness right here is all me and it is beautiful. She loves hard & her teacher saw her unique leadership this year and encouraged her.  

She even gave up her lunch several times to invest in Evy. 

Next year there lil' bro will be in this picture!! 

 Field Day this week!!

 I went "back to school" too this year by subbing this year at the Jr High & I LOVE it! Working with the teachers & students has been a highlight for me for sure! I have missed Jr Highers so much! The Renaissance Faire this past week was a great event that raised money for a local family's daughter battling cancer.

 Evy's speech teacher since Kindergarten retired this year & the parents & kids gathered to make sure she knows how much we appreciate her!

Evy adores her & cried when she heard she was leaving but we prayed that she would have amazing adventures in retirement!!  

Evy's first year at teh awards assembly & she crushed it wit 3 awards! 

(Or rewards as she kept saying :)

 this girl with her faces during the awards.

Both the girl's kindergarten teacher is ALWAY such a source of joy & kindness!!

 Rayne's reading mentor this year was a 5th Grader from our community. She received an award the last day for her leadership, academic excellence, kindness, & community service and I screamed so loud because she gave up her recess many days to invest in Rayne. She might not even know the impact having an older kind, beautiful, & wicked smart young woman of Color pour into Rayne but IT MATTERS so much. Just love these two amazing girls! 

 We love the leaders & teachers at our schools- they are super heroes who again & again have encouraged our kids! The Special Educator who is also a parent of kids in our school was always willing to step in and help when Rayne needed her.  She is a fierce advocate & humble servant of so many kids in our district.

When you love getting called to the principal's office :) Our new leader had many challenges to overcome but also took time to get to know the kids and invest in families!

Tradition- every year picture of these besties together. These 2 are both such special & amazing kids. (#biasedforsure)

And this girl is an 8th Grader now!!! This year I got a deeper look into her world at the Jr High and we continue to be proud of the way she navigates the world of middle school with grace, humor, and grit.  I cannot believe in one year she will be off to high school - hold me. 

It was amazing year and in large part to the community of folks around us.  Life is crazy and life is hard and life is good. 

Summer break recap day 1: My kids fought most of the morning because they always forget how to be human the first week of summer break. Then I took Abishai to the dentist & forgot to bring a referral (which apparently was necessary for the appointment) & was the recipient of some serious side eye (it also did not help us that he took his shoes off and decided to lay across the table in the waiting room). We took a Chewie to the dog park & then headed to the pool to meet up with friends (and all of the children insisted on sitting 2 inches from us and begging for snacks) & then we went to another friend’s house to hang out and swim at their pool. My kids ate hot chips and ice cream cake for dinner #whateversboutit & my son had no underwear for his T-ball game because he was in his swim suit all day & I forgot he had a game. Luckily a dear one loaned us some chupi (chupi= underwear in Swahili , you know who you are & you are the real MVP). Then we rolled up late to the Tball game in our swim suits and discovered Rayne had no shoes (an apparent casualty of the day). We are definitely trying to live our best summer life but are a complete hot 🔥mess over here.
The good part is the older I get the less I care about what people think... anyone else?
We have great people in our lives that love us despite & bc of our hot mess-ness.
Bring it on summer (ask me again in August),