{miss eliza}

It has been so different having just Eliza home all day. 

 It has been peaceful.:)

  We miss Henry, but it has been so much fun to have time with my little girl...just us girls.  I would have never chosen this time necessarily but I can definitely see the benefits of our situation.  Henry got time with just me before Eliza was born and now I get to have that same kind of one on one time with Eliza.  It has also been nice because like I mentioned before it is so PEACEFUL around here.  When there is only one child there is no fighting or yelling or pushing or crying or...you get the picture.  Basically, you don't have all that fun sibling rivalry, but you also don't get as many of those wonderful moments when they help each other or read next to each other or laugh so hard together!

Can I say Eliza has been in heaven?

She has absolutely loved having me all to herself!

One morning she asked if Henry was going to school.

  I said yes.

  Then she asked if Dad was going to work.

  I said yes.

  She then looked right at me and said "I am not going to miss them".

She loves to tell me every morning how it is just going to be "us girls".

If we do have another baby it just might be a rude awakening to this little one!

She is my best friend and I am hers.

{surfing}

My cute inventive boy on a hot summer day!

  That slide has seen a lot of different uses in our family.

{happy birthday henry boy}

My sweet baby boy is six years old!

I am flabbergasted!

We had a wonderful day.  It started out a little rocky, but turned out to be a really fun birthday for Henry.  Henry woke up in a bit of a mood and that mood was not made better by the attention and all the balloons...after getting some food in his tummy and having a little bit of time to adjust I think he started to feel much better.  He headed off for school and they made a big deal for him there.  The whole school sang happy birthday to him and clapped for him.  I brought in really fun popsicles for his birthday treat.  I am so glad he had a great day.  It was really weird not spending most of the day with him on his birthday.  Henry requested black decorations for his birthday...we did the best we could:).  He also wanted a cinnamon cake and pizza for dinner at his favorite pizza place and then bowling!  We had such a great time!  After we got home from pizza and bowling Henry had a brand new bike waiting for him.  He was sooo surprised!  He thought he was not getting a new bike even though his old bike was too small for him. 

 We are so glad Henry is in our life!

Happy Birthday Babe!   

{a kindergarten boy}

How is it that my little sweet baby boy is leaving to go out into the world?...

...without me?

kindergarten.

Wow!

Last year I was really inspired by God as to where Henry should be.

I knew he should not go to kindergarten and instead stay at home with me all year in more of a homeschool setting.  I knew he should not go to preschool.  It was such a sure and peaceful feeling and answer to many questions and worries.

This year I have felt he should go to school, but it seemed like it was more of a one step of faith into the darkness...stop and see if the step felt right...and continue on in faith.  After taking lots of little steps of faith...

Here we are with Henry enrolled in full-day kindergarten.  I think it has caught me by surprise.  I do not feel so assured as last year, but I do not feel bad or confused either.  We shall see.  I am for sure nervous for him.  I want him to be happy and successful and I want him to have a good experience.

We went to the get to know you night for just the kindergarteners.  It went really well.  He has a very nice and happy teacher named Mrs. Gilles.  The classroom is adorable and I love the positive aspects of discipline she uses.  The principal was also very welcoming and nice.  I felt so happy and peaceful after this night.  It all seemed to be falling into place.  He even had a member of our ward in his class!

  I thought he was feeling pretty good about it too.

The night before school was to start Eliza woke up about seven times in the night.  She sleeps really well so this was unusual behavior...she was not sick.  I finally figured out she was really worried about this school situtation.  She could not figure out how Henry was going to go to school without me...we are always together!  She kept saying she wanted to come with me.  If Henry was leaving then surely I would be and that would leave her alone.  I tried and tried to explain to her what was really happening, but she could not understand.  Henry was very somber the morning of the first day.  When we got to the bus stop his little lip started to tremble and he was really sad when the bus came.  I was not prepared for this.  He has never had a problem going anywhere...not to a different primary class in a different ward, not a play date, not pre-school.  My heart just about broke in two.  I started to doubt immediately.  I dashed inside and got dressed and went to the school with Eliza.

There Henry was, right inside the front doors sitting on a bench by himself.  I just hugged on him and kissed him and told him everything was going to be all right.  We had a good talk and then the principal noticed us.  She came right over and put her arms around him and talked with him.  She took him to where he was supposed to be in the gym and I went home.

What a day of waiting and wondering and worrying!

He came home off the bus with a great big smile and a great big hug!

He LOVED school! 

(Eliza picked out her 'I love Brother shirt' all by herself that day!:)) 



{a cowboy and a friend}

Eliza dressed herself up like a cowboy...she was so proud!

  I am not sure why she thought she had to take off her shirt to be a cowboy...?

Eliza reading with a friend.

  It is fun to have little girls over to play and read with!

{family photos}

Here are all the rest of the family pictures that were taken when everyone was together...it was crazy but so much fun!  It had been a long time since we were all together.