Jackson's 4th Birthday!

Our sweet buddy, Jackson, turned four on October 12th.  Daniel and I just cannot believe that four years have come and gone with a son in our lives!  Time flies!  This year, Jackson became a big brother.  He has been a WONDERFUL big brother!  He is my little helper when it comes to taking care of the babies.  Jackson adores his daddy!  They say,"We're the same boys," all of the time!  He loves DUPLO blocks, building with his train set, drawing, puzzles, playing with cars, trucks, and firemen...anything BOY!  Gone are the days of wearing my heels around the house and toting around Rivers' purses.

Jackson has a pretend group of friends that came to live with us shortly after the babies were born:  Mr. Mark, Mr. Johncy, and Mr. Ricky.  They go to and work at "Mango Church" and they are all pastors.  I'm thinking that they are really music ministers because they sing and play air guitar a lot.  Jackson constantly keeps us guessing!

Jackson also moved into a big boy bed for his 4th birthday!  He has been so excited, and we have enjoyed getting to climb into bed with him to read and sing at night.

Happy 6th Birthday Rivers!

I honestly cannot believe that our baby girl turned 6 years old today!  I could blink and be back in the summer of 2005, living at Palmetto Richland Hospital, praying that the sweet little baby inside of me would make it out alive.  Praise God for directing us to the right doctors, and praise God that He gave us the conviction of being PRO LIFE because I cannot imagine my life without Rivers in it!  God made her the answer to my heart's cry for a child.  How I longed to be a mother!  And then, Rivers was born, and my first time looking at her, I thought, "God, how am I going to take care of this baby?"  Well, you know what?  The easy part was loving Rivers and that made all of the hard parts so worth it.

Baby girl, your smile lights up a place in my heart that only you have the key to!  I am thankful that God made me your Mama (even though last week you told me you wanted to start calling me "Mom").  I'll never forget what we have gone through together, and I look forward to the years to come!  "You make me want to be brave!"

Changes

I have been reading Charlotte's Web to Rivers at night for the past couple of weeks. It is actually our first chapter book to read together, and it has been such a special time as she recalls things from the days before and gets excited to read that night. The fifteenth chapter is entitled "The Crickets." It made me choke up thinking of her going to school and about summer drawing to a close:

"The crickets sang in the grasses. They sang the song of summer's ending, a sad, monotonous song. 'Summer is over and gone,' they sang. 'Over and gone, over and gone...'

The crickets felt it was their duty to warn everybody that summertime cannot last forever. Even on the most beautiful days in the whole year--the days when summer is changing into fall--the crickets spread the rumor of sadness and change.

Everybody heard the song of the crickets. Avery and Fern Arable heard it as they walked the dusty road. They knew that school would soon begin again. The young geese heard it and knew that they would never be little goslings again...Mrs. Zuckerman, at work in the kitchen, heard the crickets, and a sadness came over her, too. 'Another summer gone,' she sighed...

'Summer is over and gone,' repeated the crickets...'Good-bye, summer, good-bye, good-bye!'"

I have never felt so nostalgic about summer's end as I do now. Usually, I am looking forward to cooler days and the events of the fall. I have always loved the idea of school. The bright red apples. The yellow school buses. The "bouquet of sharpened pencils." Now it will be a time when I have to let one of my children go for more of the day than I wish, yet I know...this is the right thing. God has brought us to this day, and we are so blessed! So blessed to have a child that I adore being around. So blessed that she is WALKING into school. So I am choosing to thank God for the days ahead, and I am praying that my child will be as much a blessing to others as she has been and is to me.

Meadow Glen Elementary Open House

Rivers, Daniel, and I went to Meadow Glen Elementary's open house this afternoon. We were so excited to get the chance to look inside the school that we have been driving by every week this summer, checking on the school's progress. It did not disappoint! Meadow Glen is a beautiful school: bright, clean, and cheerful, just waiting to get students' art work up on the walls. Rivers was so excited to meet her teacher Mrs. Dansavage and her assistant, Mrs. Blankenship. They are fresh out of school and just thrilled to get into the classroom to put into practice all that they've learned.

Rivers' table is at the front of the room, and her friend Mary Grace will sit across from her. There are 23 students in her class.

Rivers was so excited to visit the lunch room (cafeteria/auditorium = cafetorium?). We picked a lunch bag out together at the beach. Just out of the cafeteria window is the grade school playground. Kindergarten has a separate play area off of their wing. We checked out the kindergarten/1st grade wing and then ventured on to the music room (where we met Mr. Rhodes...super nice!), art room, PE area, and to the library to have her school i.d. made. We stopped by the nurse's office on our way out and then congratulated Mrs. Fralick on helping to create such a beautiful learning environment for our children. What an exciting day!

Preschool Graduation

Rivers' preschool graduation was Tuesday evening, May 24th. She and her friends entered the sanctuary of Lexington Baptist to the song "Hello to All the Children of the World." I don't think that I'll hear that song again without getting teary eyed. I have heard Rivers singing that little song around the house for several months now, and I just love hearing her sing "hello" in nine different languages. It was adorable! Mrs. Debbie Crutchfield presented Rivers with her Preschool Diploma at the end of the ceremony.

Katherine and Emily slept most of the way through the graduation. We had planned on a babysitter keeping them, but it fell through at the last minute. I think Rivers enjoyed having them there.

Rivers made friends with a little girl named Kally this year. We didn't realize it at the time, but she is the daughter of Kent Lane, Rivers' orthotist who made her hip and leg braces for several years.
Rivers' friends, Lauren and Meredith, will be with her at Meadow Glen Elementary next year along with two other preschool friends, Julie and Mary Grace.

Rivers' last day of preschool was yesterday, Wednesday, May 25th. It was very emotional saying goodbye to her teachers and Mrs. Betty, the preschool director. We have been so blessed by this preschool and their ministry to Rivers and our family. She started preschool in a wheelchair in August of 2009 and leaves in May of 2011 walking, jumping, running, and climbing. She even learned to ride a tricycle at preschool early this year. Sweet memories!