Daddy Daughter Dance and much more!

(sorry for the long post, we have had a busy week and several thoughts / reflections I wanted to capture for the girls)

I feel like a broken record, this is the time of year we really start juggling a lot at our house.  Between the girls year end schedules, lots of social events, and our work schedules that pick up for the next several months we try to be in two places at once some days!  But this is why we have made the decisions we have regarding the girls education and the location so we can be involved and connected throughout their education. 

We celebrated Monday with a no spelling word and no Bible memory verse week since it was a short week, Gracie has Friday off.   I don’ t know who was more excited, Gracie or her parents!   She is doing great and excelling beyond out expectations.  I can’t believe that in less than a month we will have a 2nd grader!  I spent Thursday over lunch with her class so Mrs. Barrow could enjoy the teacher luncheon.  While I do love her classmates, 2 hours confirmed what I already knew which was God did not give me the skill set to teach or have a large family (I always look at her class each year as a large family as they spend more time together during the week than with anyone else).  I am thankful and admire those that have this skill set, however this is not mine. 

Gracie's picture to Mrs. Barrow.   

Flower Day!   I love how our school celebrates each teacher!  The kids order flowers and then each child delivers the flowers to each teacher.  

This was the week for injuries.   Maggie Sunday scraped both knees as she was running up Grammy and Papa’s drive before we left for home.  It was quite traumatic, as she would not walk the rest of the day.  When she would “try” she would hunch over and cry!  Poor baby!  It was big deal when she ran in from school Monday and her announcement was “Mommy, I walked on my own”!    Love that girl! 

Gracie has been more and more active and loves to swing at school.  She apparently got a little off balance somehow on the swing Monday in aftercare and fell backwards onto the mulch.  It scrapped her pretty badly!   She was a trooper thought and managed to keep a good attitude about it.  A little TLC as she feel asleep helped too!   

Ouch!   She is doing great and it has healed quite nicely.  

Knitting!  A skill that is not taught as frequent today as it has been in the past but one that seems to be coming back.  Gracie’s main aftercare teacher has been teaching knitting so we signed her up for a session.   WOW!  She really has picked this up quickly and seems to really enjoy it.  She loves the class as she doing it with one of her friends, Lucy.  They get to knit, drink tea and just talk.  Sounds like a wrap up to a perfect day!  

The girls both spent Friday with Papa.  Now that he is retired we try to not take too much advantage of him, however really appreciate when he can help with the girls.    Gracie was out of school so the girls had Papa time.  It was filled with giggles, picnic on the playset and lots of treats!   Thanks Pops for helping and having sone girly time!  As w were tucking the Maggie in one night, she said “after Sister snuggles, Mommy snuggles, Daddy snuggles, send Poppy up for snuggles”.  

The girls did gymnastics, a few errands with us,  then Gracie had to get prepped for her dance....ah, yes that is right.  She had her first Daddy Daughter Dance.  I think they both were eagerly anticipating the evening.  This has been the discussion of almost every meal the past month.   Gracie started planning with her friends where they would go to dinner before the dance (any guesses?  Yep, Panera downtown)  as well as the details of each of the girls dresses!   They had a blast!  

The details! 

I LOVE these two!    

So excited! 

Clearly a Daddy's girl....but I would not have it any other way!  He cherishes his daughters and me!  

A mommy picture!

Sweet friends..Gracie, Lucy and Kenzie 

Out on the dance floor!  

Lucy, Gracie, Delaney, and Kenzie!  Gracie has been blessed with such wonderful friends this year!  

Love these girls!  Gracie and Grace get to spend time at school and playing in the neighborhood.   

A little tired!  

Maggie and I were able to have some fun to.  It was wonderful to be out with our youngest and to be able to focus on her.  She choose dinner (Panera like her Sis), her treat (cookie and the mall), and then home to snuggle and read.   I sure adore this little one!   (Note:  I wish I had some pics of Doodle from this night, however none of the ones on my phone turned out great.)

Sweet girls!  

Jimmy after Gracie’s spa party said he knew life with girls would eventually be filled with makeup, dates, dances, pretty dresses, and eventually boyfriends and weddings, but what he did not think about until recently is the compliments at this age that he would be giving to the girls AND their friends.   The girls are blessed and I am blessed to have a wonderful father and husband who understands the value of his words to his girls regarding their image and value!   

While I do read blogs, I don’t read many, one caught my eye this week and it was a special post by the author of “Sparkly Green Earrings”.  She says the following in response to her 9 year old daughter not wanting to grow up and leave home.... “And as much as part of me wants that too, I know it’s not the way it works. God has made this incredible little person that I get to love and raise and spend about eighteen years with under the same roof, but he’s also created her to have her own dreams and desires. A big part of my job description is to continually lead her to him in everything she does so she’ll have the courage and faith to go where he leads. Even if that’s far away from me.”   This brought tears to my eyes and my heart as I think about how well my parents (as well as Jimmy’s) did this to support my personal growth and development, how hard it was and continues to be for them to not have us near (but even more difficult to not have their granddaughters near), and how hard it still is at age almost 34 to not be in close proximity.   However, we are so grounded in Chattanooga and believe for this period of our lives this is exactly where God has called us to be and while it is hard, there is never been a doubt He lead us here.   I pray the girls as they grow will have defined moments through life that regardless of how hard, regardless of what would be nice, regardless of how many tears you cry for it to be different, they understand all that comes with a great peace, understanding and conscience awareness of God’s calling in the big and little things of life.