I took this photo of Thomas on the Sunday before school started. We had just gone to Redoubt to view his class list and he wanted me to take his pic. So he hopped up on the concrete wall and I snapped a few pictures. Didn't think much of it until I downloaded them off my camera two nights ago and was almost speechless when I saw this one.

All I could think was: How can that be my boy?

You might just see the picture of a young man sitting there...looking pretty GQ, but anyone who knows what he's been through and how he came into this world knows better. And I as his mother saw something entirely more. Let me explain. When I looked at this picture it immediately went through my mind that God has blessed him with so many amazing gifts...the gift of music (per his piano instructor), the gift of memorization (that boy can memorize his AWANA verses like it's no ones business), the gift of intelligence (near the top in math & reading), the gift of good looks (which we all know is a fleeting gift) and the gift of a stubborn will (which can be good or bad). Does he realize how blessed he is? Probably not. Do I often forget how blessed I am for having him in my life? Yup!

And it reminded me that I need to be praying every day that he comes to know his Lord and Savior in a personal way because I have a feeling God has something very special in mind for my "little" boy.

First Day of School

Well, it is official. My babies are now both full day schoolers! School started August 24th, but it wasn't until the next Monday that it was officially Rebekah's first day. The house is much quieter and miraculously, much cleaner these days, without both of them here during the day. I'm getting caught up on back-logged paperwork and trying to devote more time to scrapbooking and my scrap-4-hire business. I'm really loving this. I have some people who almost gasp when I tell them I'm not one of those moms who cries when her kids go to school. I'm cheering on the inside...and okay, so if I'm brutually honest, sometimes I'm even cheering audibly. But the way I look at it is that I was BLESSED to be able to stay home with them for the first 5+ years of their lives. I spent 24/7 with them, training them and raising them up to be able to be bright, independent children who were ready to go to school. So when that time comes, it shouldn't be a sad thing. It's just the next step and if I've done my job right, then I can let go with confidence. In someways it's more work now then when they were home all day. I have to pray for them and their friends, for God to protect their minds and their hearts from anything evil that might hurt them. For their teachers and for me...that we can encourage, teach and grow along with them. But I know that they are exactly where they are meant to be...so I say "Yeah! It's the first day of school." Let the school year begin.