Kindergarten

Everyone says this, but time truly does fly by. I really can't believe I am writing a post about Kindergarten. I want to document how God answered my prayers leading up to this day. I had started praying about where Hollyn should go to school when she was probably 3. (Not faithfully every day -just when I thought about it, when I was laying down with her, etc.) I had taught in public school for seven years and we are in a great school district so I assumed she would just go to that district. I started leaning towards a smaller private school when Hollyn was toddler and preschool aged. So I just continued to pray about it. We ended up putting our house for sale and it sold quickly. We moved down the road a bit, but it changed our zone for elementary school. We had narrowed down the choices to the school we were zoned for or a private school here. 

After I had Anderson we went to a function at the small school we had been leaning towards and I left that night clearly knowing that was not our school. Nothing went wrong, it was a great function. I just felt God speaking to my heart there and I knew we could cross that one off the list. So we were set. There was only one other school on our list. We went to Kindergarten round-up and I met with the principal and that is where Hollyn was set to go to Kinder. However, I never felt peace about this. There was NOTHING wrong with this school. It was extremely well run and the staff was great. I just felt unsettled and I would wake up in the night with anxiety over Kindergarten starting in just a few months. I just kept praying about it. 

The last week of May I got a phone call from the principal at another school close by us. He told me he would honor a transfer request if I was interested in pursuing that and we could see if it cleared through central office. I decided to do it. I just kept praying that God would place Hollyn exactly where he wanted her to be for Kindergarten. Our transfer request was granted! So now Hollyn would be attending the elementary school that I attended and the same one that I had taught at for 5 years. I was THRILLED!!!!

And this little one was thrilled too! I just felt a huge burden lifted off my chest and she seemed to be more relaxed also. She told me one night, "Mom, deep down I always wanted to go to the school." 

I write this story down in this blog for this precious child to see this verse is lived out. "You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." Psalm 139:16

I don't know how our Kindergarten year will turn out, but I know she is where she is supposed to be.

 We also happen to be at the same school with some of our very best friends. God brought the Forrest family back to Waco this summer and provided a house for them that allowed our kids to go to the same school. And even though Hollyn and Cade act a bit like an old married couple,  deep down they are good friends. :)

 We are BLESSED to have Mrs. Chapman this year. She is the exact teacher that Hollyn needs. There is lots of structure and lots of FUN happening in this room. I could not be happier to be in this class!

 I have been nervous and anxious about this days literally for years. I would randomly get the sweetest messages from friends (some that I don't even see regularly) that God had laid Hollyn on their heart to pray for her as she prepared for this year. He did not have to do that at all. This summer was probably one of the hardest ones we've had in our house. We had lots of crying and stressful days. I continued to be so anxious as school grew closer. I am so thrilled to say that we successfully have completed our first week in Kindergarten. And it has gone GREAT! Yes, Hollyn is tired and we've had a few big meltdowns but overall is has been so stress-free!!!!! We still have to help her get to sleep earlier but two nights she has gone to bed a little before 9:30 so that's great! She was very anxious the night before school started and was up till after 11:00. However, she did wonderful the very next day. I was so blessed to have several people e-mail or text me all through the day as they passed Hollyn in the hall or talked with her at lunch. I did cry after dropping her off, but not ong! I just have felt such peace this week and I so so grateful.

I end with these cuties. Lorelei started 3rd grade and Hollyn, Cade, and Everett started K. All of them had a great first day! 
When I picked her up from school the only thing she had to report was that Cade told the lunch lady they were cousins. She kept exclaiming, "He LIED to that lunch lady. He LIED!!!" And then she said, " I saw a boy eating a Lunchable and I told him that thing would cause cancer. He didn't believe me."
She also told me, "You know all those fun things you told me we were going to do. They didn't happen." This was the extent of the information I received about her first day. So typical. I am very excited about this school year!