Bye Bye Love!

Miriam has now been in school for 20 minutes. Is she enjoying herself? Does she like her teacher? Has she made any new friends? Will she make it to the bathroom in time if she has to go? Will a little boy try to kiss her, if he does, will she know to smack him in the nose? The biggest question running through my mind is: WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITHOUT HER?

Miriam is my sweet child, the one who listens to what I say, who cleans up Shay's messes, she keeps Shaylynn out of trouble by playing with her, and gives me hugs and kisses whenever I ask. How can I live without that during the day?

I have a greater appreciation for my Father in Heaven today. I imagine this is a little how He must feel every time he sends one of his beloved children to earth. However; I'm sending my child to a safe environment, to a teacher whom I know will love and care for Miriam, to a school that values education, and we're in a community where most of the kids have been raised with the same values. How our Father must ache to send His children to some of the places He sends them. To drug addicted parents, teenage mothers who are still babies themselves, to war torn countries with evil dictators. Yet, He loves us enough to know that in order to return, we have to have these experiences. How grateful I am that I was born and raised in the situation I was. I feel like I won the most important lottery in the world. Now in writing this, I start seeing my own shortcomings with a microscope. My girls deserve the same blessings that I received. I need to be a little more patient, a little more willing to let the nonessential things of life go. Hug more and scold less. The list goes on and on.

I'm going to miss my little girl, but I know that going to school is part of the growing process. Getting your feelings hurt by a friend who doesn't want to play with you, is part of that same process. It's not fun, it hurts, and I want to protect her from it, but I can't. My parents couldn't protect me from the pain and I am who I am because of the lessons I learned by making mistakes and mistakes made by others. Just like our Father in Heaven can't keep us safe in Heaven forever, we can't keep our children unexposed from the world. We just have to do our best to teach our children to be strong, loving, righteous people who are examples to those around them of how a child of God should be.

This post was meant to be short and sweet with pictures for Doug to see of his little girl. Now it has turned into my soap box. I'll stop now and post some pictures of my little angel on her first day of 1st Grade.

I love you Miriam!

The outfit---we had decided on a different one, but yesterday she put this ensemble together and wanted to wear it instead. I think she chose wisely. She looks BEAUTIFUL!!!

We never go out the front door, but since everyone else has a door picture, I thought we should too. :) Actually, we did the whole front door thing too when I was growing up. The fun thing was that we walked to school with all our neighbor friends so they were all in the pictures too.

Miriam's teacher, Mrs. McCoy. I'm so excited that Miriam got her, she seems so sweet. Yesterday after we met her, Miriam said, "Mom, I've got the nicest teacher ever!"

This is to prove to Doug that I can make pancakes, and yes, I did make them this morning. I should have gotten a picture of Miriam eating, but I was in too big of a hurry. That's why I don't ever make breakfast food for breakfast. It takes too long. However; it's what Miriam wanted for breakfast so it was worth it.