Back to School Blessing

Yes, I posted on a Sunday (yesterday) about part of our road trip this summer. There are so many more memories and photos to sort through. And they will be here on the blog but for now, for this week I have to focus on what is right in front of me. And what is right in front of me is a week that my girls will go back to school. (Wednesday)

August 26th is EARLY for Connecticut. When I grew up the first day of school was ALWAYS the Tuesday after Labor Day and the last day of school (depending on snow days) was always around my Mother's birthday, June 14th. That is the way I like it. But I have no choice so I'll spend the next few days enjoying my girls at home with me but also (frantically) getting it all ready for the big day on Wednesday.

This year Scott and I decided to really 'mark the occasion' of back to school with a special picnic. Not just because I like to have an excuse to have pretty things out, have a dinner that is not your normal dinner but because I wanted to claim this year for my girls as a year that will be blessed.

I think I've said before on this blog that last year for Anna was amazing (highest honors, all A's, all of the marking terms) but for Abigail it was a struggle. (physically, mentally, academically, and mostly emotionally) I would like to never walk through that year again. And I've decided that we're deciding it's going to be a beautiful year. I won't ever, ever again talk about "last year". It is from this moment on permanently erased from our thoughts and our minds. This is a brand new year; and it's going to be great!

And last night we started that beautiful year with a school year blessing and dinner in the woods.

Of course I 'got the idea' just the evening before so I had one day to 'pull it off.' So I was scrambling. But as Scott said, "when you get an idea there's no stopping you."

And there are more pictures in my head than the few that I took. But this will remind us all year of our priorities and our focus.



People are often unreasonable and self-centered
forgive them anyway
If you are kind people may accuse you of ulterior motives
be kind anyway
If you are honest people may cheat you
Be honest anyway
If you find happiness people may be jealous
Be happy anyway
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow
Do good anyway
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough
Give your best anyway
for you see in the end it is
between you and god 
it was never between you and them anyway.  
~ Mother Teresa 

Scott introduced the "idea" and the "why" we were having a special dinner. And he asked Anna to read our motto, our guide for the school year.

(I love Abigail in this one)




It was such a beautiful setting.

(Scott hurt his back almost two weeks ago... all I can see in this one is how he's trying to sit without being in pain)




And then we prayed together. For God's blessing this school year. And then we ate!













This one just because I love how she tells stories.