Anna is Twenty One!

On the Monday of the last week of school Anna had a birthday -- twenty one! How in the world she is 21 is beyond me! The last week of school is truly a whirlwind of emotions and exhaustion and just so much but we were over the moon to have Anna home and so excited for her birthday. 

I set up her presents on the kitchen table before I left for school at 7 that morning just to have it a bit festive. I knew it would make it something to look forward to. 

I raced out of school and home to start our evening. Abigail was in the middle of a final that day and gave us all a scare. Her chemistry final started at 11:15 and she wasn't home at 4:30. We drove her route she walks home. We looked around the school. Her phone was off. It was the seniors graduation that evening at 5:00 and we thought perhaps she got sidetracked and went to watch the graduation. But Scott drove to the school, braved the graduation parking, and walked right up to her chemistry room. She was in there, and just handing in her exam at 5:00. No break... she just worked from 11:15-5:00! 

It made for a worried and crazy start but it all ended up ok and once we were together it was perfection! 

We headed to our town center and a favorite restaurant for very special occasions. 

Abigail ordered a basil fresh lemonade. Anna and both had a grapefruit mocktail. So yummy! 

I love this girl with my whole heart! 

I love how Anna loves appetizers and instead of an entrée, she ordered 3 aps! 

There was gelato and a candle -- loved celebrating her! 

We headed home for cake and presents. We had so much fun together! 

 Happy Birthday Anna! We all love you so much! 

Other posts you might like: 

It's great to be 8!

Almost 9!

She's 10

On June 10th She Became 10!

The Big 10 Birthday Post 

The Big Artist Birthday

Anna is 12

Party for Anna 

Anna's Welcome Home and Presentation

On December 27, 2023 Anna left to study abroad in Beijing China for over 5 months! (that post is back here) When she left there were Christmas trees still up, Christmas wrapping paper on the floor, presents in piles here and there, stockings emptied but not put away. 

When she left it was dark by 4:00 PM  and oh so cold! 

And 5 months went by: 

winter

spring

Easter

birthdays

It was long but then as it seems to be every year... all of a sudden it was sunshine later, and warmer, and then like a burst of sunshine herself, Anna was home. 

That was on June first (post back herepost back here) 

And boy oh boy we soaked her up when she got home... all 4 of us... every moment that we could.

We were oh so proud of her for what she did and what she accomplished too.

• She went from knowing Mandarin (studied in high school and college) to speaking fluently
• She learned how to adapt and live in a new culture
• She opened a bank account, dealt with no wifi, and more technology pieces that I could even type about
• She learned to make wonderful friends from people that were strangers -- from all around the country
• She ate all new food that was unfamiliar for 5 months
• She excelled in her studies
• She traveled to her birth country and faced so much that was on her heart

Most of all are so proud of her for walking out God's plan for her life - for listening to His leading about a year ago when all of this began to stir in her heart. And she did it! She just plain did it! 

So when she got home we decided that she just had to do a presentation to share with family.

She wore a traditional Chinese dress that she brought home.  

She prepared a slide show and we would gather in our family room after dinner. 

First a few pictures of our daughter in the sunlight, finally home. 

 

We had Chinese food of course. 

And then her presentation began. I was so proud of her and hung onto every detail. 

Loved watching her sister from across the room smiling 

There were lots of great questions and Anna explained things in such a beautiful way. 

My heart swelled up with love for my girl and all she put together. Oh so proud of her! 

I captured some of her speaking in Mandarin which was so lovely. 

Way to go Anna! I can't wait to see what you do next! 

The Start of Summer ~ The End of Another School Year

Oh my goodness... so much has happened since this last post and Anna coming home from China on June 1st. 

We soaked it in - our girl home - we sure did! 

But it was also a crazy full two weeks. 

Since then we have: 

• I have ended my teaching (back to the classroom 7th year) (16 total years in the classroom teaching) 
• Finishing teaching for the year is oh so much! Because you just want to 'do it right'. You've fallen in love with those kids in your class and you want to make those last 2 weeks count
• Closing up a classroom - it goes from really full to really empty and put away all in one night  
• Doing the last day of school - that is a doozy - wonderful, emotional, hard, glorious all wrapped into one. I am still not over saying goodbye and thinking about the sweetness of the last day of school 
• Unpacked with Anna almost 6 months of living in China - lots of piles - lots of laundry - lots of wonderful stories
• Scott (middle school principal) closed up his year - a wild ride for him for sure
• Abigail finished up her junior year of high school
• Anna turned 21 and we celebrated her
• And so much more in-between there 

So that's what has been going on. I am slowly going to catch up on this blog of mine. 

We are right now basking in the 'doneness' of school and the first day of summer. 

We are tired. 

And we have a to do list a mile long that we just kept adding to throughout the spring. But we will get it done eventually. We have the whole summer ahead of us! 

First of all... the amount of flowers I brought home on the last day of school was amazing! Wonderful notes, letters, gift cards galore but these flowers! Oh my goodness! 

These are all of the plants from my classroom that are home for the summer! 

What other profession in the world are you loved this much!? 

I love this photo of us -- the last day of school after finishing up a wonderful dinner and just talking talking talking on the porch. My favorite place to be with my favorite people on the planet. 

Today is the first day of summer break and we started our reading on the couch as we always do all every summer since Anna was 3. 

Yes, we are off to a wonderful start -- summer is the best! 

The Airport Arrival

I want to post on this blog of mine way before I put pictures or things out out there on social media. This place and space has been such a beautiful place to hold memories with pictures and stories, my thoughts, and just who we are. I am so glad that I opened this blog all those years ago. 

Last night Anna came home. And I can tell you it is just glorious to have her home. I am so grateful to God for leading her, guiding her, and bringing her through such an amazing experience. 

Falling asleep last night with my whole little family under one roof was just the best feeling in the world. Nothing like it really. 

There is so much I want to remember about her homecoming. So so much! 

At home this week we were all just a bundle of excited nerves. Every time I thought, "Anna's coming home" I'd get goosebumps. And those feelings grew and grew as the week went on. 

The night before I whipped up a sign to have at the airport. Oh how I wanted that first hug! I didn't realize that just SEEING her was a gift enough. 

Yesterday (the day she came home) we just kept getting things ready. We wanted her room, the bathroom they share, everything to be just right. Kind of funny now on just the next day just how a mess everything is, and it's okay, ha! 

We kept watching the time, checking in on her flight/where she was/when it was supposed to land, etc. We kept checking our navigation app that was telling us how long it would take to get to NYC. And we waited and waited (while Abigail worked hard on so many end of junior year work). 

Finally the time to go (4:55) and we arrived at JFK (NYC) at 7:30. It felt like just the right amount of time. Lots and lots of time. Her flight landed at 9:00 pm but she had to get all of her luggage herself and go through customs. It was quite the ordeal for her to do alone but since she is a world traveler, she did just fine!

We kept waiting and watching these doors: 

We were a bundle of nerves for sure! 

And then around 10:00 pm a huge rush of people came through those doors and all of a sudden I saw Anna, our Anna, for real right in front of us. Some people in the way, but I could see her. And there was nothing like that moment. So grateful to just see her! 

Finally in our arms! 

There are so many things you know about becoming a parent. You know there will be sleepless nights. You know about 'first day of school'. You know that graduations will make you sad. But there was nothing to prepare me for my daughter living (living, not just visiting) so far away, speaking a different language, immersed in the culture. And nothing to prepare me for this feeling of having her with us again. It was just the greatest feeling in the world. 

This reunion was the sweetest of all. 

They melted into each others arms and just sobbed. 

Pure joy and happiness

I brought the tripod and took a family photo - finally all back together! 

We made a crudité board and brought it for the long car ride home. She hadn't had cheese for over 5 months and so we wanted her to have some treats. We talked, talked, talked until we all fell asleep around 2 am that night - pure, blissful, my baby is home, peaceful, joyful sleep. 

So much more to come!