Back to School!

I don't like the first day of school -- I really don't.  I know school is a good thing -- I really do.  And I know they love it and they learn.  It's just that I like my boys here with me.  Selfish, I guess.  :-)

But the boys went back to school today whether I like it or not.  And, actually, I am kind of liking it this year.  I haven't talked about this on my blog yet, but Jaden and Jaxon are going to a new school.  And when I say new, I mean it!  It's not just new for them or us -- it's new for the whole town of Snyder.

Snyder Christian School opened its doors today as a learning institution for the very first time.  Exciting, isn't it?!  We think so!  There has been SO much work done and SO many prayers uttered in the last few months to get this up and going.  We went to a public meeting about it in April and decided this was something we wanted to do.  A few days later, Jason was asked to be on the school board and we "jumped in" with both feet!  I call it our "leap of faith."  Because that's exactly what it has been for everyone involved!

But don't get me wrong -- it was a hard decision for me.  Not hard because I didn't want a Christian education for my boys.  Hard because I love the Snyder elementary school and have made so many friends there in the last few years.  Hard because I didn't want to not be involved with those people and that school.  Hard because of the unknown of what this year would hold with a new school.  Hard because change is...well, just that...hard!

And, I know it's not right, but I worried about what people must think.  I was afraid people would ask why are you doing this and I wouldn't have an answer.  So after much prayer and a lot of talking to myself trying to convince me that this was the right thing to do, I finally sat down and wrote myself an email.  I haven't shared this with anyone -- it was meant for me at the time.  But I'm going to share it here so that you can see my thoughts and feelings on why this was important to me (and to Jason).

God has graciously allowed us to be the parents of these two boys.  And all we can do is do the best we know how. 

Our mission is to be in this world but not of this world.  But our ultimate goal is to spend eternal life in heaven.  I want nothing more than for those two boys to go to heaven with me and Jason.  We try our hardest to give them a Christian home.  We give them a Christian family and teach them to go to church.  IF we have the opportunity to give them an environment for Christian education, then that's what we're going to do.  

Will that make their life's journey easy?  No.  But it will make it easier if they are surrounded by Christian atmospheres as much as possible.

So, here we are.  The 2012-13 school year has started and we are in a new school. And, for those of you who have read my first day of school posts before and know that all I do is sit home that day and cry -- well, I didn't today.  I don't know why.  But I'm guessing because I felt in my heart that this was the right thing to do.

The school has been blessed by so many people throughout our community, and for that we are thankful.  We have had so many things donated and so much help -- it really has amazed me!  And I've been blessed to get to do all the design work and some PR stuff for the school.  Right up my alley! Designing the first-ever Snyder Christian School logo was so fun for me!  

So, now that you know what we are doing.  Here are the first day of school pictures that I know you are all waiting for!  :-)

They were excited to start today!  I'm so glad!

Our first grader...

Our third grader...

Outside their new school...

Jaxon at his table being goofy...  I think he was just really tired of me taking pictures, but you'd think he'd be used to it by now!

Jaden at his desk ready to learn!

This is a bulletin board in their lunch room.  A couple of weeks ago, the boys and I were at school working on some things and Jaden's teacher asked us to put this bulletin board together.  She had a bunch of puzzle pieces and wanted this saying.  So, I told Jaden to see what he could do with the puzzle pieces and this is what he came up with.  Amazing, I thought!  Today, I added a picture of 24 students, 3 teachers, and 1 administrator.

It has been a very exciting day at our house!  To see all this come together in just a few short months, has been...well, amazing!  Before I left the school this morning after taking some pictures of the historic first day in the life of Snyder Christian School, I heard one class saying a prayer -- a prayer in school!  Yay!  Isn't that fabulous?!  And Jaden told me he got to lead the prayer at lunch today.  Wow!  It makes me tear up just as I sit here and type to know that my boys will be in a great Christian atmosphere as they learn.  We are so blessed!