The First Day...of First Grade!!!

 Well, it's official, our baby girl is all grown up and going to Big school!  Reese started first grade on Monday!  Honestly, this entire summer I would get a sick feeling in my stomach when I thought about her going to school, so I just tried not to think about it...but it came anyway!  Last Friday we headed up to Vestavia Hill East Elementary to meet Reese's teacher.  She was really nervous and I was fighting back the tears.  I was beyond excited to meet her teacher...especially after we had about 5 friends come up raving about her to us!  Also, Reese has 3 friends from her Covenant Kindergarten in her class which is crazy, considering there are about 10 first grade classrooms and only about 8 children from Covenant at this school.

Also, one of her sweet friends that she does gymnastics with is in her class...I know that God totally handpicked everyone in that class and I could not be more thrilled!  Reese had a great first day, I wanted to walk Reese in, she wanted me to walk her in on Monday and Tuesday and she about squeezed my hand off the first day, but when I picked her up she was grinning ear to ear!

Our family has a tradition of doing "Roses and Thorns" to tell our highs and lows of the day, week, ect.  Reese said her "rose" of the day was spending time with her teacher (I love that).

Our beautiful first grader ready to go!

Jason and I tried to make last week a special week for Reese.  Jason took her out on one of their "daddy-daughter dates" and she was in heaven.  Hadley and Brynlee were both crying that they did not get to go, but their date will come soon as always.  

Reese and I did a special Mommy-daughter afternoon date...Reese's first Pedicure!  She was really excited and just like her mommy she giggled and squirmed during most of it!  We did a little shopping and had some sweet treats together!

She picked out a doughnut with the chocolate "squishing out" as she said!  After having this treat she asked if we could come here all the time...sorry sista!

Big girl in front of her school sign, beautiful smiles!

This is by far my "rose" for the week!  One of Reese's homework assignments from yesterday was to bring in 2-4 items that would fit in a brown lunch bag to help her class get to know her better.  Her teacher gave ideas like: small stuffed animals, toys, favorite candy, pictures, ect.  Reese wanted to do some pictures so I gave her a stack of about 10 pictures that were still in a stack of things I have yet to unpack in the new house  I had.  She picked out the one of she and sisters at the beach, one of the girls and Bebe and then asked for one of the dogs.  Then she put in a ceramic cross that was in her room.

I asked her if she wanted to put in a toy or something, I said you don't have to do lots of pictures.  She looked right at me and said, "none of that stuff matters, what matters is Jesus and my family!"  I was wishing I had given her a picture of Jason and myself was blown away!  I mean, don't get me wrong this girl can argue and fight with the best of them and scream over who gets what toy...but it just made me think that in her heart...she knows what matters!  

We are so proud of you Reese, you shine so bright in our family and we know that you will shine for Jesus wherever you go!