Firsts and Lasts

 Over the years I've tried to take a picture of each child's first day of school.  As a family we've had a lot of first days of school: 6 kids x 13 school years=78 first school days. Each first day is just a little sad, as I watch each child start the year with a lot of excitement, a little reluctance, and a bit of trepidation.  Let's be honest: each year I've also felt a little joy as I look forward to nine school months of a little more time, a lot more quiet, and an increase of freedom for me.

Scott, first day of Kindergarten, 1984

 The toddler too young for school was always mad to be left out of the fun, but soon happy to discover that Mom was all theirs for 6 or 7 hours.

 First day of school, Scott, third grade, Amy, age 2, Shelly first grade, 1986

My children will be eager to describe for you how they walked to Eagle Cliff Elementary 20 miles uphill both ways in a snowstorm to get to school everyday. Actually, it was just under a mile, and they walked unless the temperature was 27 degrees or less.  In Montana, that means they walked an average of 3 or 4 days a school year.

First day of school, Amy 3rd grade, Ashley, age 3, Jessica 1st grade, 1993

It was always nice to have a sibling to walk to and from school with--Megan got a lot more rides because she had no younger sibling to walk with, and our neighborhood had aged to the point that there were no elementary age kids heading in that direction.

First day of school, Jessica 3rd grade, Ashley 1st grade, 1996

 I especially liked having two kids at a time in high school--one to drive and the younger one to report on their sibling's driving.

First day of school, Ashley senior year, Megan Freshman year, 2008

After all those years of first, today we are switching to LAST TIME mode.

As Megan begins the LAST DAY of her high school experience,

 it's hard not to be sentimentally nostalgic about all of those firsts that have culminated in this final last.

We can't even imagine what it will be like to never say, "Good-by! Have a great first day of school!" or "Have fun on your last day!" And so today we begin all kinds of new first.

As we watch Megan drive off with her friend

we feel more than a little weepy

watching Megan leave for high school for the very, very, very LAST TIME!

No more early mornings. No more late night last minute homework freak outs. No more "I forgot I need 9 dozen cookies for the thing that starts in 2 hours".  No more school shopping, prom dress buying, school supply hunt.  No more lost calculators. No more missing text books. No more expensive sport shoes. No more cold benches and crowded auditoriums.  No more a million and a half things we've been doing for the last 30+ years.

 Now I hope you will allow us some privacy us as we go inside and mourn the passing of an era in our lives......

I think we'll get through it.....

Some WaHOO!!!! Lasts

 Last night I found Megan down at the computer, striking her familiar "procrastination pose".  Yup, Megan has once more waited until the eleventh hour of the eleventh day to create a masterpiece for Honor's English--"How Hamlet Relates to Modern U.S. Government". I was going to lecture her on the beauty of "early to bed, early to rise" and "don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today", but hey, why bother?

Because this is the LAST English paper Megan will be writing, ever, ever!!! 

Well, at least the last one until she gets to college.  Don't tell Megan that.

This morning I experienced a last that has me so excited I can hardly push the camera button to record it all! After 33 years of getting up early with kids, and after 20 years of getting up with kids for seminary, I am DONE! This is the last morning of seminary for the Joneses, ever EVER!

I hope you can sense a little bit of my restrained excitement through the computer...

Megan was pretty excited this morning, too.

It's amazing that just an hour and 15 minutes later, Megan can pull herself together and look all chipper at seminary.

Megan's seminary class, 2011

Now you can skip this last section. It's just more of Megan's gorgeous senior pictures. I'm posting them so I can find them again on my computer.

All of the pictures come in color

urban finish,

and black and white

Nice to know that the half a million dollars we spent on braces worked.

Is this a hint that you're going somewhere, Megan?

The train doesn't go to Rexburg, just so you know.

Back To Work!

Megan returned home from Washington, DC Sunday evening.  She even brought us proof: five empty DC Cupcake wrappers, and one slightly mashed pumpkin cupcake (which was delish). One of these days Megan will download pictures for me and give a full accounting of her time away from home, even the parts that involved those Idaho boys.

 Here is Megan, hard at work. What is she getting caught up on? English? Anatomy? Government?

Nope. Megan is working hard to get out her graduation announcements. 

She's hoping to get all the out-of-towners done in the next couple of days. 

I'm hoping she gets the in-towners done before her open house and graduation day.

I contributed by providing these graduation stamps.

Nothing says  "freedom!!" and "independence!!!" quite like the liberty bell.

Megan's class motto has to be the worst in history:

"Hakuna Matata (Swahili for 'There are no worries')". 

 Yeah, that's the message I want my young adult to take into the world....

I shed a tear or two as I watched my last child address the last high school graduation announcements EVER!

 Of course, it's the cost of moving her on to the next stage of life that's making me weep.

And please don't point out what good practice this is for wedding announcements.  Megan's not getting married until 2017 and she will have forgotten all by then.

I Love Spring

Spring has always been my favorite time of year.  We don't always get to see spring in Montana--often we move directly from winter into summer.  I refuse to think about the snowstorm arriving tomorrow and Monday.  Today the daffodils are blooming in my yard.

Pots of pansies are appearing on my porches.

Whenever I see a pansy, I always think of the disparaging way Mom referred to certain people as "Pansies".  It makes no sense.  Pansies are colorful, interesting, and hardy.  

 If someone called ME a pansy,

I'd want to say "Thanks!  That's the nicest thing I've been called all week!"

My perennial beds are awakening. 

I should be out, cleaning up my garden before Monday's snowstorm.

The rhubarb is taking off. I'm looking hard for a rhubarb ice cream recipe.

Apart from the gathering clouds, it's hard to believe we've got cold weather coming through again. 

Stan and I enjoyed the day sitting in the grass at the park, enjoying the sunshine,

 and watching Megan play tennis.  She's currently ranked second on her high school team.

We are not surprised.  She has a killer serve. AND she looks cute in the school's tennis uniform. See that lump on her left skirt side?  That's either a tumor or where she stores her extra ball.
 Or maybe "a moment on the lips, forever on the hips" really is true.
That's it! No rhubarb ice cream for you, Megan!
 Being the amazing mom I am, I'm willing to sacrifice my hips and eat your share for you.

Megan plays doubles.  I wanted to take a picture without the chain link between us, but Megan said that fence is meant to keep parental units out. 

You learn something new everyday.  I always thought it was to keep balls in.

Megan and her doubles partner.

We've been watching our kids play various sports for somewhere around 28 years.  We are quickly coming to our VERY LAST sports event. We're going to have to find new ways to get hoarse voices, sunburns, and the sore muscles that come from sitting on hard benches and cold grounds....