So long, Jesus Loves Me Learning Center

We reached the end of an era Friday. Emma and Sam spent their last official day in day care, and we all said goodbye to a place we've come to think of as an extension of our family: Jesus Loves Me Learning Center.

Seven years ago we first brought Emma to pre-school at Jesus Loves Me, two days a week. Eventually, she'd go there full time. And as soon as Sam was old enough to enroll, he went there, too.

It seems weird knowing they won't be going back there. The teachers at JLM, especially Mrs. Lin Gronholz, have loved Emma and Sam as if they were their/her own.

The idea of day care can seem so run of the mill sometimes. You drop your kids off, you go to work, you pick them up at the end of the work day. But missing in that description is that fact that, when you leave you children with someone else, you're handing over the greatest gift you've ever been given. The thing that is most precious to you, the thing you love more than anything else, is leaving your care. You have to trust someone enough to know that, when you come back, they'll be OK.

There's never, ever been a time when we didn't trust Lin. She's taken care of our kids, loved our kids for a long time. Which is why Friday was so hard. When we left, it was sad, and I cried. But kids grow up. We're just thankful they got a chance to do some of that growing up with Lin and Jesus Loves Me.

These photos are from their last day. The boy with Sam is his friend Jordan. With Emma is her friend Jessica.

Another year, another family vacation.

Instead of doing a planned, orderly vacation, we put off all planning until it was too late, then scrambled to come up with something. We ended up doing a whirlwind vacation in the Twin Cities that involved ValleyFair, the Minnesota Zoo, the Minnesota Science Museum, Mall of America, a family reunion and the Irish Festival. And on Monday, Sam started vacation Bible school, and Emma started girl scout camp.

A good time was had by all. Here's some pix to prove it.

scouts, plays, birthday parties ...

you know the drill ...

Emma's 10th Birthday Party!!!

Shhhh ... Listen ... Can you hear that? ... Could it be??? ... Yes! It is silence! What a beautiful sound silence can make after seven giddy girls invade your home for a slumber/birthday party.

Emma turned 10, and we went old school on her party — pizza, crafting, movies, spontaneous productions of theatrical mayhem. Yep. It was another good one. The girls had a ton of fun, as you'll no doubt notice from the photos posted here.

Emma wishes to again thank everyone who came. She had a blast. Another memorable birthday party, and it was Emma's friends who made it happen.