A "Beary" Special Weekend...

We spent a LOT of time in prayer over where to send Lucy to school this school year.  I was homeschooled for most of my schooling, and I had always planned on homeschooling our children, but we just didn't have a peace that was what would be best for Lucy given her personality and how she seems to thrive in a group setting.  The home that we purchased when we moved this summer has an excellent elementary school, but our church also has a Christian school afiliated with it, and as we prayed about where to send Lucy, we really felt led to send her there.  And every day when I send her off to school and get her back home, the Lord affirms that calling.  I have such a peace each day when she heads out the door, and such a joy each afternoon when I check her folder.  I know without a doubt that God hand-picked her teacher for her this year,  As we sat on the couch tonight and Lucy READ one of her library books to me, I coulnd't help but smile and be so thankful at how she is learning.  This isn't to say she wouldn't have learned anything in a public school setting or that she wouldn't have thrived being home, BUT, I just have such an assurance and peace that where she currently is at is exactly where she needs to be, and I am so thankful she has the opportunity to be there. 

There are many things her teacher does to make each student feel special (each child gets to be the "star student of the week" and work on a special posterboard to share with the class; on their birthdays they get to pick a book as a gift from their teacher and they go around the room and each child shares what they think is special about the birthday boy or girl) one of them being getting to take "Beary" home for the weekend.  This was Lucy's weekend to bring Beary home, and boy, did I have an excited six year old on my hands when she came home!  Beary arrived in a totebag that says "I AM BEARY SPECIAL" that houses a cute little girl bear (there's a boy bear for the boys I think:)

and a notebook with photos of all of beary's past weekend adventures with other students.

Lucy studied the notebook intently several times throughout the weekend to see exactly how she wanted to present her special weekend with Beary

Here are the close-ups of the photos we took with Beary this past weekend and the wording Lucy used to explain their adeventures:

"Me and Beary got in the car after I got my haircut."

"Beary helped us put together the baby bed and decorate my room for my baby sissy to come."

"Beary helped me nail one of my pictures to the wall."  (Notice the hammer in Beary's paw;-)  Also, this particular painting is made up of Lucy's thumb prints.  The lady who decoated Gabiel's nursery worked on this project with Lucy a few summers ago.)

"Beary was at the baby shower" (more on that in an upcoming post, but isn't this diaper cake adorable?! My sister-in-law made it!)

"and met a new bear friend there."  (A very sweet friend MADE this bear for baby mustard seed!)

"Me and my Daddy played skylanders with Beary.  I had fun with Beary.  She was the best bear friend I could ever have!"  (Lucy's very favorite thing to do right now is play skylnders with her Daddy!  When we were at Target a few weeks ago, there was a display of alarm clocks--lots of pink ones, princess ones, and hello kitty ones.  But which one did my girly daughter ask for?  The SKYLANDERS one! LOL It's totally not my thing at all, but I love that it's something her and her Daddy share together, and I love that she has a Daddy who spends time doing fun things with her.)

So, Beary's weekend was full of adventures with Lucy.  Unfortunately, Beary didn't get to head back to school on Monday to share those adventures with Lucy's classmates because Lucy got sick with a tummy bug:(  BUT, Beary and Lucy are all better now and will head back to Kindergarten on Wednesday, and this Momma will have a smile on her face as she sends them both off to a place filled with learning and lots of love--not just from the teachers, but also from our Heavenly Father displayed through the love shown through these precious teachers pouring their lives into the students.