Kindergarten

Homeschool! Yes, that was the answer! After all,  how was I going to give my child to someone else, every day, all day long? What if she was confused about something and needed help? What if she fell down at recess and scraped her knee, and I wasn't there to wipe her tears and put the neosporin and band-aid on just right, the way that only a mother can? What if she got sunburned at recess? What if her shoes came untied? What if she didn't have enough food at lunch, and she was hungry or thirsty? What if kids were mean to her?! I was a wreck.

London did get sunburned, she did fall and scrape her knee, she got lost at the lunch table and cried, her double-knots came untied, and she missed me a lot. BUT... London's kindergarten teacher is kind and patient, and London simply adores her. Everyone at school likes London, and she has the sweetest little group of friends! I taught her how to tie her shoes, I pack way less in her lunch because I learned that she eats about two things each day, not seven. And the best part of all? She loves Kindergarten. And I love when she comes home and tells me allllll about it; who she played with, what art projects she did, all the worksheets she completed, and all the new things she learned. And then we sit together at the kitchen table and do her homework and I feel like a million dollars because she is killing her sight words and no one does math worksheets like my girl, London.

And you know what? I can do hard things, and so can she!

Something I certainly wasn't expecting to come with Kindergarten was the change I saw immediately in Elle. Let me preface this by saying, I had been really struggling with Elle. She was acting out, throwing tantrums, and being disobedient, and I was angry at myself for losing patience with her each day. Elle is a really really good girl, but the poor thing has to share my attention with crazy one-year-old twins and a bossy older sister, and, time after time, there wasn't enough of me to go around. Enter Kindergarten. London is gone for seven hours each day, in which time the twins also take a nap and a half, and suddenly, me and Elle have hours of time together, just the two of us! We read books, play horsies, watch Paw Patrol, and she is back to her wonderful self! And the girls, after being away from each other for most of the day, are so happy to be together once more, that even they are playing more peacefully. THANK YOU, Kindergarten!

After much prayer, I also felt inspired to sign Elle up for horseback riding lessons... But how was I to find someone willing to take on a two-year-old student? I finally found one trainer about twenty minutes away, named Anna Baker, who listened to our story and immediately offered to teach Elle! Riding a horse is the absolute highlight of Elle's life. She tells everyone who will listen about "her horse", Bella. She'll say, "Bella's my horse. Her name is Bella. She's a good girl. She had a haircut. Santana gives me treats for Bella. We ride on saddles. And she has a howter(halter) and reins. And I say 'whoa' and then she stops!"

The entire drive to her lesson, Elle cheers, "I'M SO EXCITED!" And the moment she sees Bella, she calls, "BELLA! MOM---LOOK! It's my horse! I'M SO EXCITED!" And she gets right up on that horse with the brightest smile I've ever seen. It makes me teary-eyed every. single. time.

With the new school year, came something else we didn't expect... Our dearest friends, the Adams, accepted a job offer in South Carolina, and moved away! We have always remained close, no matter how many states separated us, and I know this time, it will be no different. But sheesh, we miss them! 

 Someday, when we've finally figured our lives out, we'll buy houses right next to each other at the end of a darling tree-lined street, and our 13 children will play together in the cul-de-sac every night until the sun goes down. But until then, it's wonderful to know that they are always only a phone call away.

Sunriver, Oregon

Kyle's mom and step-dad generously booked a beautiful home for the whole family in Sunriver, Oregon, for our first ever Garvin family reunion. It was 15 hours of driving, all while Tangled played on repeat, but it was so worth it! For five days, thirteen cousins played from sunrise until way past their bedtimes!

Juliette was Kennedy and Sydney's
 doll for the week!

Each morning began with a special devotional prepared by an assigned family. We talked about faith, service, kindness, and love, and it truly set the tone for our time together.

We spent our days riding bikes, going on family walks, relaxing at a tiny water-park, and playing at the park together. We had two special outings: one to Bend for school shopping at the outlets, and the other to the Sunriver Observatory for stargazing. We also drove to the breathtaking Crater Lake for an afternoon.

The highlight of the trip was a game tournament, where we all played a round of Happy Salmon, Memory, Chutes and Ladders, and Candy Land. The tie-breaker, which I was lucky enough to be a part of, was the game "Pie Face". You rest your chin on a little contraption, turn a handle the prescribed number of times, and wait for a handful of whipped cream to hit you square in the face! And though I made it to the final round, I was finally pied in the face for the first time in my life, but probably not the last.

Other memories include a talent show, where the kids played the piano, sang songs, performed stand-up comedy, and magic tricks. Then Kayla put together a playlist of everyone's favorite song, and we had to pick which song belonged to each family member.

There was a lot of laughter and teasing and practical jokes, but mostly, there was love. And that's why family reunions, I'm convinced, are a tradition we Garvins will continue for years to come.