Goodbye to Easley

Today was the last day of school, so I picked up the girls and took some goodbye pictures. 

Here's Miriam with Ms. Gillie:

And here's Rachel with Ms. Garrett:

They both had great years and learned so much! We really lucked out in the teacher department at this school (for the most part). The girls hugged teachers and friends goodbye all the way out of the school. Mr. Alban was working the car line today and the kids all had to give him one last hug (both Rachel and Miriam took a turn in his classroom).

Then we went around and took pictures at some of the school playgrounds. Here's Rachel on the fourth and fifth grade playground:

And one of Benjamin and Zoë:

Here's Miriam with her friend Stella (and Benjamin and Zoë, obviously) at another section of the 4/5 field:

Here are the girls at the entrance of Easley:

And here's a picture that would work a lot better on a cloudy day (perhaps we'll try going back another time):

The poor things couldn't even open their eyes!

Here's Miriam at the second and third grade playground (the bars were too hot to hold onto so she settled for sitting on the picnic table):

Here's Rachel hugging one of the trees that her friends used to pretend was part of the TARDIS (the other trees in this clump mark the other corners of the TARDIS):

Those trees, as well as the ones Miriam and Benjamin are hugging below just happen to be part of Shady Acres, Miriam's recess fantasy land.

Here are the kids on the cement blocks by the front entrance:

And with the theme for this year:

And last year:

And here are Benjamin and Zoë hanging out by the front doors (they didn't want to leave; Zoë actually made a mad dash for the drinking fountain and we had to go chasing after her shortly after I snapped this picture):

When I signed in at the front office I admitted to my friend Leah, who is in our ward and who works at Easley, that some moms cry on the first day of school but I was pretty sure I was going to cry today, on the last day of school.

It's not that I'm sad to be silencing our early-morning alarms and it's not that I'm not looking forward to spending all day with my kids. I am excited for both those things.

But it's sad to have to say goodbye to the wonderful years we've spent at this school, the wonderful memories our family—and especially Rachel and Miriam—have made here, the wonderful friends we've made, the wonderful teachers we've had. It's hard to imagine that I won't be schlepping my preschoolers/toddlers/infants through these halls ever again to volunteer in this classroom or that.

*gulp*

Onward and upward, though, right?

We're headed to a new place with a new school full of wonderful teachers and children and it's going to be a great new adventure (I promise (even if it's hard it will be great)).