Happy New Year!

We have just finished our mid year testing, and I feel like planning for a New Year can finally begin...maybe.  As I was busily writing lesson plans for the new year the other day, I felt a strong need to stop and take a look back instead of immediately jumping forward.  Pausing to ponder...I seem to want to do that a lot lately.  In the blink of an eye, my boys have turned into teenagers.  Oh how I now want to slow down time and savor every moment, but it seems that I have spent the last 16 years frantically checking off developmental milestones and anxiously fretting about what is next.  When did I stop to look back and pause to ponder?

I recently wrote the following newsletter entry to my parents out of my need to pause.
 
Before we jump to the year ahead, take a few minutes to look back and celebrate all that your child has accomplished since the first day of kindergarten.  It is almost hard to remember that first big day of school.  Consider how your child has grown in the areas of independence, confidence, and responsibility.  Smile at the thought of your child learning how to become a wise friend.  Be amazed at how your child has learned so much more than the ABC’s and 123’s.  Treasure these thoughts and this time in the life of your child.  Look forward with a thankful heart to the new year ahead of us.  Happy New Year!

Join me in this new year to find time to pause and ponder our many blessings.
"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."  Luke 2:19