Last Day 2015

Last year when Big Ben was in Kindergarten, he noticed the first graders getting a yellow certificate. He decided he wanted one and asked me how to get one. I told him he had to study hard and make good grades. He did just that. Knowing he'd get one, I told him to be sure to look at me and smile for a picture. Not only did he look, he stood, frozen, just like this for...a long time.I finally motioned he could sit down!

Sweet Cheeks got her Honor Roll award too with a sweet smile spread across her face.

It's fun to reward the kids for hard work and accomplishing so much.

Miss Middler won an Honor Roll certificate, as well as the Middle School English award.

Twinkle got an Honor Roll, too!

The older three girls worked this year towards the "Aslan Award" which combines teacher recommendations, service hours, and school involvement. Anyone who wants to get it may do the requirements and earn it. Additionally, Firstborn got the Turkish Award. Her sweet teacher bought her a copy of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe in Turkish to read this summer! This teacher has opened Firstborn's heart to Turkey through the language. I am forever grateful.

This very fun and special day always becomes tough...

Some goodbyes are just for summer.

But others involve saying goodbye to a friend moving to another continent. Big Ben loves these twins and prays for them nightly.

And this goodbye, by far, broke my heart the worst. These little gals have been friends for 5 years. Her father, the Ambassador from Ecuador, has finished his assignment in Turkey. This family opened their hearts to us and will be missed. It was in this home that Sweet Cheeks got to sleepover and wake up the next morning to a nanny ready to fix her whatever she wanted for breakfast. In this family Sweet Cheeks learned that she could have a friend from a completely different continent with a different first language, and yet feel like a sister. The goodbye we had dreaded came. And yet, we will see them again. We will.