Farewell to Elementary School

Oh my! I completely dropped the ball on Austin's 5th grade culmination post. I had typed out the entire thing, and only needed to do a final edit. Tonight, four months later, I discovered I never published it! Sorry little buddy!

*** This post was written on June 30th, 2013.

September  5, 2006, Austin's first day of pre-K.

June 7, 2013, Austin's last day of elementary school.

 As I look back at Austin's pre-K picture, I only see traces of that pint sized boy. In his place I see a budding young man who consistently desires and strives to conduct himself as a child of God. I see a boy who can handle himself when he is wronged or overlooked, a boy who chooses to do the hard (and right) things, a boy who stands up for others, and a boy who always manages to see the good in others. Often times, Austin has been the one to encourage and convict me, and I am reminded of how often God uses our children to sanctify us.

In just a few short months, I'll be entering new territory, and I've been informed, or better yet, warned, that changes are a coming. Puberty, peer pressure, girls, and who knows what else being the likely culprits. Moms have cautioned me to avoid holding hands, kissing on the cheek, and hugging within a five mile radius of his middle school. It's going to take a significant amount of restraint on my part, but I'm telling you now, if I can get away with one or two, or three of the above without ruining his reputation, I'm going for it!

As I look toward the future, I am filled with hope and excitement for what God has in store for Austin. I don't expect the middle school years to be a breeze, but I know God will use that time to bring us closer to Him and to each other. In the meantime, I'm going to spend our brief summer before middle school squeezing in as much hand holding, kisses and hugs as I possibly can. :)

June 6, 2013
5th Grade Culmination

We were so proud of Austin on his culmination day. Not only did he receive the Young Scholars Award, but he also received the Gold Presidential Award for Educational Excellence. He worked very hard all throughout his years in elementary school, and had an amazing seven years. More than his academic successes, I have always been so extremely proud of the ways in which he has shown himself to be a person of character and integrity to his friends, their parents, and the staff at his school. Congratulations Austin! We love you so much.