First day of school

...with pictures even.

Here they are in front of the fireplace.  I felt like the chaos really captured the day.  Plus Horace is in the shot.  (Braeden found Horace fairly quickly when we started unpacking.  He was concerned about our little guy.)

Here they are on our deck.  I thought it would provide a backdrop that is a little more serene.  It was cloudy and rainy which I think was a gift for my Northwest children.

If we hadn't just uprooted ourselves, I would be obsessing about it being the first day of Braeden's senior year. 

I have bigger fish to fry/obsess about.  Things like will my children have someone to sit by at lunch.  (Neither of them did but they have set up a meeting place today--by the intimidating girl Viking painting--so they can eat lunch with each other.)

We slogged along at home while they were away.  I finished our bedroom and our living room.  Here's the living room:

It's pretty empty because the accessories are who knows where but it's nice to have a place to retreat to where there isn't a box.

Braeden and Emma returned from school unscathed.  Braeden was enthusiastic about his AP government/politics class (who didn't see that coming) and he seemed to more or less like his other classes too.  Emma was bored to tears by syllabus explaining (Braeden's teachers seemed to dive right in and hers...didn't).  She was lonely and looking forward to making friends. 

We went to Ammon and Melanee's for dinner (delicious!  Melanee is a great cook and Ammon is a great sous chef) and Katie and her girls were there.  I looked down the long table and saw all those faces I love and felt happy.

Braeden and Emma hugged and snuggled and played with their little cousins and I think it was the perfect tonic for a stressful school day.