This week was a huge week in the Caldwell household because.......Noah started Kindergarten!!!! His first day was Wednesday and he was ready to go! Here he is with his new backpack (loaded down with pencils, crayons, scissors, etc.) He had a great first day and even got "super" stickers on his work! He is in for a great year.
Caleb starts preschool next week, and is equally excited about beginning school, especially the fact that he will be going to the same school as his big brother. We were able to meet both of their teachers and visit their classrooms earlier in the week for open house, and I admit, there was a moment while I was speaking to Caleb's teacher that I began to tear up and could have lost my composure....but, I held it together :)
Both our boys have grown up in so many ways. Caleb, because he came to us so young, will always be my "baby", and so to see him now moving from staying home with me each day to spending his days in preschool and essentially this part of our lives coming to an end is a bit bittersweet. And then to see Noah embrace school, with all the newness and changes he has experienced in his short life- it makes me so proud to be the mother of this remarkable child. Most of all, it has reminded me to treasure each day with my boys, because time does not wait.
Adding to this huge change for our family is another big change for me- the blessing of a job with the Kentucky Department of Corrections as a Probation and Parole Investigator. When I first heard the details of this position this past spring, I truly felt as though this was the job God had in mind for me. It was a long wait for the job to become available, to interview, and then finally to be offered the position, but it was worth the wait, and as usual, God's timing is just right. I was able to spend the entire summer with my boys, and will also be able to see them both off to school before I begin working next week. Zack also began a new job last week, and is really enjoying learning the ropes. Once again, God has provided for us in a way that only he can, and in a way that truly brings us to our knees in awe that he would be so gracious to our family. Not only has he met our physical needs through providing us both with jobs, he is also reassuring us that he will provide us with the strength and grace as our entire family transitions into a new phase of life.
We give thanks to him, for lessons learned in how to trust in his goodness. We are blessed more than we could ever dream, in abundance, or in need. Our short time of uncertainty seems to pale in comparison to the challenges that many face even at this very moment- the thousands dying in Somalia and those who lose loved ones because of war. Sometimes we wonder why God doesn't answer our prayers, but he is meeting our needs in ways we could never imagine- by teaching us how to hope, trust, and depend in him and him alone. What greater blessing could we have than to know the God of the universe cares for us. I first heard the song "Gratitude" while I was in college, and the words have never left me, and never cease to bring me to tears. I hope you will listen to the beautiful words of this song and place your trust in the one who can provide for your every need.