I was humbled and amazed last Friday. I had the honor of having lunch with my children on their last day of school. It was a joy! Then, I was able to join them for their end of the year 'special snacks' (or party, whichever one you want to call it, depending on who you are). :) I was humbled by the teachers, their patience, and what they do each and every day.

They amaze me!! They truly do!! They come into your lives and they invest in your children! In our case this year, they LOVED on our children. They took extra time with them. They pushed them to work harder. They laughed with them when they told funny stories (and Mrs. Collins can assure you that Anna Grace told MANY!). They motivated Anna Grace and Austin to be the best they can be. These teachers put a smile on their face on days when I am sure that was the last thing they felt like doing. They made a difference in the lives of so many children! That, to me, is remarkable!

I like to think that I have become friends with my childrens' teachers. They are precious to our family and I am so grateful for them. On Friday, I had to say 'goodbye' to 3 of the most wonderful ladies I know. NO, they aren't going anywhere and neither are we, but our year together, of them teaching our children, came to an end and I will miss that bond. Of course, I cried when I said goodbye! I even told one of them that I have decided that we must have another child so that we can go through Kindergarten again! (Joe didn't seem to agree with my logic!!) :)

Mrs. Warren and Mrs. Miracle (Austin's teachers this year) are 2 of the finest ladies you will ever meet! They are genuine, enthusiastic, and they made a difference in Austin's life this year. They made a difference in MY LIFE this year. Mrs. Linder was Anna Grace's teacher last year and she is an excellent teacher and an incredible lady. She was such a blessing to us last year. Mrs. Gale has been Anna Grace's para-pro for 2 years now and we love Mrs. Gale. She has been so good to us and we are so excited that Austin gets to work with her again next year. Kindergarten was a FANTASTIC experience for our family and I, for one, will miss it and them very much!

Mrs. Collins was Anna Grace's teacher this year and she was exactly what Anna Grace needed! Anna Grace adores Mrs. Collins. She even called her 'wonderful' this past weekend. Anna Grace learned a great deal this year and she was pushed to write more, read more, and talk less. :) It was Mrs. Collins' 1st year at NHE and she did an EXCELLENT job! I am honored that we were able to be a part of her first year. It was a special year for me as well. I absolutely fell in love with the children in her class. They were a beautiful group of children who hugged on me each and every time I saw them. They even made me cry on Friday with a Thank you card signed by all of them and a beautiful necklace hand-picked by Mrs. Collins. Anna Grace even kept that a secret from me. AMAZING! Thank you to Mrs. Collins' class for my wonderful gift! I will look for each of you next August in the 2nd grade hallway. Way to go on doing such a great job in 1st grade!!

Lastly, to my dear, dear friends who teach or work in the public school system, in a private school, or even more friends who home school.... Mrs. Jo, Marisa R., Tammy Hil, Marilyn K., Jennifer J., Wade J., Beth P., Barry P., Beth C., Laurie H., Tracy R., Joey F., Terri R., Ken R., Nancy S., Lisa B., Kristy C., Christi H., Chelle R., Meleia B., Lyn D., Tim F., Angie G., Erik G., Belinda K., Erin K., Allyson M., Ruth B., Earl B., and my mom taught for a while, too... You ALL are very good at what you do! (I hope I didn't leave anyone out. If I did, please forgive me.)

I don't know what to say. You are a FABULOUS group of men and women. Let me just say to ALL of you that YOU AMAZE ME! Almost all of you are mothers, or fathers, at home as well as teachers at school. Your patience seems to be never-ending and your dedication is remarkable. YOU are the heroes in my book! You come in each day, whether you drive to a public school, private school, or you just stay in your PJ's and 'walk' to the 'class room' to home school, and you teach the little ones God has put in your path, with patience, kindness, boldness, creativity, gumption (in many cases) and talent. It takes talent to do what you all do and I couldn't do it. I may be able to program your computer or analyze your application, but teaching children is not something I am qualified to do. So, thank you to ALL of you who teach children and change their lives for the better every day.

'Thank you' seems like 2 small, teeny, tiny words, but please know how much we appreciate all of your hard work and all that you do. You are a wonderful group of men and women and I am so grateful to know you. So many of you have a hand in teaching and loving on the 2 little ones in our lives and we know that what you are doing is making a difference for them. Have a wonderful Summer break and know that you are my heroes! Also, I can't go without saying how much we love our Ms. Mary. Ms. Mary, we love you and are so grateful for the love and energy your pour into our children! I want to especially thank Mrs. Collins, Mrs. Gale, Mrs. Warren, & Mrs. Miracle for a FANTASTIC year and thank you for loving our children the way you do!!

And, to Mrs. Brooker, Mrs. Gale, & Mrs. Allison... we look forward to another great year with you next year in 1st and 2nd grade. I can't begin to tell you how excited Anna Grace and Austin are about being in your classes!!

Take a moment to watch the slideshow below celebrating Kindergarten & 1st Grade Awards day and the last day of school @ NHE!