Ella's First Day of Preschool

Let's start with  a half a bottle of wine...it's 9PM, both kids are asleep, the basement is "recovering" from a "flash flood" of 5+ inches of water and floating basement crap, the smelly dog is asleep on a pile of clean laundry,  and Jon is chillaxing in Georgetown awaiting fun stuff at the Pentagon tomorrow.... yeah the Pentagon.... returning tomorrow or Friday... Jon's getting himself in deep in the Navy:- ) or so we hope:-) Anyway, that said, I am putting it all aside to absorb the blessings of our family and the milestone in our 3.5 yr old daughter's life sharing in her first day of preschool.  She is attending the preschool at our church, First Presbyterian Church of Norfolk.  A mere 3 miles or so away, but anywhere from 7 to 30 min+ depending on the traffic, and of course the day of the week.  Jon and I were able to take her to school together with Rudy this morning. (Rudy is also attending the same preschool, but only one day a week and his first day will be on Monday of next week)  We pulled up to the church and saw a bunch of TINY TINY people waiting impatiently at the door to get in.  We  parked the car, put Ella's back pack on her, took a few pictures and bumped into everyone we knew....... being a little fish in a big pond in Norfolk, VA we felt really good walking into Ella's school and actually knowing people.  Of course we know these people because they are our church family and for once not Navy... for the most part.  When we headed into the church to go to the classroom and passed our pastor; whom we love and respect so very much; we were both warmed through and through by the love and presence we felt by our church family and God.  Ella ran right into her classroom and into the arms of her teacher; Mrs. Vislocky; and no tears were shed.  (Actually Rudy almost cried!  It was very sweet!) Jon and I both talked about how good it felt to leave her there.  Truly a safe, loving, happy place where the people who whitenessed her baptism just a few months ago and promised to teach her the word of God and raise her as part as their family are now not only fulfilling their promise on Sunday mornings but Monday through Friday throughout the school year.  Wow.  So yeah, here are pictures of our sweet little girl, Jon is looking amazingly civilian and I'm headed to the gym:-)  

A little story about picking Ella up that I hope I never forget and want to share with the world..... The church is almost 100 years old, big and brick with a lot of additions.  One of the old entrances that we pass by has an elaborate, old, iron, gate blocking it.  While passing the old and unused entrance, Ella notices it  and grabs onto the old iron gate, peeks in and says, "Oh that's scary, there is a monster in there Mommy."  I tell her "no, there is no monster, that is just an old doorway they don't use anymore and it's God's house so no monsters live in Gods house"  Ella continues to press her face between the rungs of the gate and yell "God, GOOOOOOD!  Mommy, I want to see God!"......Of course leading into a short conversation about how we cannot really see God.....  A lesson certainly to be learned at a Christian preschool:-)