new

The start of the school year hit me a little differently this year.

It could be because I put 2 boys on the bus this morning.

It could be because Keaton is in the 3rd grade and is getting too old.

It could be because it was Kayden's first day of school ever and he was gone all day at kindergarten!

It may be because I was disappointed and sad to see the boys go rather than secretly excited like I have been in past years for the peace and quiet it would mean for my day.

It may be because Macy, Laney, Gabe and I enjoyed an estrogen-filled trip to the zoo and mall while waiting for the boys to return home from school.

It may be because of all our family has walked through since the end of the last school year.

But the first day of school is and has always been about new beginnings. About a fresh start. A chance to do new things, meet new friends, while always remembering past years and the lessons learned.

That is where the Browns are today. We are cautiously bold about stepping into the new life God is leading us to.

I am so thankful that my Savior shows me in little ways every day that He has a new beginning for me as His daughter. I am looking for messages from Him like crazy. I know there is no looking back, no getting over it, no forgetting. Those things wouldn't serve Him. They wouldn't honor His plans and the trust He placed in me by walking me through those dark days. There is simply remembering with joy, loving like crazy, and stepping forward into each new day.