From The Director, Kathy Irvin:
May! Warm days, hard rains, bold colors, and endings. Where have the months gone? We are not ready to let go of your children. We have developed community, and we truly enjoy each other. Ten years, where have they gone? This May AJN celebrates 10 years of caring for children. I believe that our mission is as strong and as vital today as it was the first day we welcomed families. We believe that each child is a precious gift from God, and we believe in supporting our families on this most important journey. I wish that I could personally thank every mom and dad and child that has spent some time with us. You are A Joyful Noise. Many have already moved on, and this year families leave us that have seen all of their children spend their preschool lives with us. Your voices echo in our hallways. We treasure our memories.
"Let everybody breathe and praise the Lord. Let everybody breathe and praise the Lord. Join in creations choir and lift his praises higher, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord." Our preschool children love to sing this song in Chapel, and we add a lot of fun verses like "Let everybody laugh and praise the Lord…." This is my wish for all of us this summer. Let us take time to breathe, to laugh and to praise. In-between camp, swim lessons, tennis, dropping-off and picking-up, let us take time to remember what it is like to be a child in the summer. We can all remember favorite summer days, can't we? Lazy ones spring to mind don't they? Bare foot, hot, sweaty, Kool-aid kind of days. Lazy, sleep late, pajama kind of mornings. Sprinkler, muddy grass, squishy toes kind of afternoons. Sunny, splashy, sand in the suit, beach kind of weekends. Staying up late, hide and seek, chasing fireflies kind of nights. Exhausted, happy, good dreams kind of sleep. It usually takes us adults a few weeks to transition from the frantic school year, work day pace. It is hard to down shift and be comfortable with time. It is hard for our children too. So on that first summer morning when the kids ask, "What are we going to do today?"; let's not panic as the whole summer looms before us. We might try answering, "I don't know. Let's start by breathing and laughing and see where that takes us!"
Additional Thoughts:
Special thanks to Jenny Hayward, the AJN Board Chairman, and her incredible Board for guiding us through our 10th year. It has been a busy and wonderful one! Hilary O'Bryan, Past Chairman and Kathy Schuldt, Treasure leave the board this May. These special women have given so much of their time and their talents to AJN. I am grateful for their leadership and friendship. AJN is very fortunate to be a part of Children's Ministries led by Susie Kiphart. She is so clear about our mission, our purpose. I am grateful for dedicated teachers, a supportive church family and understanding church staff. We are indeed blessed. Love to my Mom who volunteers her time every Friday so that we can come together for our favorite activity, Chapel! Dad, you show us the path, the true joy! Hugs and kisses to my guys for helping me remember to breathe and laugh and praise the Lord!
Kimbra - you have done an awesome job of pulling together all of our ideas to create this monthly newsletter. I so appreciate your enthusiasm and spirit. (Kimbra, I want to see these last two lines in print!!!!!J)
**Kimbra - someplace in the May newsletter we usually print the AJN Board Members for next year.