Leading, Following, and Snowing

Today I am grateful for my sister Danita and the chance to get to know her better later in our lives. I am the baby sister. She is the oldest sister. Happy Birthday today Danita!

I am grateful for safe travels and great support from the other adults involved with our recent school field trip.

And I truly appreciate the energy and enthusiasm of the 49 seventh graders who were in our care for three days and two nights.

Sort of by default, I was the lead person for this trip. For years, I have chaperoned such trips but never been the lead person. It was added weight, stress, and work over a few months and especially in recent weeks. I was one relieved individual when I left school late yesterday afternoon after sending all the students back home with their parents.

After leading on details and planning, I followed many various groups to a wide variety of activities and meals on our trip. I find it best to usually keep 12- and 13-year-olds in front of you so you see what they are up to. I let the staff of the center we were at do the leading.

On our first day there, we were also treated to the first snowfall of the season. That has always been an exciting event for me and it was fun to see it through the eyes of our students.

Leading, following, and snowing. Witnessing and participating in all of these gave me ample opportunities to appreciate being where I was with who I was with. More on the other adults tomorrow.

To close today, here are a couple of pictures from our trip. Pumpkins carved by the staff there and some evidence of that first snowfall: