The next-door Gray kids were the first to start, as Shenandoah Schools' first student day was August 2.  Short summer!

Can you believe Karter is in middle school now?  I'm still shaking my head...

Kaden is a fourth-grader

And Kelsey and Kassie are in the same first grade class at Shenandoah Elementary.

I'm a sucker for new school shoes...

I love how this family prays together before the children get on the bus each morning!

And they're off!

The Gray Academy of Middletown was officially in session on August 12.

Krew began kindergarten and Juni is in pre-K.

They have a pretty special teacher!  Mommy Anique is homeschooling these two cuties.

And last week, Abram began kindergarten and Lucy started preschool.

The night before the first day of kindergarten, Abram got a precious letter from his teacher....

...complete with some magic confetti to sprinkle under his pillow.  I've never met her, but Mrs. Dorsch must be a fun teacher!

Krew and Juni were staying with me, and we picked up Abram's other grandma Peggy and we all drove down to Cincinnati to see Abram off on his first official school day.

Abram and Mommy Kara...walking to the bus stop...

Daddy Kyler chimed in with a quick Facetime send-off message.

The bus aide giving instructions to the 6 kindergarteners from the neighborhood...

Abram with his next-door-neighbor friend Gray (yeah...nice name!)...

And he's off for his big kindergarten adventure!

We stuck around until the bus brought him back home that afternoon.

What was your favorite part of the day, Abram?

"Riding the bus...there are no seat belts."

Summer's over and a new school year has begun.

Just like that.