Big Stuff: Braces & Schedules

Surprise: Annelise got BRACES this week!!! :-O It was so fast & easy: she went in for a 2nd evaluation Tuesday afternoon (the 1st was in May, but she had a few more baby teeth to lose) and got them the very next morning at 8 AM! She was *super* excited... although the afternoon before it was really real, she was a bit more cautious, thinking about no more caramel, Starbursts, etc. :-P JB & I are thrilled to bits, b/c the only orthodontist who takes our insurance is AMAZING, with a pristine, modern facility, and with our coverage, hers will then cost WHAT MINE DID IN 1990!!! We figured with the way college tuition has blown up over the last 20 years, surely braces would have experienced the same terrifying inflation; praising God we're not on the hook for $10,000+ like many friends we know!!! I can't tell you what a load off this is. Pray for her mouth comfort, esp. starting school next week; she's been pretty ok, so far! Just a few ibuprofen. I had braces for 3 horrific, miserable years, so I completely understand; at least her teeth aren't as jacked up as mine were! :-D The orthodontist said there's a chance she could be done in as little as 20 months, so excited that she could be totally out around the end of 7th grade and retainer-free before high school!

The day after getting Annelise's braces, the kids both got their junior high schedules, and we walked their class paths. Ready for 6th & 8th grades next week...

I'm so thankful to have them together in the SAME school for this year!!! THIS year is *THE* major reason I prayed to have them less than 2 years apart! My brother and I are just 2 years & 3 months apart, but 3 years in school - I'm the youngest in my class, he's one of the oldest, and after my 5th grade year, we weren't in school together again until I was a senior in high school. It's not like we really would've hung out, but having the shared experience of being in the same place for those couple extra years would have done a lot for our relationship and bond. I'm so thankful Will & Annelise get this extra precious time together! They'll have a couple joint choir concerts, and Annelise might even get to cheer for Will in football on 6th grade pep squad. ❤️