last swim

we first enrolled harper in goldfish swim class in august 2011.  the facility was brand new and we knew that swimming was a life-long activity that we wanted her to be strong in.  my brother and sister were both awesome swimmers and on a swim team.  my mom tells me that because i was dragged around to so many swim meets, i decided not to pursue a team, but i still learned to swim.  i even took a swimming course in college for a 1-credit requirement.  i love swimming, and michael grew up with a pool, so we knew we wanted our kids to be safe in the water and enjoy it, too.  never did i imagine that we would meet maggie, harper's swim teacher from day 1, who has become a part of our family.  she now teaches crosby's swim lessons, she babysits, we have dinner with her family.  we just adore maggie.  

so i think i had the hardest time letting go of when it was time for harper to move on from lessons with maggie to goldfish's rec team.  i just didn't want harper's time with maggie to end, but maggie taught her so much, made her so strong and confident in the water and got her as far as she could before she had to move up for the next challenge.  after a week-long jump start clinic in august, it was finally put in writing on her progress report that harper would move on.  but i just kept delaying when her last thursday swim class would be.  september 11th was it.  

harper was a goof-off most of the class, being silly, having fun, making jokes, laughing, knowing this was her last class.

when class was over and it was finally time to say good-bye, i was the one who honestly had to hold back the tears.  harper just kept hugging maggie, and when maggie said she would miss harper, harper just confidently said that she would still see her at goldfish and at our house, of course.

maggie, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting our girls in so many ways, and loving them greatly.  we think you are one special person, and are thankful that you are in our life. ♥