Kate's Last Day of Primary

At church when kids are 18 months they can attend nursery. Nursery is a contained class; that when Kate was in nursery, was 1 hr and 45 minutes ish. She started nursery in Orangeville. Her Dad was one of her nursery leaders.

These pictures were taken on Kate's 3rd birthday - the beginning of her last year in nursery. Nursery is technically part of the primary program at church, but the little ones don't integrate with the bigger kids at all, not until the year they turn 4.

Fast forward a year. We were now in the Cookstown Ward, and Kate and Owen Templeman were the two new kids in primary. I was called to serve as the secretary in the primary organization so I got to be there every Sunday. I so wish I had a pic from Kate's first Sunday in primary, but I don't. I do however have pics from when Kate was the Star Child in March. Kate packed a bag of all of her favourite things to share with the kids in primary. She was so excited to be the star child and she was so excited to speak to all the kids!

And now, almost eight years later, Kate is done. The year that children turn twelve they move from the primary organization to Young Men's and Young Women's. Kate is nervous and excited about going to Young Women's. She spent most of this year anxious to leave primary though!

This is not how I thought Kate's last day of primary would look. But here it is. Zoom Primary has had its ups and downs. My girls don't love it, but they've gotten better at tolerating it!

I asked Kate to speak in our home/family church service on Sunday. I wanted her to speak about her experiences in primary. I only asked her that morning, because we had only decided the night before to have family church and not do the sacrament zoom meeting with the ward. Kate didn't really know what to say. She said that primary has helped her to tolerate little children better. She didn't think she really learned anything at church because she learned everything at home. 

That last comment of hers made me both happy and sad. I made me happy because I'm glad she realizes that she's learning the gospel at home. I'm glad that she thinks we're teaching her something! But it also made me so sad, because of how often I served in primary - I've been a first hand witness to the sharing time lessons, the talks she gave, the lessons from teachers. I know how much Kate has been loved and taught by her leaders in primary. I'm so grateful for the primary organization. I'm so grateful for all the love Kate has received. I'm grateful for the foundation her testimony has received. She'll never truly understand where her learning of the gospel begins and ends because it will just be part of who she is.

And now, on to Young Women's!!!