oh, the places you will go.

These last couple of weeks my blogger, facebook and instagram feeds have been filled to the brim with beautiful, raw and honest accounts of mamma's adventuring into a new phase of their lives, seeing their littles become slightly bigger and heading off to pre-school, kinder and/or primary school for the first time. I can not begin to understand how this must feel for you all, a big change. A very dear friend of mine whose little babes I have seen grow from birth to little people is in the middle of transitioning her eldest into four's kinder which seems so hard to fathom, she's still a little baby, right? Amidst all the adjusting, it is so exciting to see the beginning of the littles journey into learning who they are and starting to apply all the morals that have been imparted into them by their very loving parents. Oh, the places they will go.

Last year I had the honour of mentoring an incredible young woman throughout her final year of high school. I had seen her grow throughout her high school years in our church and I had the privilege of leading her through much of that journey. In November last year, as her final days of school came upon her, she asked me to take some photos of her and her friends before their Valedictory, the very last event they would ever have as high school students. It was the very opposite milestone that many of you are encountering at the start of 2013, and one that is much more fresh in my memory than my first day of school. I was beyond excited to capture some final moments for them, yet, simultaneously saddened for them as I know now how truly precious those days really are. Now, as 2013 is well and truly upon us (February?! How did that happen?!), many of this group are preparing to set off for University and my very special friend who inspired this shoot, is well and truly into her studies at a prestigious Architecture University on the Gold Coast. I am so proud of you.

To those of you sending littles off for the first time, and to those of you who are about to embark on many adventures post-secondary school, "Today is your day, you're off to great places, you're off and away!"