Happy 18th Birthday Kate!

This one, my only girl child... she turned 18 in February. 

Yeah, 18. I can't believe it either.

A Birthday and My Frustrations

My oldest child celebrated his 22nd birthday back in April.

Still Trying to Catch Up...

We finished up football season recently by claiming the GCAA State Championship on a cold, rainy Friday night. Go Eagles!

We're #1

my daughter, Kate and Natalie

our dedicated H2O Specialists for the team

Just Another Typical Week... Not!

Okay, so I knew things would be a little different, but I really didn't expect it to be THIS dramatic. We started school last week, on August 9th. Dd was excited about "going" to school this year. It was fun shopping for school clothes (as they have a dress code at school). It was exciting buying and gathering all those school supplies (albeit somewhat draining on the pocketbook). But... as Monday morning rolled around, she suddenly didn't seem so excited, or sure about this "going" to school business.

Dh and I tried to encourage her, spoke kind words of affirmation to her, assured her that these jittery feelings are a normal response when encountering something new, different. Still, she didn't seem convinced, but she wanted to try.

She did okay until mid-morning when, in her geography class, the teacher called on her to read aloud. She told me that it all went downhill from there. She tried to describe to me what she felt... "My voice was trembling, I could barely speak above a whisper, my heart was pounding and I couldn't hear anything except a loud roaring sound in my ears. I thought I was about to faint."

I've been there and done that! I have a real fear of speaking and/or reading aloud in front of others. In the days preceeding the start of school, I tried to discuss some of the things that she could expect that would be different from what she is used to, having been home-schooled.

She told me that in her Algebra class, the teacher covered the material so quickly she couldn't keep up. In the rest of her classes, she was so afraid that she would be called on to read aloud again. Needless to say, she spent much time in the bathroom, she couldn't eat her lunch and her stomach was upset and in pain all day. All in all, a miserable first day of school for my dd.

Now, for most people, I am sure this is just a normal part of life; but for dd, this is not good. She is the nervous, worrying sort (in a serious way)... so much so that it has caused a great deal of irritation in her stomach lining, which causes much pain for her. She has been on medication for this for about a year now, but after this day we felt that another visit to the doctor was in order.

He changed some of her medicines, suggested that we try altering (again) her diet, and try eliminating some of the sources of stress so that her stomach can heal itself. Dh made a trip to the school to speak to the teachers, and all are more than happy to help in whatever way they can (specifically not having her read aloud or speak in front of the class, for now). The algebra teacher already stays after school to help students, so dd makes a quick stop by her class if she had trouble with the lesson that day.

We are doing what we can to help her, most importantly we are lifting her up in prayer to our heavenly Father, and pointing her to Him in her time of need. I don't really understand why a child so young can spend so much time worrying about all the what-ifs in life, and stressing over even the smallest of concerns. She has been this way as long as I can remember. Yes, she knows what God says in His Word about worrying. We have talked to her about it; she has read it for herself. Applying what she knows... that's a different story.

We let her know that the door will always be open to come back to home-schooling. She has chosen to stay and finish the first semester, and then we will re-evaluate and decide what is best. She said that each day of last week seemed a little better than the first. She did comment that it doesn't take all day to finish the school work and the school day doesn't really need to be that long (lol). And that if she didn't love to participate in sports so much, coming back home would be a no-brainer!

She is enjoying cheerleading tremendously, and I think that is helping alot. On Friday, we went to the school to watch the pep rally. She seemed a little nervous to me, but she did great! And I think that being on the cheer squad and being in front of the crowd will help her to overcome her shyness and hopefully the nervousness. I have a feeling that when this semester comes to an end, she is going to be well-adjusted to life at school.

New Beginnings

We attended our daughter's high school orientation last night. She is no longer my little home-schooled girl. She's entering 9th grade at Appling Christian Academy. It is a very small Christian school...she has about 15 kids in her grade. She is on the cheer squad this fall. School starts Monday, August 9th.

This is her schedule:

1st period - PE
2nd period - Bible
3rd period - English
4th period - Biology
5th period - Algebra 1
6th period - Geography (first semester)
                   Speech (second semester)
7th period - Fine Arts/Study Hall/Sports Practice
Chapel is weekly on Friday mornings

She is excited, and nervous. Me? Well...my oldest son has moved about a 1 1/2 hour drive away, my daughter is starting 9th grade (at school, not at home)... I'm a basket case. Just kidding! Seriously... I'm full of different emotions right now. Of course I'm saddened at the change, but at the same time I'm excited for them.

My son feels like he is "really at college" now that he's at a big university. Whatever that means, lol. I'm just grateful that God gave us a year at a smaller college close to home to prepare us for this.

This is his schedule for Fall Semester:

Elementary German I
US History II
Intro to Information Technology
American Government I
Creative Writing III

He'll have 15 credit hours, and Lord willing, a job to round out his days.

My daughter is nervous about starting school. That sounds funny, doesn't it? Like we've never "started school." She met all her teachers last night and had lots of questions about how they "do" school -- at school. This will be a transition for her.

But on the other hand, she is excited. As I've mentioned before, God has given her a love for all things athletic, and He has gifted her in that area as well. She is quite a talented athlete. As we have no avenue for her to continue in sports if we continue to homeschool, this transition will open new doors for her. She loves all the sports and she will participate in all of them, cheerleading in the fall, basketball in the winter, and softball in the spring. She really loves basketball and softball and her dream is to play one of those sports at the college level one day!

And my youngest... this will definitely be a change for us! Only the two of us home all day. I am excited! I have more plans than I can ever complete with him, but I am looking forward to it. We'll be using Heart of Dakota for our main curriculum (lots of reading). I will mostly just use their history outline - we'll be taking a chronological journey from the 1500s to the 1970s through American history. We'll use their Bible study program and we'll learn the stories behind some of the greatest hymns using Hymns For a Kid's Heart - Vol. 1. We'll also continue in the Awana program (which focuses on scripture memorization) at church. 

For the language arts we'll use Learning Language Arts Through Literature, Spelling Power and Handwriting Without Tears. For math we'll use Teaching Textbooks 6. For science we'll use Apologia's Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day. I love how they present science from a creationist viewpoint. I love how they focus on learning through an immersion approach. I can't tell you how impressed I was when my (then) 3rd grader could tell people much more than they wanted to know about birds when we finished Zoology 1, and about marine life when we finished Zoology 2. I can't believe how much my children have learned (and retained) using this method! I'm very excited that Jeannie Fulbright has written journals that we can use with this book! (Ok, that's my plug for Apologia Science!)

Well, I sure do get excited when talking about what we'll be doing for school. I'm pumped and ready for Monday!

But, in the meantime... I've got to get off this computer and start going through what's left in my son's room, sorting, cleaning out, getting ready to paint. My husband is ready to convert it to his work-out/exercise room. I would like to leave it as it is for a little longer, I guess for sentimental momma feelings lol. But dh likes to get on with things. And he keeps reminding me that God gives them to us for a season, and now it's time to let go. And he's right. And I know that my heart will catch on and believe that soon :)

Moving Day...Again

Our internet has been down for a few days (and I didn't have a meltdown!), and now that it's up and running again, I come back to my blog to find... well, I don't know exactly what happened to it. My background is just gone. I guess I'll have to tinker with it after while :)

I guess the main thing that's going on in my life right now is that I've had to go through that whole "son moving out experience" all over again. We've been moving bits and pieces of furniture into his apartment for a few days now. But today was THE day. He's all moved in and settled now. I took him grocery shopping today and showed him how to compare prices, helped him plan his meals. I walked him through the steps of "how to's", how to do laundry, how to wash dishes. These are all common household chores that I have taught each of my children through the years. He just hasn't had to do them over the last few years (since he graduated to the more manly outside chores), so he wasn't sure if he would remember.

So now I'm back at home, and he's at his new home. That just doesn't sound right. I've only cried a little. So far. I get sad and a bit teary-eyed when I walk past his bedroom.  I just don't like this part of child-rearing. Yes, I know that we raise them to leave, but still... I don't like it.

Summer Is Slipping Away

As I was updating my books list on the sidebar of my blog ('cause we've finished some of them, but not all), I realized how far short I have fallen AGAIN this summer. I had every intention of reading more as a family THIS summer! But alas... the summer is quickly slipping away. We have been so busy heading in different directions it seems, and I just have not made the time. One more regret to tuck away in my mind... sigh.

It's not that we haven't been together as a family or not that we haven't done things together. We have swam in our pool, played horseshoes in the backyard, played frisbee in the backyard, gone on several outings together. We've just been plum busy! It's been fun, but busy.

I'm almost ready for school to start back so we can settle into a routine again. I said ALMOST. I'm not quite ready to give up my summer. And I know my kids are not! My dd has been at cheerleading camp from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm everyday this week... one more day to go. She's not quite ready for school to start either, but she is excited. She's entering 9th grade this year and she is going to attend the local Christian academy. That means I will only have one at home this year :( and I KNOW he is not ready to start back!

My oldest will be moving out AGAIN the first week of August. Now I have to go through that again... all those emotions. But I think it will be easier this time (I think). He is transferring from the small Christian college he attended last year to a larger university. He will have the same roommate, his best friend from high school. They have found an apartment off campus to live in. Of course he is excited! He says he feels like this is "for real this time." Really moving out. Not just into a college dorm. Taking all his bedroom furniture kind of moving out. His dad making his bedroom a work-out/exercise room kind of moving out. No more coming home every weekend. He'll have a job that will keep him there. Rooming with his brother when he does come home for visits.  At least he's not moving across the state... only a little over an hour and a half drive away. We'll see how it goes in about a week, won't we?

I don't know if I'll get to do any reading with everyone, but I might go ahead and start with my youngest. That will probably help ease him into the back to school transition. He is the one that struggles the most with the whole going back to school mindset. That's probably my fault. I probably give my kids too much freedom from routines during the summer. But my other children don't seem to have any trouble "switching gears." Thank goodness I DO get excited about the new school year... poring over the books I've chosen for the year. I guess that does help to keep him from "dragging his feet" too much when the time to start back rolls around.

Trying to enjoy these last couple of weeks...

Changes

Our youth pastor (who, along with his wife, happens to be very good friends of our family) resigned from his position at our church recently. He has felt God calling him to church plant for some time now, and I guess it was God's time! They have moved to Orlando, Florida.

It was very difficult to say good-bye. How do you say good-bye after 7 years? We all know that this is God's will for them, but does that make it any easier? I am thankful for Facebook, for not only has it been a tool to enable us to keep up with family and catch up with old friends from days gone by, but it will also allow us to keep in touch with Rick and his family!

Tonight, the deacons and their wives and the church staff hosted a dinner to meet a prospective new youth pastor. Yes, I went. Yes, I'm supposed to be staying off my foot. But I felt that this was important. So I hobbled along and walked on my tippy-toes and tried to stay off of it as much as possible.

No, they are not Rick and Christie. But you can't really expect to replace people... friends, anyway.

My heart was comforted. I really like him...and his fiance. They will be married on July 10th. After listening to them share their testimonies, and answer questions, and after talking to them, I felt like they would be very good for our youth.

It was evident that they both have a heart for the Lord, and for youth ministry. I was glad when he said that it wasn't his goal to take the place of the parents in the discipleship process, but rather to be a resource to the parents. He also talked about his having had four different youth pastors in his church when he was a teenager, and that he hopes the Lord will allow him to be in one church long enough to form relationships with the youth, to mentor them, and to help disciple them over a period of many years.

I am thankful that the Lord allowed Rick to be our youth pastor for all of my son's years in youth. It does mean alot to them to be able to form the friendships with their youth pastor.

I hope the Lord will call Matthew and Joni to our church.

Friday

Friday...we usually spend this day wrapping up our school week...probably just like you. Right now dh is on a different work schedule, so he is off on Fridays, and that affects our school schedule. Alot. Today, the only school we accomplished were our morning read-aloud time and about 1/2 a lesson of math for each child. DH had lots of things he wanted to accomplish today like taking the trash to the landfill, lol, (there is no trash pick-up where we live) an optometry visit, and working on Will's (and a little friend's) race car for our upcoming AWANA Grand Prix... and of course the kids would much rather help him than do their school work!

But, I'm not complaining. I am thankful for the time we get to spend together. Maybe I will incorporate what another blogging friend does...Fun Fridays. Maybe I can even get dh in on school. He loves math and science, so maybe I can ask him to do some fun science experiments with the kids on Fridays. He has done some experiments with them in the past and has quite enjoyed doing them! I might have to change the name from Fun Fridays to Freaky Fridays, though.

I don't know that I'd want dh home all day every day, but for this short time I will welcome the change. It was neat that everybody was here during school hours, even my college kiddo. I managed to snap a couple of shots of them doing school work this morning...

my fifth grader working on math and my college freshman working on Biology

my eigth grader working on math (Teaching Textbooks) at the computer

Although we didn't accomplish everything on my agenda for today, we did get to experience what was on God's agenda for our family. I was a little stressed to begin with, and if I can be honest with you... I was a little miffed because my dh was interfering with my plans for the day and interrupting my routine and schedule! Thankfully, the Lord showed me how ridiculous I was to feel that way! And thankfully, He showed me early enough in the day so that I didn't completely ruin the day for everyone. I am usually slow to learn the lessons He teaches me each day, so needless to say I am VERY grateful that He penetrated my stubbornness and softened my heart on this little (or should I say big) "my way" issue. Yes, my God is BIG like that! Why does it so often take me so long to see that?

 

Well...our day turned out to be a good day for all! I would say that we experienced a Fabulous Friday. Hey! That might be the new name for our family Fridays. Of course, I can't say that each one will be as good as today was. But... if I leave it open for God to plan the day, who knows? And isn't that what I'm supposed to be doing every day, anyway?

 

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33

Letting Go...

Letting go... saying goodbye... whatever you want to call it, it is hard. You tell yourself it's time, that he's ready, you're ready...but are you really? I know he is, but am I? My momma heart says no.

I can't write what I am feeling right now because as I sit here pondering it all, I feel that uncomfortable lump in my throat, and the words blur as my eyes fill up with tears for the thousandth time this weekend.

So, until I can adequately express my thoughts here, I will just leave you with some photos of moving day...

father and son, trying to get the wireless connection for their laptops

son and roommate, still working on the wireless connection

all settled in now

Preparing Myself...hmmm?

Ok, I've been backtracking and reading on Cynthia's blog over at http://bbentsbees.blogspot.com/, about her oldest dd moving out a couple years ago. I know God is preparing me for this, but it is SO hard. He's not even gone yet, and I'm moping around here. I really need to get a grip, I know!

It's not like he's moving out of the state, or even across the state for that matter. As I've said before, the college God has chosen for him is only about 30 miles away. But still, no matter how far away or how close, he will still be out of our house, away from home. And we won't see him very often, although I can call or text him as much as I like. Look at me, trying to pysche myself up about this!

Ready or not, graduation will be here in the blink of an eye. And even though he'll still be here at home with us while working a summer job before moving on to college, I've a feeling August will be here all too soon for me. I am so NOT looking forward to this new season of life.

Well, like Cynthia mentioned in her post, I too should stop moping around here since I have two more children who need me!