Can it really be possible we are coming to the end of another year of school for the kids? It doesn't seem like it was that long ago I was nervously anticipating the huge change that would come from having the boys back in school. To look back now at all that has transpired leaves me breathless to consider the greatness of all God has done this year.
Micah has happily settled in to high school, finding his niche in band. Next year he wants to do it all: marching band, jazz band, and the new wind ensemble he auditioned into. When I think about the options we were considering, it makes me thankful for the door that opened (or should I say the others that closed?) that allowed him to go to West. They have an excellent music program! He isn't sure what he wants to do in college yet except he is already contemplating a minor in music. We shall see what may come of that dream. He is such a special young man who loves the Lord and humbly serves our family and others.
Rachel--my goodness, how she has grown up this year. She's more than halfway through her time in braces, got contacts, grew several inches (along with Micah), and really has stepped up in her maturity. I have watched her writing skills continue to blossom and in math she has soared. We enjoyed Heart of Dakota very much. Looking back, I could wish I had placed her a little higher, but it is also hard to imagine not having this year of church history intertwined with the middle ages. I trust God does not waste anything, and she did really enjoy it! It was really neat to use HOD's student notebooking pages, leaving her a detailed record of things she learned this year, and helping me gauge how her handwriting, summarizing, and note-taking skills grew as the year progressed. She is well prepared for 8th grade! I have loved seeing her heart growing ever more tender toward the Lord and His word.
Josiah transitioned to school so well. An eager learner, he would often talk to me about the things he was soaking up with great accuracy. Somehow so many of his sensory issues faded this year as his mind found more and more things to keep him occupied. He is ending the year much stronger in math than where he began, and of course still loves to read his comic books. We are thrilled with how well he has done, with no academic or behavioral support needed apart from meeting with a social worker once a week for social skill training. We do need to be honest and admit it is not always smooth sailing for him, but are still thankful for the things he is learning about self-control...sometimes the hard way. A semester in speech at ISU has also helped him in so many ways. He wants to do right and is learning more about what that looks like as he grows, but he does need extra help understanding the skills necessary to make good choices.
We anticipate more changes next year with Rachel headed to private school. It will be the first time in over 15 years I will have no one at home with me during the day!! It's going to be an even busier season of life, but we continue to treasure our family times together. I'm so thankful for the opportunity I had to homeschool the kids for a time, and we trust God for what is yet to come, knowing there will be challenges even while acknowledging He can be trusted and His ways are always good.
