Homeschooled! =)

Looking back on my childhood at home, I have been blessed in too many ways to count. Just in everything: familywise, I have such awesome parents and sisters. I have an amazing trio of grandparents who have taught me lots and supported me in everything! I just love my congregation at Duluth. All the people who have come and gone over the years have made me who I am today. All the missionary work in foreign fields have shaped my life in so many areas. The years at Roundhouse cannot be described, they are so perfectly wonderful. Having grown up "in the church" is the hugest blessing of all. Now, one that is incorporated in everyone of those: My parents homeschooled me!!! It gave my sisters and me the chance to try so many things. To work so many places. To learn so many things hands-on. To travel all around the world at a young age. To spend weeks at lectureships and at camps with incredible Christian examples surrounding us... I wouldn't trade those years for anything. All the time with my Mommy at home, teaching us, watching us grow every day. Taking the time to talk to us, she was always there... she was always ready to help. She is smart in EVERYTHING! Other than computers, and that's why we then have Daddy because he's smart in EVERYTHING and computers! :) hee hee I spent every day with my sisters learning about... well, all the subjects in school, but then soooo much more: how to run a house, how to do the grocery shopping, time management, craft-time, cooking, a deep love of reading and being a home-maker. <3 It was a priceless childhood and one that I pray to be able to give to my own children one day.

~And now, catch up to present time, I'm doing it!!! =) Just that... I am now homeschooling my babies, able to watch them grow everyday. Able to see how what we're studying comes out in what we do during our days together. Watching their imaginations soar! Dragons, dogs, family relations, dress up, dancing, fights of all kinds, forts out of cushions, and cuddling around "campfires" happen all the time. It's soooo much fun!!!

I couldn't ask for anything better. We are able to study the Bible together every day. We are able to pray to God together every day. We are able to sing praises to HIS name every day. We are SO blessed!!

There are so many joys of homeschooling-- We can take our time in learning things that are harder, we can take off a day when we need to, we can do school anywhere: in the car, at the park, in the yard, under a table, in a bed, in the bathtub... And we have! =D

Being together all the time makes for so many incredible talking/teaching times. And I don't mean that I'm the one doing all the teaching. These two sweethearts teach me every day more about God's LOVE. But they also have so many questions that they're able to just ask whenever they think of them... we talk about how wonderful GOD is. How horrible the DEVIL is. And how we can't wait to be in HEAVEN with MOM.

We are also extremely blessed to have a HUGE homeschool group near us. We spend time together every month at our Homeschool Get Togethers. We have KONOS days. We plan playdates together. These are our best friends. My babies get to "go to school" with their fantastic Heck cousins!!

There are kids of all ages in our group, and I think that's one of the biggest blessings of all. I remember growing up and looking to the "big kids" (the teenagers) at Roundhouse thinking that they were just the coolest ever. Then we grew up, and we were the big kids-- and we still go together with our homeschool group, but these times were to focus on the kiddos-- to teach them, to show them how awesome school can be, to listen to and encourage them as they give reports and show what they've accomplished. NEVER underestimate how much joy and support you can bring to someone just by being there and smiling at them!

 And you can add in friends, too! We were sooooo happy to have three of the sweetest, prettiest, funniest, and just more awesomest girls over for the whole day last week. I LOVED having 5 sweet kiddos around- calling my name. It was like having a 7-year-old and then two sets of twins (5s and 3s). 

 We played outside all day because it was just a GORGEOUS day-- and we did school, played Bible Basball and laughed a LOT!

 Taryn enjoyed taking lots of pictures with my camera. I didn't realize I was sooo tall. :) hee hee

 We worked together, shared, learned, and were very happy. We stopped to see the flowers growing. It was the first time that we'd spotted them this year. We didn't "do" anything that day, but it was one of my very favorites!!

I could never have been ready for this "job" without my Mommy and Daddy and sisters. 

Without my second mom. Without all my kiddos in GA, Preschool, and my Pooky. 

Without Roundhouse. 

Without the homeschool moms and dads here. 

Without Ashley, Miss Debbie, Aunt Chas, and Stacy. 

Without Darren working so hard for us and giving us the best life ever here at home. 

We are SO blessed!