Rainy Day Rambling

Today has been a nice reprieve from the heat and busyness of summer.  I forgot that rain was forcasted, and so my heart skipped a beat when I woke up to a dreary cloudy morning!  I poured my coffee and eased myself into the  peace of the day.  The boys and I are falling into a nice summer routine that allows for both play and work.  I had forgotten how tired summer days make me!  I assume it is a combination of the heat and the hard play that completely exhausts me by day's end.  So, I loved today's indoor card playing weather...

Perhaps, my favorite part of this summer, has been making preparations for our next school year.  I am a total nerd!!  All the books, curriculums, literature, history, oh, they make my head spin with happiness!!!  I am so excited about all that lies ahead!  Some nights I have found it hard to sleep!  Their education has become a huge passion of mine, and I have to continually tell my little manic self to... "Calm down, calm down, one day at a time!  Don't get ahead of yourself!"  But, it isn't just the books and pencils that consume my thoughts these days, it is the planning of how it will all come together ~ the chores, the laundry, the meal planning, the dishes, the loving, cuddling, holding, and nursing of the younger ones.  I am using the summer as a trial period.  I am trying different ways of doing things.  I need to figure out how to do it all minus school, and then I can add the school element back in slowly when August comes.  I am also preparing the two older boys to take on new and bigger responsibilities.  They are making me so proud.

And, these two, well, they just make me proud because, well, they just do!

I have been very convicted lately as I have been so overwhelmingly passionate about the educational aspect of homeschool that I have veered off the path I originally began this journey on.  We began this journey with the firm conviction that with 4 children (at that time) we didn't feel we could give each child all that we wanted to, pour into them the way we feel called to do, in the few hours of the day that we were getting with them.  When you have so many, so small, and only a few hours, it is just hard.  So, we began our journey ready to bathe our boys in Jesus.  But, sometimes, I fear that my excitement over the academic overshadows my first true passion.  

It is my prayer for our home to be a place where they can grow, and thrive, and fall down, and get up, and serve, and be loved and cherished.  A place where they can worship, and walk daily, hand in hand, with their sinful father, mother and brothers, learning to grow in grace and trusting in Christ.  I pray that they will learn from His example to be servant leaders, to be all that He created them to be with their own unique talents and gifts.  And, that they will learn to walk and talk like Him and to see others as He does.  I pray for our home to be a place of warmth where we can learn and grow together in the love, discipline, and grace of Jesus.  

It is hard to believe summer is halfway over!  Where has time gone??  The good news is that the garden is alive and growing tomatoes!!  Yay, for tomatoes!  Fried green tomatoes, tomato sandwiches, tomatoes on this and that and everything!

 We keep getting more and more and more, and I love them sooo much!