Embracing the Change...

It's been a while since I've visited this place, and I miss it!  I always say that I hope to be back here regularly again, but life steps in, and it all falls apart. But, I hope this time it will be different.  Yes, I am believing it will!  I am beginning to see a little glimmer of a light at the end of the tunnel.  Zeke is just about potty trained! Yikes! My baby will be 3 in just a few months.  

I've said it hundreds of times, but the winds of change are blowing through our home.  And, I guess they always are if I think about it.  Life is never stagnant.  It's always changing, stretching, growing, moving forward...  And, so this fall has brought some big changes for our family.  Number one, my sweet Joshua has started going to public school.  Here he is on his first day walking in with a sweet friend...  

It's been a bit of a roller coaster, but all in all, his transition has been painless ~ easy, even. In this small town, we know pretty much every teacher he has.  Erik is so involved with the school athletics that he is very acquainted with coaches, teachers, and administrators.  In a funny way, it has felt like a safe little nest to send him off to.  I cannot complain.  Everyone has bent over backwards to help him.  When we walked into orientation, we were met with squeals of excitement from several teacher friends.  Everyone has been so welcoming, so excited to have him!  He is playing football and looking forward to basketball which begins in a few weeks!

As for the rest of us...

We are happily homeschooling.  James misses Josh, and I am with him on that.  He doesn't have his buddy during the day, and that is hard.  But, we are slowing growing accustomed to this new normal. And, we are trying to make the best of it. When Josh gets home and begins his homework, James takes a seat next to him and busies himself with some sort of quiet work just to be near him.  It's the sweetest...

We've joined a new co-op, and we could not love it more!!!  I love it academically, and I love it for the sweet friends we have gained!  LOVE!  We are so happy! Here is my crew on their first day!

It has been a funny thing ~ beginning something new without Josh.  We go on field trips.  We go to classes.  We sing our memory work.  And, he does his own thing, studies for his own tests, does his own homework... This is a first.  We've always been one unit, doing everything together. We've always studied history together, read aloud books together, gone on field trips together.  And, now we are studying Middle Ages, and Josh is studying early colonial America.... We are going on field trips and discussing them at the dinner table, and he sits, eats, and listens, and my heart yearns a bit for the good old days.  But, if there is one thing I've learned as a mom, it is that times marches on and that the very best thing to do is embrace the change and grow with it. There is not a doubt in my mind that this is the right decision for our family at this time. So, much prayer, literally years of prayer, went into this shift from homeschool to public school.  Erik and I have had the greatest peace about this decision, and that helps on the days when we miss our sweet big boy. He has the sweetest friends from the sweetest families, and that makes my heart so happy!!

In other news... Fall is by far my favorite time of year.  My heart is always so full during fall, so thankful.  I love the colors.  I love the chill in the air.  I love the cool breezes.  I love the smells of cinnamon and apples and pumpkin spice.  I love a warm drink and a sweater.  And, I love sunset football games between brothers.  They are my fave...

Our little world spins on and on... Time flying by so fast that I am left stunned and speechless at times.  When I started this blog, I had only Josh and James.  Now look at our crew!  Some days I feel fresh and happy and young like that mama I once was ~ the one who never had to think of lesson plans or dropping off or picking up kids at various activities.  That mama who just took her little ones on walks and drew with sidewalk chalk for hours on end....  And, then, at other times I feel war torn and tired.  I've lived a lot of life since the sweet simple days of only small children.  It is an interesting place to be ~ to be the mother of big kids with football and basketball games, as well as, the mom of little ones who still want to sit in your lap and listen to you read Brown Bear, Brown Bear over and over again.  And, so I try to find the balance, to be both these moms to both these types of children... Sometimes I find myself frustrated with the older boys' busy schedules or frustrated with the littles for not being "easy" for ME (note my selfishness) at their brothers' ball games.  But, really, they are all precious, and I pray God will make me enough to be the mother they all need, all 7 of them.

I hope to be back again very soon! :-)