Family Fall Updates

It's hard to believe that N has only been in the country for less than 6 weeks! We have found a good balance of fast-paced fun and slow-paced family bonding. Despite the more relaxed pace of life, he has had a few big adventures.

Labor Day brought N's first trip to Kelley's Island!! We weren't sure until last minute if we would make it, so we decided to surprise P's family. Only one cousin knew we were on our way (to make sure our beds were still available). It was so fun to surprise Grandma the Great and the rest of the cousins. Some highlights: N's (most likely) first experience at the beach (he was not impressed), meeting LOTS of family, golf cart rides and those little firework poppers.

We've taken a few trips to the zoo. During the first trip, N was pretty much expressionless. I guess he was taking it all in? The second trip was more exciting. He loved the monkeys and the penguins. 

And we went to a local high school football game to cheer on our neighbor. The big kids were in heaven, and have been reenacting the football game ever since. N wasn't phased by the crowds or noise or chaos. He was amazingly chill. We didn't stay until the end, but our team won...incase you were wondering :) Our neighbor scored three touchdowns in the second half to come from behind against our biggest rivals. No big deal :) Go #5!

To Test or Not to Test

When people find out we homeschool, there are several questions that typically get asked. One of the top questions is, "How do you know that they are learning enough? Do you have tests?"

*sigh* To test or not to test... it's a huge debate in the homeschool world. Really, it's a huge debate in education across the board. Personally, I don't test my kids. At least not in the sit-at-your-desk-and-answer-these-multiple-choice-questions kind of way. I honestly don't think that is necessary when my kids are 7 and 5. Many people disagree with me. It may be baggage I still carry from my years as a classroom teacher where high-stakes testing was the focus from September until May. I've had enough teaching to the test to last me a lifetime. But how, you may ask, do I know that my kids are learning without testing?

Here's just one example. Today, our neighbor came over to play legos. Not sure how on Earth the conversation got going in this direction. I'm assuming they were reenacting a battle scene because that's what boys do.  This is what I overheard:

A- Okay. You see, in the year 1898 Theodore Roosevelt...
Neighbor- Who's that?
C- He was a leader in the army, but then he later became the president.
A- So Teddy Roosevelt led his rough riders - that's what they called his army - up San Juan Hill.
C- They were fighting the Spanish.
Neighbor- Why?
A- Well, the Spanish ruled Cuba but the Cubans wanted to be their own country.
C- Yeah- the Spanish ruled pretty much all of South America... except Brazil. That's why if you go to South America, they still speak Spanish.
A- Except Brazil. They speak Portuguese.
Neighbor- What's South America?

My teacher heart was so proud of them and I could easily tell that they had mastered that unit. I can honestly say my preschooler and 2nd grader know more about history than I do!

The beginning...

Many people ask how life is doing now that the adoption is over. But the reality is, the process is just beginning. Adoption isn't about paperwork, fingerprints, foreign governments and months of waiting. It's about kids. Adoption is adding a child into our family. The past two and a half years were the prequel. We have finally reached the beginning of the process.

It is the same as being pregnant. I think we as a society should get out of the habit of saying, "I'm having a baby" and into the habit of saying, "I'm having a child." Sometimes we are so captivated by the adorable baby clothes and the precious little blankies that we forget we are signing up for a life time of loving a child through the easy and the hard.

That's what we have done. We've signed on for loving sweet N through the easy and the hard. We've experienced both so far. In some ways, N is the easiest child. He has attached to our family so quickly and is often smiley and full of wonder. And did I mention that he SLEEPS?!?! Hallelujah! But we've experienced some hard. He currently has the language of a 1 1/2 year old with the stubbornness of a 3 -year-old. It's a rough combination.

But through it all, he's ours to love and parent and train. He's not a blank slate. He has baggage we haven't even uncovered yet, but we have a lifetime of loving on him to figure it out.

We have been so excited to hear friends that are looking to adopt now that they've watched us walk this path. We are thrilled because we believe that every child deserves a loving family, and we truly believe that adoption models God's heart for us. But I would caution that you shouldn't adopt because you are passionate about adoption or have a heart for the orphans.  Adopt because you have a heart for raising children because once the emotional high of walking off that airplane with the child you have been fighting for comes to an end, you have a lifetime of parenting still ahead. The real journey is just beginning.

Happy Birthday, N

Sweet, sweet, N. Before you were even born, God started the process in Mommy's and Daddy's hearts  to lead us to adoption. He knew that our family was not complete without you. We have been loving you from afar and praying for you since before you were born. As you were growing and learning, we were fighting through stacks of paperwork to bring you home. We love you more than you could imagine.

As the adoption process neared the end, we prayed diligently that we could be with you for your third birthday. It seemed impossible from earthly standards as your birthday grew closer, but God is a loving Father who loves to give good gifts to His children. Out of His great love, He made it possible for us to be with you as a family of five to celebrate your third birthday. Happy Birthday, little man. Know that the God of the Universe is writing your story. We don't know all of the details, but we are so grateful that He has woven our stories into one and that we have front row seats to watch the rest of your story unfold.

FINALLY!

For safety and legal reasons, I haven't posted on here too often about this, but our family has been in the process of adoption for 2 1/2 years. It has been a roller coaster, but all of the ups and downs were worth it. On August 14th, in a country far away, a judge ruled that we are suitable parents and we officially became a family of five!

A few weeks later, we hopped on a plane, along with our two boys, to go get our son. We couldn't be more excited to add this sweet boy to our family. Welcome, little N. We love you so much!

The Summer in a Nutshell

One of the best parts of homeschooling is that school can happen when it works best for the family. We ended the 2013-2014 school year on May 16th. We started the 2014-2015 school year on May 19th. :) Two whole days of summer vacation!! :) Throughout the summer, we did school a few days a week. This helped us get a jump start on the year as we knew that a huge life change was coming for our family. 

Here's a glimpse of the fun that we had this summer.

The boys played on a local t-ball team. It was a lot of fun for both of them. The best part was they could be on the same team, so we only had one practice and one game a week! 

We ventured down to NKY to see Gramma's horses. The kids loved riding, grooming and caring for the horses. I am so thankful that Gramma can teach the boys all about animals since it's not my area of expertise. 

After horseback riding, we hiked down to the creek to search for crawdads because that is how it is done in Kentucky.

In May, we took a trip to Shaker Village in Kentucky. It was a long ride, but worth the drive. The kids had fun learning about the Shaker culture, using old-time tools to carve broom handles, taking a horse-drawn carriage tour of the grounds and viewing the animals, including a sheep being sheared.

Our annual trip to Kelley's Island for Memorial Day included lots of time with family, including helping our Uncle build a garage. He took a break from his hard work to make a set of wooden hammers and pegs for the kids. They enjoyed many hours of "construction" work.

Not a traditional summer activity, but the kids enjoyed an ice-skating outing with some school friends. With the help of some PVC pipe contraptions, the boys were able to skate without an adult, and by the end of our time, they were leaving the supports behind and skating independently.

Our unit on Birds included some fun activities with our school friends. We examined bird feathers under microscopes, made bird feeders and dissected owl pellets (aka throw up) to see what their last meal had been. It as a super fun day for everyone.

Our local library hosted a petting zoo this summer where the kids got to touch and learn about animals ranging from chicks and bunnies to donkeys and alpacas.

We took a trip to Gormon Heritage Farm with our cousins. The highlight was seeing a bunch of baby chicks! We also learned a lot about plants and animals and enjoyed walking the beautiful grounds.

The boys were very helpful in our garden this summer. They helped plant, weed and harvest. Of course their favorite part is eating the harvest :) 

Our library offered a ton of educational programs this summer. We attended an art class where the kids studied the art of Sam Gilliam and created projects in the same style.

Summer also involved a soccer camp! The kids enjoyed a week full of drills and skills. Their favorite part was the last chunk of time each day when the kids were divided into teams and played the "Gold Cup" Tournament. C's team made it to the finals, and lost by only one goal in sudden death kicks.

On the last day of soccer camp, the local fire department showed up to spray the campers with the fire hose. They also allowed the kids to climb aboard and talked to them about fire safety.

The CNC provided a fun field trip that included hunting for tadpoles, birdwatching, creeking and playing in the NatureScape.

The library also held weekly science classes. The kids would learn about a different science concept each week and complete a hands-on project or experiment. They loved shooting off bottle rockets, making slime and building gumdrop structures just to name a few.

Finding Peace in the Chaos

Life isn't going to slow down. I keep thinking it is, but the reality is that life is just going to get more chaotic. When you love others, when you desire real friendships and real community, then life is messy. And the deeper you love, the more you choose to give your life away on behalf of others (because really, that's what true love is), the harder life gets.

I'm in a season of life where there is ALWAYS more to do than time in the day. I stay up too late, get up too early, and still the to-do list just gets longer. There are days that I let myself get sucked into the crazy, where I let the stress seep into my words and actions. Where I'm sure my frizzy hair and twitching eye show a physical manifestation of the chaos I'm feeling inside.

But I'm learning (ever so slowly) that if I think it's okay to snap at my husband or ignore my kids because I have "a lot to do", then I will spend my entire life snapping at my husband and ignoring my kids. And I'd miss out on life. Because life isn't in the to-do list. It's not about actions and accomplishments. Life is about relationships. When Jesus was asked what the number one, most important commandment we can keep, his response was that we are to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves. That's it. Love God with our EVERYTHING and love others. Love God. Love Others. This should be my mantra. Everytime I sit down to send an important email or check something for the adoption online and my sweet 5 year old wants nothing more than to cuddle on his momma's lap, do I choose my agenda or his relationship? Do I choose accomplishments or people?

It's amazing how hard that choice can be sometimes. But the choice I make models my beliefs in who God is. Do I see God as an authoritarian who needs me to prove my worth by my actions? Or do I see Him as a loving Father who wants nothing more than for his sweet daughter to curl up on His lap and share her heart with Him. Don't get me wrong. Jesus is King. He is my authority. His is the Lion of Judah. There is work that is required of those who choose to follow after Him. But He is also my Father. My protector. The Lamb of God. He is both Daddy and King. And the more deeply I grasp that, the more peace I can find in the chaos. Because the chaos isn't going anywhere, but in the middle of the storm, there can be peace.

Love God. Love Others…. Love God. Love Others… Love God. Love Others.

Sweet Jesus, Help me to choose to love. Help me to choose relationships. You laid down your life out of love for me. Help me to lay down my agenda out of love for you and for those whom you have put in my life. Today, help me to choose love. Amen.