Changing Seasons

This last week has been a busy one, and we are finding ourselves in a season of change.  I suppose this was bound to happen as our children grow,and find themselves needing, wanting different things.  Thankfully, the Lord has been protecting my tender mama's heart from too much change.  I am not sure I could handle a lot more!

The change is in several forms.  The first is that we are finding it more difficult to go camping as a family. Already, our oldest had stopped going a few years ago.  Now that he is 17, he is able to stay by himself and cat sit.  And his involvement in marching band makes our camping trips less frequent, as we are trying to be supportive band parents.

The other two still enjoy camping, though not as much as they once did.  And frankly, Jeff and I are finding it a lot more work than fun, even with the teen's willing help.  So, we had the unusual experience of coming home from a camping trip and deciding to cancel two upcoming trips!  It is usually the opposite.  Nothing bad happened.  We all just said that day trips would be as nice, and we love our home!  Perhaps that is one of the precipitates.  We love being closer to home as there is so much to do around here.  We did schedule a trip up to our beloved lake in July, but we will stay at a hotel.  We will see how it goes.  We don't plan to sell the camper just yet, but it is an idea on the table.  We spend $40 a month to store it.  We still have one camping trip left on the books.

The other change has to do with our schooling.  Our youngest had already declared himself ready to try the local public school.  With our oldest doing well there, we were considering it, however, they are two very different boys, and I was not totally on board.  Grace has mostly finished the Sonlight offerings for high school, as she started the high school cores when she was in middle school with an older brother going through them.  So she was also looking for a new school plan.  So, it has been decided that they will be enrolled in an accredited online school.  They will still be at home, which I like, but they will have outside accountability. Then if Trevor comes up with a compelling reason to try the public high school the following year, he will have accredited records that our local school will require.  He may not go.  He may like this online school well enough.  We shall see.  We have two friends who are enjoying this online school, so that gives us hope.

And as I mentioned last week, Jeff starts a new job this coming Monday.  I am praying it is a good fit.  I am so thankful that it is close to home. (Another reason to love our home!)  It is ironic though.  If he had not taken the job so far away, we never would have moved here.  God knew though!