Thankful

Hello bloggy world.  It's been a long time.

Yes, I have been busy.  Aren't we all?

Yes, fall for homeschoolers is a time when we prioritize the "schooling" part of our day, and that has taken precedence.

Yes, I have experienced many emotional ups and downs adjusting to having our oldest away at college, and all the changes that brings.

All of the above.

And in addition, our shepherding of daughter H going to public school turned out to be extremely difficult.  The stress, expectations, and perceptions she brought to that experience just completely overwhelmed her.  When she is overwhelmed her go-to behavior is to lash out in anger at anyone and anything around her.  Which was usually me.  When your heart is shredded, and your other children are hurting, and you are chronically tired and financially stretched, and every week brings a new previously-un-imagined hardship.....what do you say?

How do you couch "difficult" in encouraging language which does not portray anyone in a bad light and does not turn into a pity party?

I didn't know.  And so I remained silent.

I still don't know.  But I will share what I DO know......God is still in control. :)  He is sovereign.  Nothing that has happened this fall has surprised Him.  He is strong enough to handle every single one of my stressors, and personal enough to care about each of them.  He has been WITH US.  Every day.  Every hour.  Every moment.  Giving strength and wisdom and insight and comfort and peace.  He loves my children even more than I do, and each of them are in His hands.  He is so, so good.

As our family prepares for our Thanksgiving feast tomorrow, I have so much to be thankful for!

Daughter H came home from public school two weeks ago and said she was done.  She hated it, hated who she was becoming, and didn't want to go back.  We enrolled her in a charter high school and so far it has been a GREAT fit!  Academically focused, small, lots of structure, services and people in place to help her who are communicating well with us.  Here she is on her second "first" day of school:

Daughter G is home for the rest of the week.  Yay!!  Here is one of her projects for 2-D design class at college.

THIS boy got baptized last week. :)  :)  :)   He loves Jesus so much!  His heart for God makes mine smile.

These boys got braces.  We are using a dental school to save money, and so far we have been very happy with our experience.  The boys are not excited about having them on for the next two years, but very thankful that their teeth problems are being fixed.  Thank you, God.

I'm in the middle of a bedroom purge/room makeover (it will be months before it's completely done, so don't be expecting "after" pics any time soon!). As part of this process I went through my jewelry drawer and got rid of all the stuff I never wear.  I made this jewelry hanger for $6 and I love having most of my jewelry visible and accessible!  Some lucky people shopping at the thrift store are going to hit paydirt with all the jewelry I gave away.

This boy just finished driver's ed!  (this was as he was about to go for his first drive with the instructor.  He was not happy with me for wanting to take a picture, but trust me, he was very excited for the drive!)

We still have a house!  A nice warm one for these winter months, and we have plenty to eat.  We can worship God freely and openly.  We are safe, and do not live in fear of being bombed at any moment.  I feel almost guilty with our safe, plentiful existence.

But I am thankful that God is the same God whether we have plenty or not.  Whether we are always safe, or not.  Whether we are happy or not.  Whether there is strife in our home or not.  All the time, HE IS GOOD.

And THAT is all I really need to know.