Back to School (at home)

I have had a spring and summer filled with a million ideas and thoughts.  Joshua mentioned that he would like to be home schooled before we found out about the opportunity to adopt our twin girls.  He did this after a visit from Nani.  He said, "He missed seeing our family and if we could go to SC more he would love it."  This idea was pondered and home school has always been a world I wanted to try but was nervous to do so and we love Joshua's school so it was hard to leave without a negative experience encouraging us to do so.  We discussed all of the advantages and the disadvantages.  Then the adoption of the twins was presented.  We realized that we would probably be spending July and August in California in the NICU.  Followed, by being at home but with potentially sick little girls that wouldn't need to be bombarded with sick school germs.  This confirmed my plan to home school.
Then the girls were never born and that dream was shattered.   I was left to decide if life should just go back to the way it had been previously.  We no longer had a really compelling reason to home school.  Joshua and I both have a list of reasons to do home school and a list of reasons to go to school.  Then Joshua was accepted into the gifted and talented program at school which further complicated the issue in my mind.  I have really struggled to know what to do.  Finally, I was reading some church literature.  The words just spoke to my heart nothing really quotable just a group of ideas that resonated with me at the time.  The timing of the reading as well as Nathan's prayer for "more Sundays and Wednesdays to visit at Grandpa's house and at Nani's house" gave me the courage to go for the different.  I know lots of people homeschool but it is different from our norm.  We are both proud products of public school and I am a former public school teacher.  So for us this is a step into the different.

We are excited for the 2017-2018 school year at our house.  We look forward to days designed by us.  We have been "practicing school" this summer some with a schedule filled with reading, learning, and playing.  We are sure there will be days where we will wonder if the grass is greener back at school but we are moving forward with confidence that this is going to be a good experience.  I've also been reminded by many that no decision is ever final.  I was immobilized to act because I felt that I had to know that this was the best decision for forever.  I was reminded that life changes instantly and we modify and adjust.  So watch out world who knows where the Tureks will be each day.