Another year bites the dust

(written yesterday morning... for whatever reason it didn't actually post... hmmmm.)


Scoop and drop.

Scoop and drop. 

I'm standing here in my kitchen with my iPad making special sprinkle pancakes for our last official day of school. Jake and the Nederland pirates is playing in front of me as it entertains my boys so I may be able to accomplish said pancakes without much interruption. On the other side of the wall behind my daughter practices her spelling words on SpellCity for her test today. I wish I could say she does this all the time, but sadly some weeks it's like pulling teeth to get her to study. 

Gasp!
A homeschooler that loathes study time!? The horror but its true. She is not a big fan of studying. This 4th grade year has actually been very eye opening for her. It's the first time parts of her school work hasn't just come very easy to her. The last 4 years of school were super easy. This year she actually had to apply herself more, so that switch was something that threw her for loop. In a good way. Now is the time to grow from it and work on setting up habits that will still help her in the times she has to apply a little more of herself than others. 

With each flip of the pancakes I am thinking of all this summer break will bring us. Lots of homemade prep for the beginning of school and fall. Moving midyear and my desire of all things homemade didn't mesh very well with trying to stay on top of schooling as well. I am really hoping to get some actual organization completed in our short 6 week break and get some homemade mixes and freezable items ready for easy access. 

I really need to get back to making out a monthly meal plan and planning accordingly. We've been so busy that has totally slipped off and knowing it will get busy again soon I really need to get a handle back on it again so the next semester of busyness won't be as broke (cause we all know it killed my budget), and will cut down on the stress of figuring something out. 

God has been laying on my heart, heavy, about my husband and I getting our house in order. We need to bad and it's a going back to basics for us. This last year we have let the world take root in some of our thinking out of convenience and it's wrecked havoc on so much that used to be us. 

I think that is one reason I am so amped for our new school year and approach. It's very God lead and we can't wait to see what it does for our family. Strengthening our foundation so we can be affective disciples for the Kingdom. 

Gideon had to start from him and his family before leading out... Nehemiah had to pray internally and start in him and his focus and be sure of his calling before moving out. 

We are to do the same. 

It's so comforting to know we won't be moving this year (unless God knows something we don't) and that we are home. That we can start something within responsibilities and such knowing it won't be put on hold for a season because of packing or anything else. This year was full of so many blessing but it was also really hard. The hardest yet if I can be completely honest. Parenting was harder. Teaching was harder. Life was messy.

Lots of praying will be taking place in the "downtime" for myself. For my family. Not to quit homeschooling but how not to homeschool like we did this year. Just another area of needing to get back to how it was before we made a big journey to our new state. We all desperately need it.

I plan to do a post shortly about my organization plans for school and home up soon. I am waiting for some of final details to be complete so I can finalize them, but I have definitely already started prepping for next year.

It's going to be a great summer and an even better next school year!!

Happy Summer Y'all!