Today was our first official day of school. I know, waaaaaay too early for school to start, but our early start was attempted today in an effort to take two weeks off in two weeks. My oldest two daughters will be leaving the nest for the fall in a little less than a month and I want to make sure we have time to properly see them off. My oldest daughter is off to college and my second oldest to a three month long missions trip. My life is about to change in a big way as my right and left arm walk out the door by September 2nd.
So......we started school today, although reluctantly and went out to lunch to celebrate successfully accomplishing some school work in August. Although I'm not ready to surrender my summer, I can still say, "I love homeschooling!" Being able to spend time with my four youngest kids today reminded me of the fleeting years of childhood and how blessed I am that I can spend so much of their childhood with them. Although summer "vacation" is ending I will not have to feel the pain of separation from my first grader, sixth grader or new high school freshman. My preschooler can continue to enjoy the company of his siblings without tearful goodbyes. Most importantly, we will continue to build happy family memories as our journey of home education begins again.