Isn't it sad how many things we start in our life, only to stop before they are finished?  Lessons never learned, projects never finished, apologies never given.....the list can be endless.

I had such hopes for this blog.  I wanted this to be a place where I could write and tell everyone everything.  But, as usual, I let life get in the way.  I want to do better than this. 

K & E are doing great.  K will begin cheering for the WCAA Trailblazers for their basketball games and she is very excited about that.  E has been asked to join the new children's worship team at our church.  This will be a group of kids who will help lead worship for the other kids.  I am very proud of both of them.

I have started working from home (Praise God!) and am loving it.  Although I would much prefer NOT working, this has been a very good fit for our family.  I am with the same employer and took a very small pay cut to do so.  But, legitimate work at home jobs are so hard to find.  I know how very lucky I am.

L is plugging along in his final semester of high school.  Every day he is in public school reaffirms to me why I homeschool the girls.  I am having some issues with the DH as K nears high school age.  He's not sure "we" can handle it.  I know that "I" can handle it.  He is at work all day and does not help with the teaching.  She is not missing out on anything other than the things we WANT her to miss out on.  I am looking at dual enrollment with a local community college.  We have several friends who are doing this.  It is totally online, so she does not have to go there to attend the classes.  We will see.

Choir starts back in 3 weeks and I can't wait.  It is so good for the girls and it gives me that one-on-one time I need with other homeschool moms.

I hope everyone's New Year has started out great.

I know, I know....life gets in the way. 

We finished homeschool choir for the season and the girls and I both miss it.  K played soccer for the WCAA Trailblazers and LOVED it!  So did I.  It was so good for her to spend so much time with other 12-14 yr old girls who homeschool.  Not to mention the exercise was awesome.  K & E are both playing Upward soccer through our church (2 games to go), so we have lived and breathed soccer since the beginning of March.

I'm trying to do my planning for next year's curriculum before the used book sales start.  E will be going SOS 4th grade.  K will be doing a mix.  The only things we have definetly decided on are "Around the World in 180 Days" for Geography and "Exploring Creation with General Science" for Science. 

It is 1:00 am and I have to be up at 8:00 am, but I can't sleep.  My allergies are driving me crazy!

I promise to do better with my blogging.  Hopefully soon I can learn how to add pictures! 

Have a great weekend!

Joi

My cousin, Alex Taylor, passed away peacefully at 4:00 pm yesterday.  Thanks to everyone for their continued prayers during this difficult time for our family.

Joi

This has turned out to be a hard week for our family.  A little background....we lost my 98 yr old grandmother in September, 06.  Two months later, her oldest daughter (my aunt) was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.  She died in May, 07.  My mother, selflessly cared for both of them.  Now, my older cousin's son is dying.  Alex was diagnosed at 18 months old with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which is a muscular disease.  He has been in a wheelchair his whole life and has never let anything slow him down.  He is very smart, attends public school and sings in a traveling choir with a local church.  Alex is now 14 and we were originally told he would not live to be 5.

Alex contracted the flu a little over two weeks ago, which developed into pneumonia.  He was hospitalized two weeks ago today.  SMA weakens the lungs and he was placed on a ventilator to allow time for his lungs to heal.  Everything was going great until Sunday morning.  He was doing fantastic and was scheduled to come off the ventilator that morning.  For no reason that the doctors can find, his heart stopped.  It took some time to get it started again, but they did.  Alex has been in a coma ever since and a MRI was done Monday evening.  He has severe brain damage and if, god-willing, he were to regain enough function to breath on his own, he would not be able to function.  They do not believe he will come out of the coma and he would never be the Alex we all know and love.  His BP is dropping and my cousin's wife believes it is his way of telling us it is his time to go.

My heart is breaking over this.  My cousin lost his grandmother, his mom and is now losing his only son.  They are, as we all are, believers....and I know they are taking comfort in that.  But it is still so hard.  My two daughters are having a very hard time with this.  He is only 3 years older than my oldest daughter and she has been asking some tough questions.

Please pray for our family.  That everyone, but especially my cousin and his wife, is able to accept and understanding God's plan for Alex.  That I am able to explain this in a way that my children can understand, especially when I am having a hard time understanding this myself.

Thank you.

Joi

The WNC-Homeschoolers Winter Conference was this past weekend and I am so glad I went. 

First, our choir performed before the keynote speaker on Friday evening.  Now, I know I'm prejudiced, but they were GREAT!  They have only been practicing for a little over a month and they did a fantastic job.

The keynote speaker for the weekend was Michael Farris.  I am a HUGE Michael Farris fan (his fiction books are great) and I was thrilled at the chance to meet him.  He was great.  He really knows what he is talking about and I felt so encouraged after listening to him.

I lost myself in the book fair (don't worry, I found me again) but did not buy anything.  It's a little early for next year, but I got some great ideas.

We are getting ready to try our hand at lapbooking.  It looks like so much fun, and I really think my girls will like it.

If anyone has any suggestions, feel free!

Joi

That's the magnet on the back of my car.  What a joke!  Calling home schoolers unsocialized is one of my biggest pet peeves.  If anything, every home schooler I know (including my kids) are OVERsocialized!

Here is this semester's schedule:

Sunday - Church in the morning, then Youth Choir, Children's Choir & Bible Drill in the evening.

Monday - Girl Scouts

Tuesday - Blue Ridge Home School Choir (I will post more on this wonderful group later)

Wednesday - Church & Orchestra Practice for mom & dad

Thursday - Soccer Practice

Friday - Soccer Practice

Saturday - Soccer Games

Yep.  That's the life of unsocialized home schoolers.  And lets see....mom's part-time job gets thrown in their and so does school. 

But, we get it all done....and we love every minute of it.

Have a great week!

Joi

His name is Dylan Mayo.  Dylan was diagnosed 1 year ago today with AML M4 Leukemia.  Now, I have never met Dylan, but I have watched him grow up since he was a baby.  His mom, Heidi, and I joined a pregnancy support group online in 1999 when she was pregnant with Dylan and I was pregnant with my daughter, Erin.  Here we are, 9 years later, and the group is still going strong.  Heidi and family live in NY.  For the past year, we have prayed, cried and struggled along with Heidi and Scott as they help Dylan fight this monster disease.  He is truly in a fight for his life.  Heidi's motto is F.R.O.G. (Fully Rely On God) and she lives it every day.  It is AMAZING to watch this family. 

I am introducing you to Dylan because he needs all the prayers he can get right now.  Please check out his site at http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/inputSiteName.do?method=search&siteName=dylanmayo.

I dare you to read his story and not fall to your knees and thank God for your own children.

Joi

What is WRONG with these young girls in the spotlight today?  I know....they never ASKED to be role models (technically), but they DID ask to be famous.  They DID choose their target audience.  WHY can't they act in a way that is appropriate for said target audience?

I actually LIKED Britney Spears when she first started out.  She seemed very sweet and normal.   I didn't mind letting my daughter listen to her first few songs.  They were cute, catchy....clean.  Then, she let the fame go to her head.  She decided she didn't WANT to be a role model.  But, she DID want the spotlight.  This mess today is just so sad and tragic.  I feel so sorry for her children.  I feel sorry for her.  Someone needs to do something.

Then there is Lindsay.  Whose little girl didn't love "Parent Trap" and "Freaky Friday?"  THAT Lindsay was great.  Then she pulls a Britney.  She doesn't WANT to be a role model.  She didn't ASK to be a role model.  No one forced these girls to drink, smoke or do drugs.  They CHOSE to do so.  They know they are living their lives under a microscope....that they have no privacy....that there are 5000 papparazzi and little girls watching their every move.  And still they choose to do the wrong thing.

And then there is Jamie Lynn.  I so hoped she would learn from her sister's mistakes.  But no....she too decided to grow up to soon.  And while I am very glad that she is doing the right thing by keeping the baby, she should never have let herself get into this situation.  Where was her mother?  Lynn Spears is the last person in the world that needs to be writing a parenting book.  She needs to READ a few first.  Is there some law that says a 16 year old STAR does not need supervision?   Stand by your daughter (s) Lynn, but own up to the fact that you messed up.

I hate that these things happen and bring up topics I may or may not be ready to tackle with my daughters.  I am not going to forbid them from watching tv.  Yes, I am going to police what they are allowed to watch.   But, I don't want to shelter them too much.

Ok, I am off my soapbox for the day.

Joi

I was diagnosed at 28 with Adult-Onset Asthma.  It's never been very bad, more of a bother really.  Well, over the last few years, it has gotten progressively worse and last Thursday night, I wound up in the ER with an asthma attack I could not control.  I am now on several new medications and am going to my regular doctor today.  The ER doctor believes it is time I was referred to a pulmonologist. 

Please pray:

1 - For me - that we are able to control my asthma with medication without too many life-style changes.

2 - For my children - who are understandbly scared.  It is not easy watching your mom struggle to breath.  They have been gems.

3 - For my husband - who never truly understood the signficance of asthma until this happened.  I've never had a serious attack, mostly just episodes of breathlessness.  I thank God that he was home.  He is my rock.

4 - For my employer - that they will undertand and work with me while we get this under control.

Hello and welcome to our world.  We are the Kelley family, living and homeschooling in Western North Carolina.  Our family consists of DH, me, my niece, Stepson (17), DD (11) & DD (8).  We also have 3 dogs and 3 cats.  Our house is full, crazy, loud and I wouldn't trade if for anything (well, most of the time I wouldn't!)

My DH works full-time as a supervisor and I work part-time as an administrative assistant.  Unfortunately, finances do not permit me to stay home yet.  But we are working on it!  My 23yr old niece takes care of the girls while I work mornings and is a huge help.  They take care of their chores and do any schoolwork that does not require my help, work on projects, etc..  Once I get home at lunch-time, we get down to business with the harder work that requires more one-on-one attention. 

The girls are actively involved in soccer, Girl Scouts, Blue Ridge Home School Choir (for which I am the administrator), Church Choir and Youth Group.....too many things.  The lives of unsocialized homeschoolers.

We look forward to sharing our journey with you.

Until next time,

Joi