Briana,
my 2nd oldest, graduates from our homeschool this year! How did this
happen? She's my baby! I keep telling her she's too little to
graduate. You know how it works--your oldest is the one whom you expect
to accomplish all the firsts in record time. You push-no, no, no,--you
"encourage" them (yes, that's better) to sit up, walk, talk, learn to
do this, learn to do that. The first one graduates, and you're
like--"See this is my oldest child. She's GRADUATING". Then the baby
comes along, and she's......well....the baby. AND SHE'S TOO LITTLE TO
GRADUATE!!! Yes, I do know that technically, she's not the baby.
She's the 2nd of four. But, she was the baby for 8 years before Marissa
came along, so she will always be my baby. Now before anyone misreads,
this has nothing to do with how much I love and adore the oldest or
the baby, or any in between. It's just how you see your children in
the birth order. It is something that I try to stay mindful of as I
parent them all.
Briana is enjoying her senior year. She only had one and a half
credits to finish, so her required "school" load has been light. It
has been decided that she will go to college, because she has a specific
goal in mind. She wants to be an interior designer. We have discussed
and considered apprenticeships, but have decided to go the college
route. So, in addition to her one credit left this semester, she is
also studying for CLEP tests. She's studying for Composition 1 and U.S.
History 1 right now. If those go well, there are several others that
she will probably try. The rest of her basic courses she will work on
at the local community college next year.
We went last week to have her senior portraits made. She had great
fun with them, and they came out so gorgeous. It was so hard to
choose. They will be ready for pickup in 2 weeks. Briana will also be
participating in the Smoky Mountain Home Education Association
graduation ceremonies in May. We have started having once a month
meetings to prepare for those. She also made the decision, along with
her teacher, to have a senior piano recital, so she has been busy, busy
practicing. She will play 6-8 songs. Two will be piano/violin duets
with another homeschooler. She is on the praise dance team that our
church is having for the Easter musical, and she's also looking forward
to her senior ballet recital. Of course, she still helps me a bunch and
volunteers at an assisted living center serving dinner. It's a fun,
busy, and blessed time for her.
Both of the older girls spent several hours Thursday as volunteers
manning phones at a Compassion International marathon at a Knoxville
radio station. They each sponsor a little girl, Ashley's in Ethiopia,
and Briana's in Columbia, and they just love them so much. I have a
child, too, in India. The 2 day goal for the marathon was to have 125
sponsored. They ended up with over 350.
I just LOVE being the mother of these girls. They were fun, and I
loved being their mom when they were little, too, but I love it even
more now. They have matured into beautiful young women. They are fun,
mature, Godly, friends. Of course, their issues are more complex-adult
issues that require so much wisdom and prayer, and sometimes long
middle-of-the-night conversations, but I am so honored, and love helping
them work through them, chit-chatting with them, discussing
scripture, lying in the bed giggling, and the relationship we have.
They both have hearts of gold, love the Lord, and love serving others.
Personally, I didn't really do a whole lot this week--nothing
newsworthy, at least. So, I have lived here vicariously through my
daughters. I did have a splurge of sorts today. I spent approximately 3
1/2 hours on the phone today. I don't talk on the phone too often, so
that was a really long time. First I visited with Amy Beth for
quite a while. I really, really enjoyed our conversation. Then a
friend that I haven't talked to in over a year called, and we talked for
about 2 1/2 hours at least. As little as I got done today, it was so
worth it. Talking to these ladies was so encouraging and lifted my
spirits today.
My "Big Girls"
Letitia
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