Graduation Ceremony

  Congratulations Briana

The Smoky Mountain Home Education Association presents a great graduation ceremony.  In the words of the director of the ceremony, "This is not only a graduation ceremony, but a worship service." 
The parents of the graduates present them their diplomas, the graduate gives mom a rose, and they give you a chance to stop for a picture.  Parents and graduates may say something short if they choose. 

Bring your tissues!  It's an emotional evening.



Forty-one area graduates chose to participate in ceremony.
Briana gave the closing prayer for the ceremony.  She was also chosen to perform a ballet solo during the program.  She has on her ballet costume under that gown!  She has tights that can be slipped over the foot, so they're shoved up her gown.  : )  She kept her ballet shoes at her seat, so she did a quick change in her seat. 

My parents with all of their grandchildren.

Our family

My little sister and me.


I don't think I ever mentioned here that Briana was named to Who's Who Among American High School Students for 2007 based on her grades and high ACT score.  She has always worked so hard and diligently.  She taught herself to read at age 4, and has never stopped.   Ashley was in 2nd grade, and I would ask her a question about something we were talking about, and little Briana, who was sitting in the corner quietly playing dolls, would shoot her hand up, wanting to answer the question (correctly).  Most of all we're very proud of her heart and who she is.  She loves the Lord and loves her family and others.  Her highest goal is to walk in the will of the Lord.   I will end with the verse that Briana chose for her graduation invitations.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way in which you should go.  I will counsel you with My eye upon you. "        Psalm 32:8

Graduation Week

Well, we're already here in graduation week, and it's exciting and busy.  Mom is getting pretty emotional about her little girl graduating!  I'm not sure why.  She will be at home still next year, but I guess it just signifies changes--now and to come. 
Last Saturday, Briana co-emceed (is that a word?) the county Jr. Miss.  Ashley and I went to watch.  Briana did great--a lot of it was impromtu.  They did a little "routine", so she had to do a little acting, as well as announcing.  At the end she got to change into her formal and hand out awards. 
Monday I went to watch Marissa play "baseball".  Our homeschool group has a very casual get together every other Monday during the spring and fall.  The kids play ball, but it's all just for fun.  This is the first season Marissa has played.  She loves hitting and catching the ball with her dad and sister at home, and likes playing with the group, but finds it a little less entertaining to spend so long standing around in the outfield.  : )  After the game, she and I went to the library.  In addition to the books we checked out, they were having a sale, and we found 3 books in a Classics series that she is reading for 25 cents each.  Daniella didn't get to make this trip.  She has still been fighting a tummy ache that she's had for over a week.  Several of us had it, but most of us only had it a couple of days.  Ashley's hung on a little longer, and Daniella's even longer.  I think she's finally kicking it. 
Yesterday Marissa had an eye dr. appointment.  She has had glasses for several years.  She has never been near or far sighted, but had very bad astygmatism.  However, yesterday showed that she changed 3 clicks since last year- a lot for a child her age- and now has some near sightedness.  Afterwards, she and I went to the Vanity Fair outlet and spent forever (and a lot of $ too).  However, we got quite a bit of clothing needs, including a bathing suit for each of us.  I can't tell you how excited I was to find a bathing suit that I didn't look like a total whale in, that was modest, but didn't look like a "granny", and, most of all, met some physical needs that I have.  I was soooooo thankful.  This is the first one I've had in years, and my old one was literally becoming thread bare in some not-so-good places. 
Briana has had ballet practices almost everyday this week to get ready for her recital this weekend.  She has also been finishing her life scrapbook to display at graduation, a picture board of her dance "career" to display at the recital, writing her bio to be read at the recital, buying last minute costume needs for the skit portions and extra dances in the recital, and lots of other odds and ends to get ready for this hectic weekend.  She is gone now to buy material for us to make her an apron for one of the scenes.   She will be playing everything from a peasant village lady to a wolf. 
She has dress rehearsal for the recital on Thursday night and Friday night.  James will take her Thrusday so he can take pictures.  He also just found out this week that he has to dance with her in one dance!!  He's done the party scene in the Nutcracker several times with Ashley and Briana, so he's game.  Every year the seniors do a "senior dance".  This year it is a father/daughter dance.  Just his luck!!!  : )  My mom is coming Thursday to help us out.  She will take Briana on Friday night.  James and I have to go Friday night to the graduation dress rehearsal--without our graduate!  I'm a little concerned about this since she will be doing a ballet solo during the ceremony, and she is giving the closing prayer, but I'm just trusting it's all going to come out.  All of these things are about an hour drive from our house. 
Okay, that's Thursday and Friday.  Saturday is the graduation ceremony (also an hour away).  Our regional homeschool association does a great job of putting together a graduation ceremony.  The parents go up on the stage to present the diplomas.  There is a speaker, who they promise will be much shorter winded this year, and 2 of the students were chosen from auditions to give speeches.  Talents were auditioned, as well, and 2 were picked to be in the ceremony and the remainder perform during the prelude.  The students are allowed to put displays out in the hall.  This is where she will have her life scrapbook (which is so absolutely awesome, I wish I could share with you all some way), her senior pictures, and a guest book for people to leave well wishes.  Afterwards, we'll take her out to eat, and roll in at home around midnight.
THEN----we have to be at church at 9:00 the next morning for the senior and parent breakfast.  We will go to the grad recognition service, but will have to slip out early, because at 1:30, we have to be back an hour away for her to get ready for the ballet recital. 
All prayers are greatly appreciated!!!!!  For time, endurance, no traffic congestion, safety traveling back and forth so many times, and patience!! 

Letitia

Double Digit

Sunday was Marissa's 10th birthday.  She's thinks it's so cool to be a "double digit".

Marissa loves pink, sparkles, jewelry, mud, frogs, horses, her cat- Shadow, stuffed animals, reading, being read to, playing outside, piling things in corners : ) , playing baseball with her Dad, singing, board games, camping, being cozy, making movies with her sisters.....

 

She would give anything to have her own horse, but we've never been able to live in a place where that was possible.  She's only ridden on a horse a couple of times, but that was just in a big circle with someone leading it with a rope.  So, yesterday, we took her to a riding stable where she had an hour long ride.  It was still a guided ride, and the horses are very trained to follow the leader, but it was about the best day ever for her.  She grinned the whole time.  She got to hold and control the reins.  Hers was the first horse behind the guide, and he talked to her some and gave her a horseshoe when it was over.  We all went for the ride (which would be the reason some of us are moaning as we walk today!), but it was most special for Marissa.  It was a gorgeous day, a nice breeze as we climbed 3100 feet from the stable, and I had the best time watching my girl have the time of her life. 

 

After the horse riding, we looked at some of the other animals --emus, turkey, teeny tiny baby rabbits, a llama, piglets, peacocks, ducks sitting on their eggs, and more.  We then went back into town for a doughnut at Krispy  Cream--Yum!  It's been forever since I had a doughnut, especially a warm glazed one that melted in your mouth.  (drool!)  We headed to the park next, where they played for an hour or so.  Then we went to Papa John's, ordered our pizza, ran across the street to the bookstore and got her several more Children's Classics (which she devours), and got Daniella a couple of books.  We went back to pick up our pizza and took it back to the park.  It was pretty dark by that point, but there were low lights about, so we ate our pizza at the picnic table next to the creek.  We didn't get home until about 10:00 last night, but it was a great memory making day.

On her horse, Mississippi

 

Marissa with her new pink bat.

 

              Happy Birthday Marissa!!!

So, What Are You Doing.....?

.......after you graduate?  If you have a high school senior, you (they) will hear this question over and over again.  It's not been too bad this time around. Briana has an acceptable answer......she's going to college.  Everyone thinks that's so wonderful, asking what her major will be, where she's going, telling what they know about the college---very engaging. 
Rewind 2 years.  Ashley was graduating.  "So, what are you doing after you graduate?"  "I'm going to take online writing courses, work on my writing--hopefully, getting something published, and keep volunteering in the different ministries I work with."   The response----"Oh."
 It didn't take long for her to hate that question.  I think even if she had said she was going to work (of, course, at a "respectable") job, that would have passed.  But, humph, follow your dreams?  Do what's in your heart to do--write and serve others?  And, without pay?????  Don't you know what you're missing out on not going to college?  How will you ever get a good paying job? (Who said I wanted one?)  I like this story from I Saw The Angel in the Marble by Chris and Ellen Davis. 
"...my wife and I had a conversation with our middle son, James.  My oldest son, Seth, always had a pretty good idea of who he was and what he wanted to do in life.  James, however, had graduated from 'high school' the previous year and was still not sure what he wanted to do .  James is a serious-minded, godly young man who had a part-time acting job.  James had been sharing with his mother how he was struggling with being 18 years old and still in the process of discovering who he was in the Lord and the direction of his life.  At this point my wife said, 'Son, very few people are ever given the freedom and time to find out who they are and what that means for their future.  Most just go get a job, only to discover later that they have spent years doing something that is not really what is in their heart to do.  What your Dad and I want to do for you is give you a most precious commodity: Time.  You will leave us soon enough and we will never again have the kind of relationship with you that we have now.  We are not in a big hurry for you to leave the home life we have all enjoyed together.  What we do want is for you to come to terms with what the Lord has placed in your heart.  For most people this takes some trial and error.  The best gift we can give you right now is time.  There is nothing magical about graduation from high school.  It doesn't mean that your education is over.  What education means to us is finding out what God has created for you to do and then having enough experiences to be good at that.'  Not long after this conversation, the Lord sovereignly brought into James' life an opportunity to attend a very special college in California.  After two years in this school, James discovered his real love: working with children.  What if we had not trusted the Lord to bring to James just what he needed at just the right time. Or, what if we had not given God the time to open James' spirit and reveal to everyone what He had put into James to be expressed to his generation.  "
Even though there have been some hard moments for her, this last 2 years has been a wonderful, growing, learning time for Ashley.  None of us would have changed it for anything.  She has written and served, spent oogles of time in His Word, and has learned more about what He wants her path to look like.  She has always--since she was about 8 years old--felt called to ministry of some kind.   That's what this time has been about---what is that ministry supposed to be about.  He is preparing her in everything she does.  Her life has certainly been no less purposeful or full than someone who went to college or had a paying job.  She has ministered and blessed tremendously.  Like the guy in the story, she has now decided to go to college (online).  But, now, it has a purpose---His purpose.  The statistics of how many people go to college, but never work in their chosen major is astounding.  (My husband one of them.  He has a degree in accounting, but after many years of searching, was finally able to do and prosper in what he loves--building houses.)  These kids go to college because they are expected to.  I am so thrilled that the Lord gives us the freedom of TIME.  Time to let Him speak, time to worship Him, time to be molded into the person He wants us to be. 
Forward back to Briana--She has known for a long time that she wanted to learn Interior Design.  She is so excited about that.  She made the choice to go to college to learn it.  We are just as thrilled for her.  She has sought the Lord with her future and made the choice she feels best for her.  None of us know what the future holds for her as far as whether she will work for someone, or do decorating on the side when she has a family, or whatever.  We do know that these are the desires and callings He has placed in her for now.  God will teach her through her experiences, and they don't have to look like anyone else's. 
Funny, I find myself wanting to ask kids what they are doing after they graduate!  I have learned to word my interest very carefully, so that they know that whatever they have chosen, I do not stand in judgement.  Who am I to know what the Lord has called them to do?
I encourage you to not give in to the world's perspective and pressure.  Look for who God has called YOUR child to be.  Don't force them to walk a road God never intended for them because that is what is expected and accepted (by the world, by family members, or by YOU). 
I would highly recommend the book I Saw The Angel in the Marble.  It will give many people a whole different perspective on "HOMEschooling". 

This book also carries recommendations by many recognizable names in the homeschooling community, with the forward by John Taylor Gatto.

Letitia