Home School!

I am in full new-home-school-mom mode right now! My days are filled pouring over curriculum guides and examining scope & sequence. It can be maddening, especially to someone like me who has to have every detail of a new endeavor planned out months before it ever happens! The one thing I do know is that I am SO EXCITED to be embarking on this new adventure. Aron & I are 99% sure we have chosen the curriculum we like, and it intertwines the Bible throughout every subject. I tear up a little thinking that my kids will have a creation-based, Biblically sound education as opposed to what I grew up with. I went to "good" schools with "good" teachers, but public school could not HOPE to prepare me to be a Christian adult. One of the great things about home school is that you are getting your academics, but at the same time you are learning about Christ, relationships, manners, morals, values ... the list goes on and on. And all the things aside from academics are what this life is really about. Those are the things that will last into eternity. And while I want Ariana to be able to multiply and Aidan to read, even more than that I want them to have a thriving relationship with the Savior. Pray for me as I start this new chapter ... and pray for my family. :)

Overheard by Aidan

While driving home this morning from dropping Ari off at a dance clinic, Aron & I heard Aidan singing from the backseat ...

"To me, I am so wonderful!
To me, I am so wonderful!"

We frequently change the words to "Oh, How I Love Jesus" by replacing our kids names and changing the lines (i.e. "Oh, how I love Ava, because she is so sweet"). They think it is funny and soothes them when they are grumpy. I guess Aidan was feeling a little left out because we had been singing to Ava, so he decided to sing to himself! But I heard God speaking to me in that moment as well. How many times do I sing that song by my actions? Many days, I am the most important person in my life. I make decisions and take actions that do not benefit anyone but me. I forget to be the servant that God has called me to be, especially to my family. Lord, help me to remember the real lyrics to that old song and realize that in your great love for me, you accepted me even in my sin and are continuing to sanctify me by your grace.

And still, Aidan was very cute singing his little song ... :)

Change is never easy!

I sent a mass email today to the people in the school district that I have worked with over the past 5 years letting them know of my "big change" to stay-at-home mommy and thanking them for their help. A little unexpectedly, I received the kindest, most genuine responses from these people that I have only communicated with by email or over the phone. I don't even know what most of them look like, yet they gave heart-felt congratulations and expressed sadness at not working with me after this year. It is times like these that I remember how much I dislike change. Although I am SO EXCITED to be staying home, there is still a tinge of sadness at the thought of leaving behind so many relationships that I have made. I wish that I could still talk to my co-workers and know what is going on in their lives, but alas that is not how life works.. There are few people in our lives that remain constant through the years. But times like these also make me thankful for those that God has put into my life that do remain - family members and friends that will be with me until the end - and my husband and children definitely fall into that category! I am making this change in obedience to God, but also as a gesture to Aron, Ariana, Aidan, and Ava that they are the most important people in my life. And THAT thought makes change wonderful!

Kidspeak: Ariana was asked a question today, and her answer was "I have no earthling idea"! Gotta love it! :-)

A new beginning ...

After my friend Kathleen convinced me to start a blog. I thought long and hard about the name I wanted for it. Hers is so cute (Our Beautiful Mess), and I wanted something similar but unique to us. I wanted it to communicate our faith as well as our family situation. I thought of "Blessings in the Chaos", but the definition of chaos is "a state of utter confusion or disorder; a total lack of organization or order" and while that does describe my house some of the time, I don't necessarily want that tied to us. So I pulled up the thesaurus, and low and behold, the word appeared! Bedlam: 1. a scene or state of wild uproar 2. (Archaic) an insane asylum or madhouse. Yep, that's us ... in a good way. On any given day there will be children screaming through my house with capes, launching off of furniture, blowing bubbles and (in general) acting a little crazy. We try to reign in the bedlam, but such is the life of a family with 3 kids under 10. I wouldn't have it any other way. My life is rich and full, and it will soon get even better when, after June 14th, I will be a full-time domestic engineer! So I hope you will come with me as I set out on this new beginning and enjoy a little insanity ... as Willy Wonka said, "A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men."