Thankful to Homeschool

One of biggest questions people have when they find out that we homeschool is:  What about your kids making friends and being in activities?  

Well, that question has really weighed heavy on my heart and mind. They have had a few friends along the way, at church, on a ball team, but most of those relationships have been temporary. We have been fairly active in our local homeschool association for a couple of years now, and for one main reason was for my kids to meet other kids. Through that group we have met some great people, but there again we would see these people on occasion. My friend, Crystal (who also homeschools her girls) and I have wanted to form a small co-op group of our own for a while now, but things just never seemed to work out. For about 2 years now we have been praying about a group.

To make a long story short, we have now formed a group with a total of 6 moms and 14 kids!  We are SO EXCITED about this group of people. We have started doing activities and classes together just within the last month.  I just LOVE IT when the Lord works things out like this! We all just seem to really click with each other. No one person is carrying the load by themselves...we all work together great! Our husbands have even been able to meet, and it just seems like we've all known each other forever. We chose to name our co-op, Group 4:9, from Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he does not have another to help him."  I pray that's what we do, lift each other up!

This week we were studying the real meaning of Thanksgiving, and we really learned A LOT! Each family made their own replicas of the Mayflower that we shared with each other during class. The boys decided they wanted theirs made from cake, so we did the Mayflower out of rice crispies and set it on a cake body of water. They really did do a lot of it on their own, and I helped some. I mostly did the baking and shaping..they did the icing, sails, and design. Here they are icing up the ship. :)

They enjoyed getting chocolate icing all over their hands!

Here is our completed Mayflower!



After our great lessons about the 1st Thanksgiving, we had a wonderful feast!
Check out our Group 4:9 blog:  www.2rbetterthan1.blogspot.com  (also linked on this blog) for more great pictures and info.
I am thankful for this group and how the Lord has given my boys and myself new friends, and YES now they get to socialize!!  HA! :) I wouldn't trade this time with my boys for anything! 
Do we have bad days?--You bet so!
Are there days I wish they were in public school?--Definitely YES!
Would it be nice to get paid for a job that I have to put so much time into?--That would be a great plus!
Would I like missing learning with them and spending these years with them?--DEFINITELY NOT!!

I am thankful, most of all, that the Lord has always provided a way for me to stay at home with our boys. It's not for everyone, and I realize that most families need two incomes (which we could use right now!) but I always go back to the calling I've felt on my life. I

know that God has called me to be a wife and mother, which includes homeschooling our kids. This was decided before we had children...actually, I believe before we were even married. SO, on our hardest days I have to remind myself of these things. And, on the great days, like when we're with our Group 4:9, or going on a great field trip, or just sitting on the couch reading together, that's when I say, "thank you Lord for this time!"

I AM thankful to be homeschooling our boys!

Who wouldn't want to spend time with these 3!?!