Looking Back 2012

This year has been wonderfully blessed. The Lord always shows up in everything and it’s wonderful to look back and see it all.

This year we moved which was a huge deal. We had lived at the same address for 9 years. This is the only home our children remember. All the awesome memories are left there but forever in our hearts.

 2012 was a year of change and new beginnings for us. Moving and leaving everything behind was hard. Having our own home is awesome and we have loved having it since July.  Remodeling has been fun and well horrible all in one! The OCD in me has been happy and relieved to have each project checked off the list!

Schooling for this year was hit and miss to be honest. I failed my children miserably when we moved. It messed with my brain and heart and I missed teaching opportunities that I wish I would have moved forward with instead of worrying about all the packing and unpacking and renovations. Live and learn I guess. My children went through a lot so the down time was probably needed. However I feel like time just stood still for a few months. Moving was hard on our family. I’m thankful for the home however I’m also thankful it will never have to happen again.

We went on many field trips and enjoyed every moment. This was a huge happy improvement for us. We enjoy going places but just didn’t have people to go with so we decided it was best for our family if we just went anyway!

Linville Caverns was our favorite!

 Moving along at a steady pace is something I'm aiming for doing better at in 2013. Zachary is still moving through All About Reading level 1. Kyle is still going working on MUS Epsilon. He's had lots of issues with fractions. Kyle and Lexi are still working on the same level of All About Spelling as last year. Totally my fault I will admit. 

We are changing our schedule around and I will be posting on that soon! We are still going to be schooling year around but the kids are branching out in ways that I can’t combine easily anymore and that’s come with some of the changes you will see.

Totally happy with the compassion and character my children have reflected this year. I'm very proud of them. They show love to each other and that makes me so very happy. To be together all the time takes a lot of patience on everyone. It’s hard. I mean yes I love my children and I know they love me but really together 24-7 isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. They need a lone time away from me and each other. I need the same. Since we are around family now I know the boys have several people that they want to spend time with. There isn’t anything like having grandpa and uncles around! Lexi loves having anyone.

My personal favorite this year was our week trip at the beach in March. I also enjoyed hubby and I's marriage conference that we attended.

 This year was my first year on The Schoolhouse Review team. I have really loved being on the team with all the wonderful homeschool mothers and fathers. I have been so blessed to review and use so many awesome curriculum with my children. I am pleased and honored to have been invited back with them for 2013.

 Our season passes to Carowinds this year was a HUGE favorite for everyone. We had so many awesome days that we enjoyed there. We used the tickets 11 times. We enjoyed our picnics and all the water rides and loved going when there were no lines! Man did we have a blast this year with this! Memories that will last in my heart forever and I hope theirs too.

(At the water park) 

 We learned to dance this year. We enjoyed a dance at a homeschool party and I personally was able to dance with my smallest son and ever since all the kids have asked to dance in the living room on any given night to some praise music!

   Lexi has done wonderful at working off her loom and making toboggans for everyone. I'm very proud of her for working so hard to give them to friends and family.

 Camping and fishing are some awesome memories this year too. I love watching my kids have fun in nature. This is something that my husband loves to take them to do. We will have to find a new spot this year since we are in a new area.

We had our first broken bone this year! It devastated me! But man did she rock that cast!!

Growing year by year is what a family is all about. This is only some of my highlights. I think this year I will keep up with my favorite highlights in a notebook to be able to recall them better. There are some memories I’d love to forget but they offered great life lessons to remember. I love my family and I’m thankful for another healthy year to enjoy watching them grow.

This year I want to take extra caution in watching them grow. I want to savor the childhood that is still left in each of them because not to long from now I will miss the silly things that are said and the messes that are made. I guess being more intentional about everything I do would be the best way to say it. 

The Schoolhouse Crew members are exploring and looking back over 2012 please find how their year turned out.