Part 1 is below.

I went to a meeting recently to learn about a home school organization in our area that offers weekly classes for Jr. high and high school students.

I know that the transition to home schooling from the public school system has not always been easy for Garrett (10) and Samantha (13). Although there have been some bumps in the road, I really could not have asked for a better first year with them. We had fun, learned a lot, and best of all I really got to know both of my kids. I would have told you before that I did know them. However, I know them so much better now. It truly has been a joy and privilege to have the opportunity to have them learn at home this past year.

Another homeschooling mom told me recently that many families either attempt to little or to much school the first year of homeschooling, the second year they do the exact opposite, and by the third year they have found their rhythm and have figured out what works for them.

I see a lot of truth in this.

This is why I went to the meeting about the enrichment classes. This particular program is geared towards the Jr. high and high school students offering thing like Chemistry, Spanish, World History, etc.. You can take one class or six. It is up to you.

The name of the program is Inland Christian Academy Program and they strive to form a community of homeschooling families. Even though they only meet one day a week they offer many of the same activities as a "regular" school. They have lunch breaks, student council, school pictures, prom, graduation ceremonies and the list goes on and on. They also offer enrichment classes for younger siblings throughout the day.

So, I went, I saw, I liked, and I signed up all three kids for classes. They have around 300 Jr. high/high school students at the school.

The kids are excited that they get to take a few classes outside the home and I am excited to have this opportunity for all of us to meet more families and learn from their experience.

We were sitting around talking about the classes Samantha had signed up for and I saw Tyler (15) looking over the course offerings. He looks over at me and says something like "Hey mom, why don't I do this next year". Yeah, right I said.

If you remember we recently moved Tyler to a Christian High School in our area. Home schooling a high school student was not on my radar.

A few days later Tyler and I were driving home from his school (it's about 25 minutes away) when he again brings up the idea of staying home next year. He proceeds to tell me all the reasons he would rather I home schooled him. I was in shock. This really caught me of guard.

I started praying about this decision. Really not sure I could do this. Actually, I was pretty positive I could NOT DO THIS. The thought terrified me. Then funny things started to happen.

I kept running into mom's that were homeschooling their high school students. Mom's who had already successfully done this. All of their children in college. I spoke with one mom who had just sent her daughter off to Brown on a full academic scholarship. Her daughter had been home schooled since Kindergarten.

Tyler has a good idea of the college he wants to attend. Cal Tech. The same school his Dad went to. I got online to see if they had any info on home schoolers who wanted to get into their school. Of course you know they did. I was seeing a pattern here.

Their only requirement was that you kept a portfolio and that your math and science classes were taught by someone they deemed qualified. You know, like his Dad, who has a PH.D in physics from this school. I called. Yes, that would be great. No problem.

I continued to argue with God about this, until I finally surrendered to His will. It was ridiculously obvious what we were suppose to do and for what reasons. I won't bore you with all the details, lets just say that God was hammering me over the head with his truth and I finally just had to trust him.

I will be homeschooling four children next year. From Kindergarten to tenth grade.

You have no idea how that statement scares the crap out of me. However, I have decided that if my kids trust me, my husband 100% supports me, and God has enough faith in me to encourage me so, then I am determined to do it.

Now that the initial shock of the request has left me I am really getting excited about this idea. Zach has a really easy Senior schedule coming up next year and he will be home most days by noon. We will all have a lot of time together in his last year home before going off to college. I have a feeling this is going to be a great blessing to our family.

I am so excited to think that we will bring home our children to Ethiopia during a year when we will all be together to bond and get to know each other better.

Speaking of adoption, what is going on with our referral? Well, not much. We are sitting at around #30 on the waiting list and court closure in looming in August. However, we were looking at our agencies waiting children's list a few weeks ago and spotted a little boy and girl that stole our hearts.

I will tell you about them tomorrow, and why our agency may not let us adopt them.

Nothing ever seems easy in International adoption. Ugh.