Another School Year Behind Us

 Last autumn, on our first day of homeschool, I underlined a few verses in 1 Chronicles 22 that stood out to me. These lines were the boost I needed to propel me into a new year with the right frame of mind.

"The Lord be with you, and may you have success...

Be strong, do not be discouraged...

Now begin the work, and the Lord be with you."

Sometimes you just have to get started, as inadequate as you may feel, and trust the Lord will guide you and bless your efforts.

We are now officially done with the 2022-23 school year, and as I look back at the verses that gave me inspiration on our very first day, I realize we had a very diligent and successful year. 

Success in homeschooling cannot be measured by scores or grades, like in regular school, since homeschooling is more about growing in character, knowledge, wisdom, and in the fear of the Lord. But we did complete all of our Abeka books, which always feels like a huge accomplishment!

Our school days are bright and happy, and follow more of a natural rhythm than rigorous schedule.

The early morning hours are for quiet, independent study, and always feel so cozy in the winter. The fireplace and coffee pot are on, everyone's studiously tucked in at their desks, and Beethoven's symphonies are gently swirling in the air like the snowflakes out the window as I scramble eggs and chop fresh fruit for our breakfast.

Even now in the springtime, we come together each day for meals...

... and for what we call Front Room time, which is where we have our family singing and recitations.

Our family upgraded from a keyboard to an acoustic piano this past winter. That combined with the fact that Nola took violin lessons and Roman guitar lessons, made everyone feel a sense of musical advancement.

During Front Room time, everyone takes their turn playing a song they've been working on, and the rest of us try to sing along. Sometimes we believed we sounded really good, and Front Room time would end in the discussion of when a family album should be released. 😉  Other times it would end in all of us laughing at how terrible we sounded. 

🎶

Now that our school work is done for the year, I spend my mornings outside walking through my gardens, checking on my flowers, pulling, snipping, and watering...

I enjoyed fresh lilac arrangements in my home each day. Something I look forward to all winter long.

But now that the lilacs are done for the year, I've turned my affections toward peonies...

Both offer up the most decadent springtime scent.

If only they could be around for a little longer!

Once a fresh bouquet finds its home on my table, I feel ready to start the day's work.

I recently pulled all the books off our bookshelves to dust and reorganize. 

(My project manager overseeing my work...)

Spring is a great time to tackle this task, because it makes me feel as though we really are closing out our school year. 

Plus, it just feels satisfying to complete such a large chore.

I enlisted the help of the younger kids to assist me in making decisions on what to pitch, what to keep, and how to arrange them back on the shelves.

It opened a delightful can of worms as they sat on the living room floor for a very long time with books all around them, reading and looking through old favorites.

When an older sibling walked in on the scene it prompted a discussion among us about establishing a daily quiet reading hour for the summer. We all agreed the idea was lovely.

Lately I've been reading an excellent book titled Homemaking by Rev. J. R. Miller published in 1882.

Not to sound dramatic, but it's possibly the best book on home and family I've ever read!

I think everyone needs this book. Everyone wants a happy home-life! I appreciate any piece of art or literature that is rich in meaning and that lifts the mind to nobler thinking. 

As the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:31, "And now I will show you the most excellent way." This book beautifully illustrates the upmost ideal for each member of the Christian family. 

When I finish reading it myself, I plan to read it again aloud to my family this summer.

 It's a wonderful thing to watch my children grow into the people God created them to be, to have another school year behind us, and to look forward to the slower, warmer rhythm of the summer months.

🌺

~ Courtney