Catching Up

Well, it has been awhile! We started our school year last month. We start early because we just never know what a year might hold for our family. More than likely, we will be facing a move sometime during the year and have found it is much easier to start ahead than it is to catch up! Public school starts here on Wednesday, so we'll be almost 5 weeks ahead. That is how I like it! Michael and Sam are both doing Exploring Countries and Cultures from My Father's World. They are both doing Math U See and Apologia study of Astronomy as well. They are doing a program for Dysgraphia for handwriting, so while all other nonessential writing is taken out until the program has had a chance to work, they do their Language Arts through a computer program called Time 4 Learning. Spelling will be added in week 12. Josh started Math U See this year as well and LOVES it. He and the girls are all doing a literature based program called Five in a Row. They are also doing Handwriting Without Tears. It has been hard to feel out a routine now that I have more to actively teach. I feel like we are finally getting into a comfortable rut. We have been waiting for news on our next orders since before we got here in March. We had hoped to be off the ship before November and the ship's next deployment. It is not looking promising. That means another 6-9 moths before we have a shore command. It also means the second Christmas that Marvin will miss on his second Deployment in under a year. Although it is a 5 month deployment, the ship is scheduled in dry dock in Virginia as soon as it is done. The navy won't move us because Marvin is not on the ship for over a year. That means we will have to wait for our next duty station on opposite coasts praying it will be sooner rather than later.The good news is that Charleston is a real possibility at that time. Although we will go to the first available slot, so we just can't know until it is time. This news was quite a let down for us. We are all ready for a break. It feels like we really haven't gotten much of a breath since the last deployment and we are getting geared up for the next. Tired and emotionally drained is an understatement. That said, I am so thankful that we are where we are. We have a wonderful house with a huge yard that is not my responsibility (the neighbors do the yard maintenance!), a church that is AMAZING, a good homeschool support network, and my older boys have made friends. I really can't ask for a better situation to be facing the coming months. I know that the Lord will sustain me. I cannot imagine getting through yet another separation in such a short time, but I have learned that God gives us the grace as we need it. With His strength, we will all make it through and be closer to Him in the process. I trust Him for that. And, I have been given 5 amazing children to remind me everyday just how blessed I am even in circumstances I wouldn't pick!