Week in Review and Life Happenings

Welcome back! It's a new school year for us here at Journey to Excellence and lots is happening around our house.

Two weeks ago Dawson graduated from the Air Force Security Forces Academy and is now Airman First Class Suhr and a Defender in the United States Air Force. Kyndal, Brynne, Bennett, and I took a trip to San Antonio to be at his graduation. We are so very proud of him and his accomplishments!

While we were there, Brynne turned 13! We spent her birthday at the San Antonio Zoo where she got to feed the giraffes. The morning started out stressful waiting for Dawson to get his Orders, but once we got the call that they were in hand we were able to relax and enjoy our day.

Bennett LOVED the hippos! We had to go see them twice, and he always asks me to watch the hippo video I have on my phone.

We were able to bring Dawson home with us for two weeks of working in the Recruiter Assistance Program (aka FREE LEAVE). We have been so glad to have him home. Unfortunately, once he got home he realized that it was necessary for him to call off his wedding that was scheduled while he was here for these two weeks and end his relationship with Alyssa. It has been a very difficult two weeks for him and for us. This changed all of his living plans for South Carolina, so he and I are going to leave on Monday morning, take a few days of travel, and go to get him set up there.

In the past couple of weeks we have also learned some happy news .... Kyndal and Collin are expecting another baby! Baby Werths 2 is scheduled to arrive at the end of March 2019. Benny is going to be a big brother!

Speaking of Bennett, he turned two years old this past week! We celebrated his birthday Mickey Mouse style with a huge Mickey Mouse Clubhouse bounce house and Hot Diggity Hot Dog bar, and fun with family.

Eli and Brynne started school this past week. I am not sure how it happened, but Eli became a high schooler. He wants to homeschool through high school, so it's just the two of us. We learned last year that it is a relief to us to outsource some of his subjects. This year he will be taking an online Algebra class with Mr. D's Math, attending a small classical center for Biology, Spanish, and writing (IEW), and will take history and literature at home with me. We are studying the Ancients this year.

We started slow this week knowing that I will be gone all next week, so it was all about trying to figure out how to fit things into his day. Last year he developed a pretty good independent schedule, and seems to be following it again this year.

Brynne started the 8th grade at our local public high school. This is her second year there. Last year she did so great, got all straight A's (except for one pesky A- the first quarter of Science), played sports, wowed the teachers, and had a great time with her friends. She's back at it again this year. We were thrilled to learn that as an 8th grader she was able to take two high school credits this year. She is taking Algebra I and Spanish, along with her other junior high courses. Her volleyball season has just begun, and she is excited for her season.

I have begun to settle into a new routine. Since Brynne has to be at volleyball practice at 5:45 a.m., that has me getting up at 5:00, getting my workout in by 6:30, and ready to begin working by 8:00 a.m. I work in my home office until 1:00 p.m. when Eli and I do our history and literature lessons together. Then I head back to my office to work until I have to pick Brynne up from school and then again until I got downstairs with a glass of wine in hand to fix dinner. I am so incredibly blessed to be able to work from home.

It is going to be a great year here at Journey Homeschool and, generally, for our family. There are lots of fun and exciting things happening!