Conferences and Camping

Wow!! I think it has been way too long since I have last blogged. Part of that is no news on the adoption front... other than I THINK our Dossier is headed over to Ethiopia, but not sure. For those of you in the adoption circle-- I know that sounds ridiculous. How can I not know!! I mean, most people can tell you where their dossier is minute by minute as they watch it fly across the ocean and make all its stops before finally resting safely in ET-- thanks to Fed Ex and the invention of the "tracking number". Those of you NOT in the adoption loop, you may not understand that my lack of knowledge about the exact location of our Dossier is strange-- maybe you think that is just how adoption works... and I think in our family's case, you are RIGHT!! Last week, a lot of communication "break-down" occurred within the ET program and our agency. Some of it was NOT the fault of our agency... and some of it was. So, in light of the communication "drama"; I decided not to add to it by asking if our dossier made it out the AWAA door and onto the ET airplane. Our coordinator said it would be shipped off early last week and I am trusting that it did. I had other things which needed to be done before leaving town, anyway and trying to manage our dossier-- which is out of my control at this point-- would have been a fruitless adventure.

Did I say "leave town"? Why, yes I did. What I didn't say is that I left town... ALONE!!! It is hard to believe, I know. But, it finally happened. I left town and every man in my life (all 4) at home!!! I will not tell you the last time that happened, but I WILL tell you that it was the FIRST time that I have left home with Tony in charge-- for more than a day!!! And the funny thing is, he was the one who encouraged me to go! So, what was so important that my husband even recognized the importance of me leaving all of them??? The annual homeschool conference for NC was being held in Winston-Salem. HE is the one who saw that it was coming up, and encouraged me to get a room and go. Then I started talking with a couple of homeschool friends here and we decided to all go together. I felt so special and important as I packed my bags to leave home and go meet other "professionals" in my field of work!! I heard some fabulous speakers, spent time sharing with wonderful friends, investigated a dizzying array of curriculum, ate food that I would dare not order with my family around and even squeezed in a run through the historic Old Salem on Friday morning. Oh yeah, and I bought boat-loads of beautiful, inspiring, thought-provoking AND educational books!! Most importantly, I believe that God graciously revealed to me the heart of my boys, our family and His calling on our lives. He opened my eyes to the fact that I let my fears guide "how" I did school this past year and this was why it never seemed to "flow". It also explains why there seemed to be so much conflict, resistance to learning and just general "attitude" toward all things school-related. For those of you who live by "faith" and not by "sight", you know that "fear" and "love" cannot live in harmony together. Our past school year is proof of that-- there was a definite "lack of harmony". But, praise be to God whose love never fails and shows His mercies new every morning!! He will never leave His children where they are at. He is faithful to draw us ever closer into relationship with Him-- if we will just allow Him.
All that to say, I came away from the conference with a renewed spirit and sense of purpose and direction for each one of my children and school in general. I am super excited to teach this next year-- from a position of faith AND NOT fear!!

And if that were not enough, all my boys came and picked me up when the conference was over and drove me back to our campsite which they set up the night before in Boone, NC. We spent the rest of the Memorial Day weekend exploring the western part of NC, hiking, playing at the campground and just having some great fun-- Team Dragovich style :D!!

Grace and Peace,
Shari