Julia's Kindergarten Graduation

Monday was such an emotional day for me.  On the one hand I am so stinkin' proud of my 5 year old daughter Julia for doing so well this year in home school...but on the other hand I was so sad she is graduating Kindergarten and moving on to bigger and brighter things!

Sad because it is just another reminder that she is not our baby girl, she is such a big girl now!

At our Kindergarten graduation (we are a part of a 164 family educational home school group at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge) we invited our immediate family and Aunt Debi and Uncle Tio and Aunt Christy and Lizzy.

The 10 Kindergarten graduates (7 boys and 3 girls) sang a worship song "God's Shining Stars" very fitting for my Julia Star.  I loved the hand motions and their shining faces as they sang.  I was so glad John and our families got to be there to see how large the HEG is...with 164 families you are talking A LOT of kids!!!

Aunt Debi homeschooled her kids K-12th grade!  She is an inspiration to me!

Julia was so happy all her aunties were there and her grandparents.  It made her feel SO special.  I could tell.

During the program the moms were able to give their student his/her diploma.  And at the end of the program they honored all the moms with a red rose and a standing ovation.  It was sweet.  Embarrassing to go up on stage and receive your rose but sweet that we were honored for all the time and work home schooling is.

I would like to thank God for allowing John and I to have the wisdom and strength to decide to home school, to stick with it, and to have the patience on the hard days.  There were many days I texted John after our home school time that I was giving up, that Julia wasn't getting it, or wasn't focusing, or wasn't excelling, John always heard me out and let me vent, and watched me dust myself off and get back in the game.

I would also like to thank Julia for putting up with me this year.  It was a growing year for both of us, and she still was excited each day to learn something new and practice her letters and do math and reading.  I am so proud of you Joogie.  You are so smart!  I love how you continue to ask questions and figure things out on your own.  How you remind mommy it's journal time, or math time, or time to practice reading.  I can't wait for the Fall when we start all over again!

First Grade...Here we Come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!