The time change is another welcomed change. I know most people don't enjoy the early nights, but I really like it. With the sun going down and the boys coming back inside from their play earlier, our evenings seem to run more smoothly. Dinner is on the table sooner and our evenings together seem longer - less distracted. Ahhh...another reason I love the fall.
Schooling has gone well so far this year. It definitely started with some bumps as I made changes to our curriculum - for me that is a big step. I don't like change, especially when I am comfortable. During the summer, I sensed the Lord prompting me to consider changing to Tapestry of Grace. I loved Sonlight, and the authors make it so easy for homeschooling moms. But the closer we got to starting the new school year, the more I leaned towards TOG. After much struggle (and fear), I dove in. TOG is a history based curriculum and although it took much getting use to, it has been great for our family. We are all learning the same things in history - from 1890 to the present. Right now we are deep in the Great Depression. I am amazed at how much I am learning as well as my children. I love learning history and I am learning just as much as they are (if not more!) 
God has absolutely amazed me as I have watched Payton mature. He is really growing up - not just physically, but as a young man....in his attitude, in his character, in relationships with others. God has used our school and our family dynamics (being part of a big family, having siblings close in age, chores, our ministry with Campus Outreach, etc) in his life, but He has also used sports (believe it or not). Rupert and I looked long and hard for a tackle football league that would not overwhelm him in his first year. We found one that we felt very strongly about - except one BIG thing - it was in Wake Forest (40 miles away). After attending a few of the conditioning workshops and with lots of prayer, we decided the sacrifice it would take in getting him to the practices and games (3 times a week) would be worth what he would gain. What an amazing fall! Yes, he gained skills in the game of football, but more than that, what he gained in character was far worth the hour commute one way during rush hour to his practices. The coaches, who love the Lord and football, worked him hard and challenged him to the core. They demanded his best. At the beginning of the season, he wanted to quit - it was too hard. Rupert and I struggled with whether or not we should let him quit. Where was the line between loving him and hurting him? Should we make him finish what he committed to or is this too much for him? In the end, we made him push through. And in a few weeks time, he was a different player. He was loving it. Even the coaches noticed. I read a few months ago that in raising children, the number one priority for a parent is to develop character. Knowledge should always be second....because "no amount of knowledge can make up for deficiencies in character." As a homeschooling mom, I so easily forget this principle and get caught up with "what they are learning." I am so thankful that God loves our children deeper than we ever could and He is developing and teaching them more than we ever will. This is why I titled this blog "Always Present" because whether I see His hand or His work in our lives, He is there. I have good days and bad ones and during the bad ones, I sometimes look around and wonder where He is. But if the Bible is true, He IS there. And in times like this when I pull away, I can see Him so much clearer."