September 1st is just a couple of days away now. I always look forward to September. It means fall is coming and I love crisp morning air. The beautiful fall colours that will slowly paint themselves across the landscape for us to enjoy. It also means we will ease ourselves back into our fall schedule. I love new beginnings and a fresh start and that is how September feels to me. I have often felt it is my New Year more so than January 1st. Of course, as I mentioned I love new beginnings so I joyfully embrace January 1st as well, however, practically speaking September is the start of our New Year around here.
The pencils are all sharpened and the books are ready to be cracked open. I have to admit I am feeling less prepared for this year than previous years but that has not squelched my enthusiasm. I don’t have all the textbooks I was dreaming of for this school year but I have found some gems for free online instead. I mentioned that we would begin tomorrow (Monday) easing ourselves back into our school schedule. Joshua who is almost 7 said, “Finally!!” I was glad to see him sharing my enthusiasm.

This year will not be without it’s challenges… Joel still does not use his right hand for writing so he will be learning to do all sorts of things with his left as we continue to try and strengthen his right. He also tires easily, not to mention that throughout the school year he has 7 scheduled hospital stays and countless appointments. So we will have to be flexible. Also, we will have the addition of another little one to add to the mix sometime in February.

Hannah is at that fun and challenging age where she wants to be included but brings many demands with her… so there will be much opportunity for her to learn.

I have been formulating a plan for my older 3, Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” I have found this to be dismally true when I have failed to plan things out and jump in with both feet and then begin sinking as I have no direction. I do not have any grandiose plans for this year, no model reconstruction of the Parthenon, no science experiments being launched from the balcony, no this is going to be a getting back to the basics year. Now don’t misinterpret that to mean boring I hope to share all sorts of our discoveries over the coming year with you all. I expect us to travel all over the place with the many books we will read together. We are also going to work on gaining mastery on some skills we have struggled along with over the last couple of years, as well as honing some practical life skills.

I have much hope in this year that lays ahead of us… there is an indescribable expectation and it excites me. Do you ever get that feeling when you know something is afoot but you can’t put your finger on it? Well I look forward to a year from now, maybe sooner, when I look at the young man Elijah will be, to the maturing in Taliah, to the changes in Joshua, to the healing in Joel, to the growth in Hannah and the new beginnings in our newest member of our family. I think this school year will bring more then just learning to our family and I can’t wait to get started.

So when is your New Year?