This was written by our oldest child, Gracie. I asked her to respond to Kathy's question about how my older children adjusted going from school to homeschool. She said she couldn't really remember a lot of how she felt, but had this to say:

I can only vaguely remember my thoughts when we started homeschooling eight years ago. I remember being excited, but not really knowing what to expect. I remember my friends thinking it was so "cool" that I was going to get to do school at home. That year was definitely a year of transitions for us: we started home schooling, we started going to a different church, and Mom was pregnant with Evie. For that reason, I think our first year of home schooling was probably the most difficult. Not only were we not seeing our friends at school, we weren't seeing them at church either. Thankfully, we were able to make friends at our new church quickly. And for me, I have never really regretted the "lack of socialization". I love spending time with my friends, but I don't find it necessary to see them everyday. Since that day we started homeschooling, I do know that I have never wished that my parents had made a different decision. Even on the rough and challenging days, I don't remember ever, in these eight years, thinking that I would be better off in school. I think a big part of the person am today has to do with the fact that I have been schooled at home. I have great relationships with my family. I can't imagine being in school all day, every day, missing out on all of Evie and Jack Henry's little accomplishments and successes. One of the things that I have most enjoyed about homeschooling is my classes. I love that the science curriculum we have used all through my high school years has taught me how to think, not what to think. I am so thankful that even my math classes have been from a Biblical perspective. That is something I would have never had a public high school. I don't know that I would be nearly as confident in what I believe and why I believe it if I had been educated differently.

-Gracie, Senior in High School