We're ALMOST there!!

We're almost there. 5 days, but who's counting? Jessica is! 5 days until our fashion-loving, Italian-singing ball of fire goes into the MTC, and two months until she heads to Italy. So.... How are we all handling it?

Well, let's see... We seem to vascillate between feelings of overwhelming joy to tears around the dinner table. For instance, this past Sunday, we were sitting around playing a very fun family game, and it happens to be Breanna's turn. She's awfully quiet, so Shiree looks over to see what might be taking her so long, and sees Breanna's eyes full of tears. Then Shiree is in tears. Then Kelle is in tears, and Stu is choked up and Jess is trying to tell them all that it's okay! It's a good thing! We are all happy, right?!

If I had known what wonderful blessings awaited us on this side of the homeschooling decision, I wouldn't have spent so many nights wondering what the heck did we accomplish today.... I would have been content and sleeping soundly, knowing that just spending their childhood days together was creating a bond between my children that no amount of planned activities or unit studies or Primary wisdom or Family Home Evenings could have made. They had Family Home Life, all of them, together most of the time, and it has grown relationships between them that are so rewarding to observe as a parent. They will truly miss Jessica and the energy and activity she adds in our home and their hearts. They know she won't be permanently gone, yet the day-to-day hole that will be left makes them grieve already. They have wanted to spend as much time together, one-on-one and collectively, as they possibly can. They have planned "Jane Austin" days (girly days, full of nail polish, chick flicks, hairspray, shopping, clothes trying-on sessions and make-up), and all together days (since Stu doesn't really get into the Jane Austin kind of thing). They have played, talked, cried, and laughed, and will continue to do all of it until the very last second. Jessica's request for Wednesday is for our nuclear family to spend the morning together, get pics at the temple somewhere between home and Provo, and to have one Last Supper (lunch, actually) as a family. Just us. Just her mom and dad and her beloved siblings. Homeschool was the right decision after all. It just takes getting near the end of the journey for us to see that the beginning, the middle AND the end all played a part in the tearful, joyful, happy and sad send-off that will be Wednesday.