Wow! Last time I wrote was June 2013! Two of our daughters had just arrived from the Philippines and I was starting their schooling! 8 months have past like lightning! The girls now speak English and school has finally reached a new level!

Our first goals were to welcome them to the family and introduce them to their Savior. We started each day rich in The Word. They began memorizing scripture from day 1. They truly loved it! I thought it might be asking too much of them, but wow! God is so faithful to His promises! One of their first scriptures was “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8 (ESV) this verse got us all though the rocky patches. They still enjoy “Word of God” time at the beginning of school.

During those first few months I would stay up past midnight “re-tweaking” our school plans and starting over! Each day was a new school adventure for all of us. The girls were so good at rolling with the punches! But we have finally settled into a comfortable routine. We currently use A Beka for most of our subjects and Saxon for Math. The school day is longer than most homeschoolers, but they don’t seem to mind. We begin around 9 am and work until 3-4 pm. They take breaks, but for the most part they are working very hard. They have told me on various occasions they enjoy their new school. They are quite open about their likes and dislikes so I believe that they truly enjoy school! Thank you Jesus!

As I may have mentioned, I taught school in Arizona and briefly here in Hawaii, but had never homeschooled. So, this was an adventure for us all. My 6 year old is enrolled in a state charter homeschool. They actually allow me to use a curriculum I choose and they give me $1500 to spend on school items that are secular. We have used the money for various school supplies, her Saxon Math, and family memberships to museums, zoos, and the aquarium! It has been a blessing!

This is a typical shot of them on the way to Costco, Sam’s Club, or a field trip. They get along beautifully (most of the time, lol).
They also supplied her with an iPad. So until they begin dictating my curriculum I will keep her enrolled in her charter school. Adding photo to show a bit of our school.