Year End Celebration

That's a wrap, folks!  Another school year is in the books.  Well, mostly.  We're doing "summer school" to finish up a few things, but mostly we're done and enjoying a much-needed break!

Awhile ago, before we officially finished the school year, we enjoyed a "Year End Celebration" so the kids could showcase some of their schoolwork and receive some well-earned praise.  We did something similar when we lived at Tenwek but this was a much smaller, more relaxed Chogoria version.  

Here's the whole crew of our Chogoria Mission School:

We put up display tables to make it feel official, and each kid had the chance to show off and/or perform something.  Songs were sung, the piano was played, poems were recited, art was explained, and even more.  It was a wonderful evening of celebrating these kids and all they've learned and accomplished this year!

these rascals sang some preschool songs

these sweethearts sang a song naming all the elements 

on the Periodic Table - it was so impressive!

Asa showed off his Swahili animal book

Kai displayed his favorite painting of the year

I am so grateful for another successful year of homeschooling.  I still admit that homeschooling is not what I would choose if I wasn't forced to do it with this missions life, but I'm also grateful for it.  I've learned a lot, I've become a good teacher, I've connected with my kids in ways that wouldn't be possible otherwise, and I get to pour into them and disciple them nearly all the time.  I also appreciate their achievements so much because I know firsthand what it took to get there.

With that said, Mama Horn needs a break!  It's a TON of work to homeschool, and I'm celebrating my own achievements by pleasure reading and baking cookies and catching up on tons of projects (which may not sound relaxing, but checking something off the to-do list makes me feel really good at the end of the day).

Yay for the end of school!