365 Project Day 153: The Last High School Graduation

Canon 5D Mark ll, 50 1.2L, 2.0 aperture, 1/500 shutter, 100 ISO

Even as I type these words, I cannot believe it. My last child is graduating high school.

When I decided to homeschool my kids 18 years ago, I planned on just taking it one year at a time. At the time, Katie was turning 5, and I could not reconcile in my heart and mind placing her on a bus for someone else to take care of all day long. Chris was working at Gwinnett Place Honda full time, and leading worship part time at a local church. I knew if I sent her to school, she would rarely see her daddy. He got home late at night, and wasn’t home on Saturdays. I had some friends who were home schooling at the time and they encouraged me that it sounded much harder than it really was. So I jumped in. We spent our days coloring and learning to read. I had my babies all around me and we didn’t have to keep the same schedule that the rest of the world kept. I kept them up to see Chris in the evenings and let them sleep later in the mornings. (We are all still on that schedule!)

It has not all been bliss, of course, but it has been incredibly rewarding in so many ways. My kids are all artists, and I do believe home schooling afforded them the time and space to create. They did often wonder if they were as smart as the other kids. I knew better. They are all brilliant! I cannot say that is because of home schooling, though.:) Katie graduated from UGA this past December magna cum laude and Annie is a senior at Oglethorpe University, and will be attending Oxford University for a semester in the fall.

Johnny is a musician, like his daddy. I couldn’t be more proud of him. He is an amazing young man. He is funny, compassionate, and intuitive to the needs of others. He is off-the-chain talented in music and music production. He is taking a semester off to decide where he will attend school while doing some production work at 12 Stone Church. He loves anything having to do with the outdoors including camping and climbing. He is a true adventurer at heart. In a couple weeks, he will be going on a mission trip to Guatemala with 12 Stone. I know it will change his life in amazing ways as he sees how God will use his hands and heart to bless the little ones who need Him so much.

I love this boy/man more that I can possibly express. I am excited to see what God will do through him as he continues to follow after Him. Here are a few more of Johnny’s senior photo session. Had fun with my boy.

Psalm 139:14-16 ~ “You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.”  (The Message Version)