More New Things

More new things for the new year. 2010 is shaping up to be a year of changes. And it's only the 11th!

A new schedule at my work starts up when we return from our vacation to North Carolina. I'll only be working one early morning, which means easier transitions from chores into schoolwork for the kids.

One of Sam's part-time jobs appears to be ending in late February. I must say we both are kind of glad to see it end. The last few months with it have been rather frustrating and if we make some adjustments in our budget the extra money isn't going to be too badly missed.

A new horse is arriving on January 23rd. He's another freebie, like Honey was. He's a gelding quarter horse and ten years old. He's very well mannered for a boy who hasn't been ridden or really even handled since May. He'll need some work done on his feet as they have been badly neglected, but he'll make a nice addition to our barn.

Rachel and Hannah will start taking riding lessons at a real stable in February. Their current instructor got a full time job and moved further away, so she no longer has the time to come and teach them. The barn they'll be riding at is only a few minutes from our house so it will be easy to get them there.

The last change is one we are still thinking about and is a big one. We have been considering bringing Rachel and Samantha home from public school in September to be homeschooled with their sisters. No, I don't think I can do a better job than the school, just a different kind of job. I have also seen what happens to good kids when exposed to the public school kids. Several of my 4-H'ers whom I have known for many, many years have become my "friend" on facebook. What I have seen being posted by them and among their friends is very disturbing. Sam and I both do not want our children exposed to that kind of behavior. While we haven't made a final decision about it, it is one we are carefully considering.

Change is good. It makes us think and be proactive in our lives. It causes us to stretch out of our "comfort zones" and lean on God and others to get us through the adjustments.