And it begins...

Robert has left for training for his job as a US Customs Officer in Blaine, Washington.  He will be there until July 25th when he will fly to Glynco, Georgia (at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center - FLETC) to train until he graduates December 2nd.

We are all so excited for this opportunity and feel very blessed that he was chosen to work at the Blaine Port of Entry - near Bellingham - 2 hours North of Seattle.  We (my parents included) love to hear from Robert at the end of every day - whether he's telling us what he learned that day or how nice the weather is - we don't care as long as he updates us.  :)

My mom will be flying with me to Seattle in September to help us find a house to rent for a year or so.  I'm excited about that since Mom is always fun to shop with.  She also helps me see things from a different perspective which helps when I'm only looking at the big picture.

Dad and I are planning our drive down the AlCan Highway.  I always try to make him laugh when I say I want to be sure and take the kids to Hell's Gate.  Hilarious!  I even laugh when I write it!!  http://www.hellsgateairtram.com/index.html

Dad's pretty excited about the drive too.  We used to drive down every other year when we would visit family in the States, but now that my mom doesn't mind flying so much (you can ask her about THAT - haha), they just fly down every year.

Our other news is that we are now officially independent homeschoolers.  All these years we have been with IDEA and have enjoyed the allotment that comes with that program.  We will no longer accept funding from the State and I have to say that it is quite liberating.  No more turning in schoolwork or progress reports and no more meeting with contact teachers.  On the flip side, I am truly thankful for the five years we spent with IDEA as it gave me the foundation and structure that I needed to eventually become independent.  I was very worried about Washington's homeschooling laws as they seem very strict and intrusive.  I recently sent an email to the local Christian homeschooling group in the Blaine area introducing them to our family and giving them our background.  I mentioned in that email that I was a little concerned and leary of Washington's homeschool laws.  They recently sent an email that made me reassured.  This is what it said, "Our laws may look intrusive but they are toothless."  Toothless!!  What a wonderful and comforting word!  I plan to begin some lessons very soon with Robert, going into fifth grade, and Cheyenne, who is starting Kindergarten.  I know that we will have a very busy fall and should do as much as we can now.

Everything is pretty much packed and ready to move.  We even bought a "new" used truck - good for pulling and handling the rough road.  A 2004 Chevy Silverado 4x4 - diesel - with four doors.  The kids love all the room in the back seat.  I'm still hoping that once we get settled I can get another minivan.  Minivans are amazing and I really miss having one!

So that's our latest.  Thanks for keeping updated!