The 2008 Homeschool Alumni "Reunion"

Last weekend I (Adam) attended the 3rd annual Homeschool Alumni (HSA) National Reunion in Kentucky. It was my second as I missed the first year. It was a lot of fun and I highly recommend it to any and all homeschool graduates! Here's a few pictures (Plenty more can be found at http://picasaweb.google.com/HSA2008Adam/HSA2008Reunion) :

The official bumper sticker!

I carpooled with 5 other homeschoolers from central and SW MO. We left Wednesday evening (July 30) and arrived at 2:30 am local time. One of the HSA members had managed to find another group camp that wasn't being used that gave us and several other carpool groups free accomodations the night before the reunion. On Thursday morning we all caravaned over to the camp where the reunion was to be held.

A few of us went to the end of the camp road and taped up this sign that Mac Spiller is modeling.

And then people began arriving from all over the country! Approximately 280 this year!

The weekend was filled with fun and engaging activities including Dutch Blitz,

Bonfires....

S'mores!.....

Two-hand touch football.....

Impromptu music concerts

A climbing wall.....

Ultimate Frisbee....

Various card games (could be Pinochle, or a very serious game of Go Fish)

Camera wars, both with video.....

or still pictures.

Great speakers!.....

....and a humorous skit,

Enjoyable conversations over meals....

...and still more camera wars!

Part of the final group shot before everyone left.

This is a panorama shot I compiled of the group of people milling around after the group shot.

It was a great experience and lots of fun with attendees from coast to coast, Canada, and Brazil. So, if you're a homeschool graduate, visit www.homeschoolalumni.org to join the online community and discussion forums as well as keep informed about other events in the future.

In my opinion, this event has conclusively demonstrated the answer to whether homeschoolers have.....

MIDWIFERY CELEBRATION

Several weeks ago, we hosted an event to celebrate the legalization of midwifery in Missouri. Quite a few long time supporters came together to comemerate this historic event and thank God for His providential blessing.

Dr. David and Lee Stewart, homebirth pioneers, spoke to the group, sharing some long term history of the movement. They are the founders of NAPSAC (National Association of Parent and Professionals for Safe Alternatives in Childbirth) and authors of many excellent books, including the Five Standards for Safe Childbearing. They are also wonderful, dear people. Dr. Stewart told us of their first prenatal visit, in 1962, when they asked their doctor for three things: 1.) No anesthesia 2.)The baby not be separated from the mother 3.)The father be allowed to attend the labor and delivery. The doctor flatly denied all three requests and asked them to leave. Thus began a journey that has benefitted so many of us.

Senator Mike Gibbons, President ProTem of the Senate, spoke to the group, expressing his admiration and respect for Mary Ueland and Debbie Smithy, and stating that the midwifery supporters were the best grassroots effort he had observed in his sixteen years at the capitol.

Senator Chris Koster spoke later in the afternoon, also sharing his great esteem for Debbie and Mary. We were pleased to have these two powerful men honor Debbie and Mary for their extremely dedicated, exceptionally intelligent and effective lobbying efforts.

ENJOYING THE DAY

Young Ladies on the Window Seat

Ruth Ueland with a beautiful baby!!

Forget the window seat, these guys wanted outside!!

Sharing stories in the kitchen. . it was a very special day for many of us, who have worked on this issue for more than a decade, allowing trained midwives to practice without fearing a felony charge.

THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS

How do I describe these two fantastic ladies? Brilliant, tenacious, discerning, quick-witted, persistant, kind, generous, gentle, loving, dedicated, principled, honorable, fun, organized, sincere, esteemed, I could go on and on. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude to Mary Ueland and Debbie Smithy for their self-less gift of this legislation. We also thank Senator John Loudon, for having the integrity to do what was right, at great cost to himself.

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY . . .

I realized that all the recent post have been of our recreational excursions. Lest anyone think that we only play, I thought I would post some pictures of the work we've been accomplishing. Joel is moving dirt in preparation for pouring some concrete.

Joel and Josiah, considering how best to frame up a step for the front porch.

And the concrete gets poured.

Hurray, a sidewalk!!

MORE HELPERS

Nathanael, Glory, and Anna help out too.

The small people's favorite chore this month has been picking some of the ripe fruit in the yard. Eating it hasn't been much of a chore!

PROGRESS ON THE ADDITION

We are making progress on finishing the addition, and are to the point of mudding the sheetrock in two of the bedrooms. Keith and I find it a rather slow and tedious process.

Glory on the other hand, thinks "mudding" is lots of fun. Everytime I turn my back, she is "helping" us.

MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES

We've been working on putting up our hay for the year. Several of us have been doing the cutting, raking, and baling.

The finished product.

Unfortunately, Keith has to do most of the repairs, which is an inevitable part of the process.

It's always fun to hop off the tractor for a blackberry break. We've also made several cobblers this year, and enjoyed the rest fresh.

HA HA TONKA . . . DEJA VU

The boys had so much fun at Ha Ha Tonka park and with the Ymkers, that we decided to repeat the event with the whole family. The Ymkers graciously invited us all to the lake (we unfortunately have no pictures of the wonderful time we had there.) We stopped for a picnic lunch at the ruins first, before spending the rest of the day with water sports and great fellowship.

Glory enjoyed the ruins.

Contemplating the vanity of material things (not really).

As we hiked through the woods, we passed this lovely old oak, with knarled branches. Several people said "Good picture tree." Seems to be a tradition. Anna, Joy, and Nathanael, up about seven feet in the air.

MORE HA HA TONKA

Riding a unicycle while eating yogurt . . . What incredible talent!!

This is the lovely Buckeye Butterfly (Junonia coenia) feeding on a Button Bush (cephalanthus occidentalis).

Joel and Josiah, hiking down to the spring.

Joy and Anna hiked so much, that they walked their legs off.

A DADDY AND HIS DAUGHTER

Glory loves to make up names for herself and others. Quite often, Keith is the Big Bad Wolf and she and I are the Two Little Pigs. Sometimes we are Ookie-Bookie, Icky-Bicky, and Hokey Pokey. For a few weeks we were Warmy, Comfy, and Cozy. Right now, she is going by the moniker Fannie-k-Pannie.