As I said in our November Homeschool Highlights, I wasn’t sure if we would need more time off in December or not. Turns out, we needed time off for a reason I wasn’t expecting in the least bit.

If you read this, you know why!

On December 7th we got a call from our adoption agency about a baby boy and he came home to us just 10 days later!

This Homeschool Highlights will be different from all the rest, but here was our December:

It started like any December! One of our traditions is to have a movie night where the children get to eat dinner while watching a Christmas movie. This year the feature presentation was Frosty the Snowman!

The first week of December was spent on a business trip with Dave. We were actually on that trip when we got the phone call about the baby. Nine days after that phone call, we went to court where the Judge ruled the baby to be placed for adoption with us! That was a joyous day!

The next day, December 17th, we welcomed Beau (that is his blog name) to the family! We took one last picture in front of our Christmas Tree as a family of five moments before Beau arrived home!

The kids were all anxiously awaiting the arrival of their new baby brother! We did not tell our family anything about any of this until Beau was in our arms. Later that day, we surprised both sets of grandparents by showing up with a new baby! It was an epic Christmas surprise!

The next morning, the children did this on their very own. Beau was siting in the rock n play and all 3 of the other children pulled up a chair and sat there admiring him. It was love at first sight for all of them.

Because of the craziness of this month, we didn't get to most of our Christmas traditions this year, but this was a tradition I wasn't going to let go by because we could never go back and do it next year. It is my tradition to take a Santa picture on Baby's 1st Christmas. Six days after Beau came home we went to visit Santa! He did great however Sarge did not want to sit up! Dave and I ended up each holding a boy and the girls sat on Santa's lap and we got an adorable picture of our family of six with Santa on Beau's first Christmas!

The first week Beau was home we worked on completing his nursery! We were actually in the process of this and just sped everything up. We were planning to start the adoption process in the New Year and were moving the kids around to make room for a nursery for a new baby! All we had to do was move Little Bug out and to her new room and paint Beau's walls gray and navy blue. I love how it all turned out! We just need to purchase the crib for the long-term as I have no plans to take Sarge out of his crib anytime soon.

We were simply amazed at how quickly Beau bonded and attached to us and us to him. It was a beautiful thing to watch. Sarge absolutely loves him.

We did manage to walk the neighborhood looking at Christmas Lights on Christmas Eve! This is one of our favorite traditions!

Fortunately, I was already pretty prepared for Christmas when we got the call, so I just had to do a little more shopping one day and I wrapped all the gifts 2 nights before Beau came home! This year we got a trampoline for everyone and then each child had 2 more gifts under the tree.

It thrills my heart that my children are satisfied with a simple Christmas. No junk toys they are going to forget about in 3 days. All meaningful, purposeful, useful gifts they will enjoy on their own or with their siblings.

This girl right here mostly got books for Christmas. As you can see, she was completely satisfied and wasted no time in starting her first book. She has read 10 chapter books this December!

Our family of 6 on Christmas Day!

We have enjoyed several family walks in the afternoon or evening. The boys love to ride in this double stroller that was gifted to me this past summer. It is going to come in very handy for many more months to come with these boys. In fact, one afternoon we set out on a walk and I had put Beau in the single stroller and was going to let Sarge walk. Sarge was not happy until we figured out he wanted to ride in the double stroller with his brother.

Beau has been home now for 2 weeks. It has been 2 weeks of adjustment for all. I have not attempted formal schooling at all and, really, this has been the perfect time anyway for another break right at Christmas time!

I am giving myself grace when it comes to learning how to manage the four children and homeschool the girls. We will fall into our rhythm soon enough. That I know. For now, we will simplify our already simple homeschool while we continue to adjust as a family of six and bond and attach more and more each day to the precious little life God has added to our family.

Beau was born on the very day the adoption from this past summer failed.

God is a Redeeming God, wouldn't you say?

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!

- Elaine