Spring Catchup

It's been quite a while since I posted an update on casa de Guthrie, so I'm going to take the time now on the last day of February to give a quick update on the goings on here.

Let's see...since last summer, there've been quiet a few things going on. We got to mark off quite a few states during our road trip last fall. We visited Mt. Rushmore and, honestly, it was the lowest thing on my list of cool things we saw. I loved visiting so many new states and the scenery out there is literally unbelievable. Rory and I kept talking about how everything looked so fake, but we were seeing it with our own eyes so we knew it was real. I'm even more excited to add new states this year and go even further west! The girls did pretty good on the road trip, but it was a ton of driving, so now that we've seen the majority of the "fly over" states, we get to forego the long car rides and just jet-set (as long as it doesn't break the bank). 

Emma started her last year of elementary school (I am not ok....) and Penny started her 2nd grade year. They have both loved their teachers and classes this year. 2nd grade has really rocked Penny's world now that she's getting real grades, but I think she's settled in a little better this second semester with us trying to help her focus better and pay attention to what she's doing. She's smart as a whip, but her ADD can definitely kick in at the worst times. Emma's thriving and loving 5th grade and more excited than she can describe to make a big shift next year. 

The biggest change on the horizon is homeschool. Yep. We're going to be "those" people. There is such a HUGE homeschooling community here and we're so beyond blessed to be plugged in with so many great resources at church, so we're taking the leap. Emma's wanted to be homeschooled since 2nd grade, and honestly, the kid hasn't had but one "normal" year at school. Kindergarten was COVID, she swapped teachers in 1st grade, again because of COVID, 2nd grade, her teacher unexpectedly resigned a month before the end of school so they had to have a long-term sub finish out the year, 3rd grade was the first year of TCAP and the first year the state put the pressure on these poor kids to pass or risk being held back, 4th grade was actually normal, and this year, her teacher again unexpectedly resigned so they got a new teacher just before the holidays. I will say, she's learning how to pivot and adapt pretty well. Penny is less excited about homeschool. She's our social butterfly and her favorite subjects are PE and lunch. She's going to miss her friends and, as she puts it, having a different teacher every year. I guess I'm chopped liver...I'm cautiously optimistic about everything as I will also still be working full time while homeschooling. Emma's pretty independent so I'm not as worried about her, but Penny definitely needs some extra attention, so we're giving it a go. 

We're also gearing up for a bigger year for Rory's competitions. He's getting REALLY good so this translates into bigger matches farther away. Our plan for this upcoming year include trips to PA, OH, and UT. His big goal is to make the World Team in 2028, so everything he's doing between now and then is to build on where he is. I know he can do it!

We're looking forward to what God has planned for our 8th year here in Tennessee! We have been so bless beyond measure! Here's to 2025 and a hope that all the changes coming down the pipe are for the better (or at least teach us valuable lessons to BE better).

God bless!