8th Grade Graduation

"I have no greater joy than to know my children are walking in the truth."  3 John 1:4

Happy 8th grade graduation Lydia and Abbie!
Even though we home school I wanted to make Lydia's graduation from middle school to high school special and memorable.  We decided to have our good friends, the Dwires, join us in the celebration since their daughter was graduating too.  We decorated, had a program with singing, awards, and certificates, and a nice dinner.  It was fun preparing for it and celebrating the girls!  We are proud of Lydia for her academic achievement, but even more for her character that is like Christ.  Lydia is incredibly positive, joyful, flexible, kind, selfless, pure, and wise.  She blesses us and challenges us every day.

We made shirts for the special occasion.
We chose the verse 1 Cor. 10:31,
"All for the glory of God!"
Josh kept teasing Lydia what she was going to wear a graduation gomez (the cultural women's dress here - it is big with big puffy sleeves).

We had a great time decorating and getting ready!

Our students and teacher at AACA, Africa Adventure Academy, gave Lydia the award for wisdom.  We studied being wise from the book of Proverbs this year and left Lydia fit God's definition of being wise.
Wisdom comes from God, a wise person follows God's principles, chooses wise friends and is a wise friend, speaks wise words, is humble, recieve correction, is a leader...

Lydia fills our classroom with her smile and thankfulness!

So, here is Josh as a rapper!  He did it because the kids spontaneously started rapping at the dinner table one night and made a rap for graduation.  The kids wanted to do for the celebration but Dad did not.  So he surprised them and wrote and sang his own rap.

Giving the girls their certificates of graduation

Our thanksgiving meal - we are thankful so we had turkey!

Graduation cap cupcakes for dessert

High School here we come!
Congratulations Lydia.
May God continue to grow in you and be your truth, wisdom, way and joy.