Gardening and a Few Ramblings

Other than pool parties, I have been busy caring for my flowers. A hugely rewarding project. Each morning I love to spend time in my quiet backyard to focus on the goodness of our Lord. It is a peaceful haven, and I feel so blessed.
I'm also thankful for my little helpers, who (I think) are achieving an appreciation for God's creativity as they see His creation thriving in their own backyard. We recently hung a few birdfeeders, and have acquired a couple birdbaths. Watching and identifying birds has been a delight.
As the summer comes to an end, I've also been gearing up for the new school year and relatively new season of life. For those of you who do not know yet, Noah will be attending "real" school this year at Covenant Classical in Concord. He will be entering the seventh grade. When John and I began homeschooling Noah it was our hope to keep him home through his highschool years, but as he's gotten older it has become clear to us that he would benefit from a traditional school setting. The academics offered and extracurricular opportunities will hopefully spur him on to excel in his overall education. CCS is a highly respected academic facility. Some of his buddies already attend there, and he couldn't be more excited.
Please pray for a smooth transition for Noah, my biggest concern would be academic. Covenant is known to be uniquely difficult. Also, he will be going from a classroom of four to a classroom of twenty! Noah has always relied heavily on my one-on-one assistance. I hope he will grow more independent quickly!
In addition to transition, please pray for his character to grow in godly leadership and not to succumb to negative peer pressure. Homeschooling does allow parents to protect children from some of the harsh realities that are sadly introduced to children at too-young-of-ages (in my opinion). Though Noah is current on world events, (more so even than myself, he's an avid reader of World Magazine), he certainly has not had to endure the peer pressures that I faced by his age. I'm not hugely concerned about this issue, (Noah's a good kid), but I still covet your prayers for him and for wisdom for us in leading him through these years.
Thank you so much! I feel so privileged to have so many wonderful people walking through these years with us. You are a blessing to me!