Wedding Pictures and LDS Home Educator's Conference!

April 26, 2012, Kristine and Kirk's wedding day on Temple Square!

With the younger siblings and Kirk's cute nieces and nephews, just after Kristine & Kirk exited the temple.

Jason was sick the day of the wedding so we took this the first Sunday we were home!

On the temple grounds, waiting for Kirk and Kristine to come out. Brooks drove all the children from Provo to Salt Lake about an hour or so after Tony and I left with Kristine.  What a day! Lot's of great stories still to write about!!! (You can see Jason is not feeling well!)

So we arrived home less than two weeks ago in our RV from Kristine's wedding and we are off again in the morning (just me with the children this time--Tony obviously isn't able to take more time off after our two week expedition!) to Fredericksburg, VA. My children 12 years and up will be attending the youth class for three days and I will be finding things to do with my five youngest children and teaching a one hour classes (Thursday @ 4 p.m.) and a 10 minute portion of a class in the New Beginner's seminar Wednesday morning.  

I have been deeply inspired in all of my LEARNING for this conference and felt much guidance through the spirit.  I will include more details in the near future, plus at least an outline of my entire talk.  Now my prayer is that I can relax a bit and share the knowledge in an effective and inspiring way! (This will be recorded so, believe me I've been working very hard and having a great time reviewing books I read in my early days of homeschooling, plus more recent, excellent ones, etc.!)

Here is the info from the site (www.ldshe.org):

Presenter:

Karolyn Butler

Karolyn and her husband Tony have been married for over two decades and have been homeschooling since the birth of their first daughter in 1991.  They now have ten children, five daughters and five sons, and live on ten acres in beautiful North Carolina.  Their oldest daughter, recently married, is a senior attending Brigham Young University (Provo) on full-tuition academic scholarship. Their 18 year old son has completed two years of college, including receiving a music scholarship to Utah State University, and is now preparing for his mission this Fall. In observing her children's successes in many various aspects of their lives, Karolyn is convinced more than ever of the tremendous gift of homeschooling for families and individuals when done "by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned" (see Doctrine and Covenants 121:39-44).  She is still learning and struggling to bring up her children in light and truth but trusts in the words of a prophet who said: "In terms of your happiness, in terms of the matters that make you proud or sad, nothing--I repeat, nothing--will have so profound an effect on you as the way your children turn out."~ (President Gordon B. Hinckley)  When Karolyn has a little "spare" time she also enjoys writing, reading, learning about natural health and just having fun with her family and friends.

Let's Look at the Big Picture of Learning!

Home Education Conference--Mentor Mom

We belong to a church that takes the idea of LEARNING very seriously! Just look at the list of formal academic achievements of our highest leader's (Council of the Twelve and 1st Presidency) and you will find a long list of advanced, rigorous degrees from Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Purdue, George Washington U., Duke, Brigham Young U. (of course!), the U of Utah, Utah State, etc., etc.  No wonder so many friends at church seek to start "serious" academics for their very young children and think "I could never do this at home!" But just what are the true, underlying principles at play here? Have most of us ever looked at serious and legitimate research about learning and education?

Through her experiences in raising a large family and much study Karolyn has learned some profound truths about how to help children and youth lay a strong foundation for their future opportunities in the world and in life.

Reflections on Homeschooling

Beginners' Seminar

Does homeschooling really work?  Will my kids turn out okay?  How will this affect our family?  Misty Foxley, Dana Wood and Karolyn Butler are moms with homeschool “graduates.” They will share their stories on how homeschooling has blessed their families.