Attending My State's Homeschool Convention

Last Friday and Saturday, I had the delightful experience of attending my state's annual homeschool convention with a dear friend.  While I have attended the MidWest Homeschool Convention a few times in the past, this was my first experience with my state's convention. 

Did I enjoy the convention?  Let's just say I've already marked my calendar for next year's CHEO Convention!  Attending with a dear friend was just a huge added bonus - we had a great time!

Interestingly, my very favorite part of the convention was the annual graduation ceremony sponsored by CHEO.  My friend knew one of the graduates so she wanted to attend.  I agreed to go just to see it as I plan to have my children participate in the ceremony when they graduate.  WOW - the homeschool graduation was just a continual parade of hope!

I managed to hold my emotions together through the opening speech given by Woody Robertson, but I was soon crying as the graduates began to receive their diplomas.  As a graduate walked across the stage from one side, the parents walked across the stage from the other side and presented the diploma to their child.  As this moving scene unfolded, the announcer read about the accomplishments and plans of the young graduate. 

Many of the parents were graduating their second, third, or even sixth child from their homeschool!  I didn't know any of the graduates or their parents but I couldn't stop the tears from running down my face.  Again and again, I saw the reward of keepin' on, keepin' on day after day at home with my children.

If you are a new homeschooler and have never attended a homeschool graduation ceremony, try to attend one.  For me, it was the single most encouraging event I have ever attended.  I kept thinking, "Those parents stayed the course.  They've completed well.  I'll stay the course and complete the journey with my children as well."

In addition to my incredible experience at graduation, I attended a bunch of motivational, inspiring, and educational seminars.  Below is a list of the seminars that I attended with links to the speaker's website, if applicable.  After the name of the seminar, I tried to summarize in one or two sentences the most important point I took away from the seminar.

• Choose the Hard Things - Todd Wilson.  The vast majority of things in our lives that are truly good, are truly hard - homeschooling included.  In our culture of fast and easy, we should actively seek and choose the hard things.
• Kids Love Travel-Let's Do Quick Day Trips, Michelle Zavatsky.  We love day trips in our home and Michelle's dynamic talk just made me more motivated than ever to get out and visit some new places with my children!
• College Credit By Exam:  No Classroom Required - Woody Robertson.  This was a very informative session about CLEP tests and the different ways in which they can be integrated into a homeschooler's high school experience. 
• Home Sweet Home:  Creating a Joyful Home Atmosphere - Cindy Carrier.  For me, the most important message of this session can be summed up in one quote from the speaker, "It's not what they [children, husband] do, it's what I do about it that counts."  Cindy also encouraged us to identify the triggers in both ourselves and our children that lead to problems (tiredness, hunger, dietary issues, illness, etc.)
• Creating Lifetime Memories Through Sharing Living Books-Bob Farewell.  I left this session, not filled with new information, but with a renewed commitment to reading aloud to my children. 
• Lapbooking 101 and More! - Mary Ellen Sementilli.  As an avid lapbooker, I really didn't learn anything new at this session but, again, I felt renewed in my commitment to the benefits of lapbooking for my children.
• Family Discipleship - Voddi Baucham.  Voddi was by far the most dynamic speaker of the conference - it was a delight to hear him.  Some of his talk was quite uncomfortable for me, though, as he spoke against the "god of sport" that keeps Christians away from church on some Sundays for the sporting events in which their children participate.  Ouch.
• Discouraged or Encouraged - Kathie Morrissey.  This session was like sitting down with a good friend and talking about the ups and downs of homeschooling.  Although I heard nothing I had not already heard before, it was still great to hear - like receiving the much needed and familiar comfort of a friend.
• Purposefully Teaching Genesis as Real History - Answers in Genesis.  The basic message of this seminar was that by chipping away at the validity of the Book of Genesis, Christians have chipped away at their faith. 
• Everyone Loves Writing-The Way We Do It! - Michelle Zavatsky.  Awesome talk!  Michelle shared her experiences of writing and self-publishing a best-selling series of travel books with no background in publishing or writing.  I thought her very best tip was to keep a storyboard of inspirational visuals to help children (or you) with writing.
• SAT Preparation for Christian Students - James Stobaugh.  I was thrilled to hear Dr. Stobaugh speak as we are using his Literary Analysis course in the fall.  I took notes like crazy in this session as he discussed the SAT, the importance of the SAT, and various study tips.   

So, now with my tank full of inspiration, ideas, and motivation, I'm ready to continue with my school planning, preparation, and organization!

If you'd like to hear what other homeschoolers around the web have been doing this summer, check out the Weekly Wrap-Up at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.