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New Challenges

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 As a family, we've been in a stable place for a season. And now we are not, again. We are facing some of the old challenges grown larger.  Weare facing some new challenges that feel simply too big. This week a few of the kids are at CAP Encampment. One, who should have been there, is not because of a mistake he made that had large consequences attached. In the past I have written somewhat freely about our challenges. Now, I feel inclined to turn inward. The only homeschool business I have to write about is that we're still reading My Friend Flicka , and we quite enjoy it.  It's wordy, and has some racially biased tendencies (and a nasty word or two).  I edit that out as I read aloud (or sometimes I stop for a conversation about what's in the story and why it's not okay).  The plot is quite engaging, and the peril level is just right for my crew to feel excited as the story progresses, but not actually frightened. We've got kids coming and going so much now that...
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Space Ops Academy

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 Little Princess was accepted into two NCSA camps this sumer.   I do not know what NCSA stands for, but I do know that these are Civil Air Patrol camps for cadets to develop various skills/further studies in areas of particular interest.  Little Princess loves space, so she applied for this camp. She also applied for a leadership position at the camp and was selected as a flight commander. The best I can understand about this particular NCSA is that it was kind of a glorified career fair focused on space. The cadets spent a great deal of their time touring highly classified areas, so we have few pictures of the week.  At one location, the check-in process took several hours . . . and that was even with the cadets having submitted documentation in advance! They participated in lectures by various career leaders in the US Space Force, from companies that build space equipment, from various military bases, and at USAFA (again for Little Princess!). STEM class Space...
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Girls' Camp 2026

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I consider my attendance at Girls' Camp to be a personal miracle. I didn't want to go. I actually felt panicked about attending. My throat hurt, too. I asked Sir Walter Scott for a priesthood blessing before leaving, and he did.  He said a number of things that I cannot remember but which were soothing to my heart and mind.  He also said something that I do remember--"You will be an inspiration to the girls." Two weeks later, and I have no idea how I inspired anyone, but I trust that it happened somehow, at some time. Anyway . . . Girls' Camp was a blast! And I didn't fall sick until I got home. 😆 Photo dump now! (In astonishingly random order!) This photo of Little Princess and Lola was taken the first night when the girls had a "Survivor" activity.  Little Princess led the chalk war.  Watching her lead was one of life's great joys for me.  She was utterly in her element--unaware of time--wholly involved. I said to the leader sitting with me, ...
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