I am pausing in my trip report to back track to Stewart’s graduation day.  (It was also the day for Nigel and Marie’s recital, but that will be its own entry once I get the video from my sister [who is out of town herself.])
Many years ago, before I’d taken an actual looooong distance road trips, I had offered to my friend the analogy that homeschooling was like a road trip.  Those early years of homeschooling were really, really hard at times.  We had lots of little kids and the blessing of new babies and the landscape of homeschooling changed not year-to-year, but often day-to-day.  Just getting through the basics of meals and housekeeping can keep a mom of a smaller family pretty busy, but adding homeschooling and babies to the picture offered me challenges that I was not always equipped for. 
After a tough week, I remember talking to a non-homeschooling friend and likening it to a road trip: 
Some days are as though you are stuck in traffic, or construction, or on a pot-hole invested room behind a garbage truck.  Or the rain is driving down and the wipers aren’t working and you missed your exit.  Thankfully, this is not the bulk of it.
Some days are highlights.  These are like when you are at the beach, or the theme park, or the museum, or that restaurant.  There are more of these days, thankfully.
But a lot of the days?  Hmmm – well – in fact, MOST of the days are like when you are working down the highway.  Tires rotating, mile after mile, as you make progress toward the destination.  Churning and working at it.  There are some noteworthy things you want to remember – you snap a picture or two – but you keep on moving.  You clock in progress as you steadfastly pursue the goal.
As Stewart’s graduation came into view my mind could not help but recall details of the last 13 years.  Too many to record in a post, but surprisingly easy to call up in my mind.  The tears over math.  The giggles over home-made productions.  The read-alouds, the field trips, the science projects.  The lectures and the laughter.  And so many hugs. 
May was so busy with me working a ton.  And with the Big Road Trip looming, there was a lot on my planning plate. Somehow we preserved graduation weekend and worked at it together.  And before we knew it – there we were – John, Stewart, and I, driving toward the Geneva for the ceremony. 
The last leg of our trip.
I can not tell you how many times I have fallen head first into Galatians 6:9 –

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Somehow – by the grace of God – we did not give up.  I had some flashes of giving up before grade 9… Oh Jesus – THANK YOU FOR SUSTAINING US!