First of all, let me just crush all of your public school fantasies about the home school life, wishing you could stay home like us, just chillaxing in your pj's and snuggy. That was NOT an option in the Welch home...much to our dismay. I know, I know - then what was so great about staying home all day to do school? Well, allow me to enlighten you...

I absolutely loved - LOVED - being home schooled and very few of my public schooled friends really understand why. There were an awful lot of perks that went along with having your parents in charge of your education.

First, flexibility. We could work ahead all we wanted for the sake of having a school-free vacation...ANY TIME OF THE YEAR. Yeah, you read that right (month-long spring break, anyone?). In addition to learning discipline and the art of planning ahead, I also developed a love for learning. My parents did a phenomenal job of instilling a hunger for knowledge into my siblings and I. Now, that's not to say I haven't struggled (and still do) with staying motivated in college - I still want to throw my textbooks out the window and retreat to my blanket fort permanently just as much any college student. But I still love to learn new things (especially when I actually understand what the professor is saying).

Also, as much as most people think home-schoolers are complete hermits and have no social lives whatsoever, it was quite the opposite experience for me. We were involved in several co-ops throughout my pre-college education (and for those of you who just had a "huh?" moment, that's basically where of bunch of us nerds get together to actually do school or other activities as a group so we don't become socially abnormal). We also did a lot of extracurricular activities outside of school - for example, my older brother was (and still is) a musical genius, my two sisters played basketball with remarkable intensity, I danced my way through junior high, and my little brother took up baseball and, later, mastered musical theater. Oh, and we all played the piano. And you just did the math and counted five kids altogether, amiright? Yes, that would be correct. My mother home schooled all five of us - can someone please crown her Queen of the World now? (Sorry, I'm pretty proud of her, not gonna lie) But, seriously, it takes an incredible amount of patience and courage to simply raise five kids, even if my parents had just done that alone. But to then go an teach them literally everything?? Most teachers only have one subject to worry about, but my mom - she tackled every single one like a boss. So, obviously, I've always had an incredible amount of respect for my mother throughout the years (Yeah, you thought you were gonna get an in-depth description of the life of a home-schooler but really it was just an excuse for me to brag on my mommy).

Point is, while there are soooooo many things I learned from being home schooled - such as how to hold an actual conversation with an adult (or any human being, for that matter), how to work independently, how to work through relational problems ('cause, trust me, you thought you had sibling problems but, when you're spending almost every waking hour with them, you learn real quick what little patience you have and just how quick your temper is) - the most important thing I learned from being home schooled and stuck with my family all day, every day, was how to love them. Now, I know that sounds super cliche, but it's the truth. In my family, we were always taught that our priorities should be God, family, and country (in that order). And sure my parents aren't perfect but, if there's one thing they've succeeded in, it's showing us how to love and forgive like Christ. My siblings and I can still fight like nobody's business, but we always make things right and we always, always forgive. We all have screwed up (no like really screwed up) so many times, but never once have we allowed that to keep us from loving each other. And, let me just tell you, we have a ridiculous amount of fun together - even when the other shoppers are looking at us like we're psychos as we belt out oldies in the middle of H-E-B. I love my parents and I love my siblings more than anyone could possibly comprehend. And I truly believe that we would definitely not be even half as close-knit as we are now if it weren't for the fact that my parents sacrificed so many luxuries and, let's face it, all hopes of any quiet moments just so my brothers and sisters and I could be shown, properly, how to truly care for and love one another as well as the people in the world around us.

With all that said, despite the bad rap all of us home-schoolers get pretty consistently, I think we're actually a pretty rad group of people. And, while I totally and completely understand and respect that not all parents choose or even have the option to home school, I have to say, I am so, so grateful that I had the privilege of being educated and raised right alongside my lifelong, eternal besties and was given the opportunity to develop the most meaningful relationships I will ever encounter - those of a family.