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When my daughter was 5 or 6 weeks old, with the encouragement of my husband and much prayer, we switched gears from our original plan for me to return to work after her birth. I quit my job to stay at home with our new baby.

A few days after making this choice, I was shopping with my mother and a close friend of hers. Her friend made the remark that since I was now going to be a stay-at-home mother, I should consider home schooling.

I had never heard of home schooling at this point in my life. I pushed the thought to the back burner as I found myself totally immersed in motherhood with my newborn.

A year and a half later, a group of home-schoolers spoke at a mothers' support group I attended, sponsored by Wesley Long Hospital. They passed out information and answered questions. I was impressed by this group of mothers and fathers with their children, so confident in their decision, which seemed to have a positive impact on their kids.

I brought the information home to my husband. Although I was intrigued, my husband was most taken with the idea of possibly schooling our own children. Given that I was pregnant again at the time, we made no definite plans but kept the idea afloat, discussing it from time to time.

When our daughter was 3 or 4, my husband and I attended our first N.C. Home Educator's Conference, held annually in Winston-Salem. People just like us discussed the virtues of home schooling and how it worked for their families. Seasoned home-schoolers gave advice through seminars, and we also got a chance to look at curriculum.

Sometime after this conference, we finally laid all we knew before each other and God in prayer. We really believed this was where he was leading our family.

We sometimes wondered if we really could teach our children all they needed to learn. We also knew home schooling would be bucking against the grain of what most people did.

Before we heard of home schooling, we always figured we'd school our children in traditional ways by sending them to a public or private school.

We felt like pioneers, though the real home-schooling pioneers were the ones who worked so hard to make home schooling a legal option for parents in North Carolina.

People often have asked us why we decided to home school. It was a decision for God and his plan for us rather than a statement against public schools. Like most parents, we just wanted what was best for our kids, and this was the best option for our whole family. This was really to be God's school, a part of living out our faith.

We officially began home schooling our daughter in September 1995, though truth be told, we know that teaching our daughter really began the day she was born. As my daughter sat at the table or on the floor working on school, my then-3-year-old son would sometimes join us for fun.

For kindergarten, we worked on numbers, shapes, letters of the alphabet and colors. I arranged field trips to the fire station, the airport and Pizza Inn for our kids, often inviting other home-schooled children to join in.

When she was 7, we registered our home school and our daughter with North Carolina's Division of Non-Public Education. We followed all of the regulations and guidelines that make home schooling possible in our state.

When she was beginning second or third grade, my husband and I led a small sub group of Greensboro Home Educators. We tried to pay forward all the encouragement and support we had been given as we started our home-schooling journey to others just starting out. We talked to callers, desperate for some guidance on home schooling. We planned field trips and special events for our group, along with the help of other committed home-schoolers in our group.

Years passed, and my daughter continued her studies. Sometimes we laughed, other times we cried, and occasionally we'd each go to our own corners to count to 10 before trying again.

In her later grades, she learned to study independently of me and to balance her schoolwork with the rest of the things she wanted to do.

Last week, she graduated from our home school. She finished 12th grade. As the only senior, she graduated first in her class.

I have all those feelings a mother usually has as she watches her child graduate. I feel a bit more emotional about her finishing because I have been not only her mother, but her teacher as well.

My daughter, Hannah, and I were recently having a late-night discussion concerning her graduation.

With misty eyes, I told her that her kindergarten year and her last were my favorite years of schooling her. She agreed.

By the grace of God she graduated from his school, our home school. She is ready to face the world, prepared for whatever comes her way. As her mama, I could not be more proud of her and what God has done in her life so far. Congratulations, Hannah!

Linda Vestal is a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend living in Gibsonville. Contact her with comments or story ideas at lindavestal@triad.rr.com.