***Rest mouse on each picture on this page to see our family grow younger!
Hello! We are the Wiles family. Our family includes Dave, Chris, David, and Kayla, as well as our many pets. Our life revolves around our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and our efforts to homeschool. We have been homeschooling since 1990. Homeschooling at this time in Pennsylvania is quite regulated. Regulation does have some advantage as it does keep us accountable; but, nonetheless, it can be quite time consuming to fulfill all the "paperwork" requirements of the homeschool law. Homeschooling has been a great blessing to our family. It has drawn us closer to each other and much closer to our Lord. It has also allowed David and Kayla to excel in their academic studies, pursue their own personal interests, run a successful balloon twisting business, and develop their leadership abilities and Christian character. Although, it can be trying at times, the benefits of homeschooling far out weigh any disadvantages; and we have no regrets about our choice to homeschool.
Introducing Dave
Dave is the family breadwinner. Being the sole provider (next to the Lord, of course), he works long, hard hours at Penn Mar Castings to provide for us. Therefore, he doesn't have as much time to devote to his interests as the rest of the family. But when he does, he enjoys bicycling, balloon twisting, watching sports, playing Hearts on the internet, and spending time with us. Much of his time is consumed serving as Commander in our local AWANA program.
Introducing Chris
Chris, that's me, is the stay at home mom. I am thankful for the opportunity to educate my children at home. It has been quite an experience so far. An experience I wouldn't trade for anything. I enjoy crafting of all kinds, balloon twisting with my family, bicycling with my puppies, and serving my Lord Jesus Christ through AWANA. I also love to collect Noah's Ark items. My collection started with one item that I was given for my birthday, but it has grown through the years. I now have hundreds of items. I also enjoy surfing the net looking for new Noah's Ark treasures to add to my collection. I especially love the Character Collectibles Holy Herd series.
Introducing David
David, 19, is a freshman at McDaniel College, formerly known as Western Maryland College. He is majoring in business and economics and hopes to obtain a dual degree. After qualifying as a National Merit Finalist, David was offered a full academic scholarship. David has recently been named to the Dean's List with Highest Honors. David enjoys playing trumpet in the Biglerville Apple Core Band; running his balloon twisting business,Wiles's Balloony Inspirations; and serving the Lord through AWANA. He has been a leader in the program for the past seven years and enjoys working with the SPARKS. He has also served as the Game Director for SPARKS, as well as a Bible Quizzing official for the past two years. David has served as an AWANA Olympic Games official for the past six years. David has earned the highest award that AWANA offers, the Citation Award. This is earned upon completion of ten years worth of work. David is currently learning to unicycle and is improving his juggling skills. He hopes to incorporate these activities into his business someday. David loves monkeys. He has collected over 500 stuffed monkeys.
He hopes to get a baby white-faced Capuchin monkey sometime in the, hopefully, near future. When he gets one, he is going to name him Spunky after one of his balloon creations. He wants to have Spunky be a part of his business. David also enjoys surfing the net looking for his beloved Star Wars memorabilia.
Introducing Kayla
Kayla, 17, is a high school junior preparing for college. She isn't sure what career God will lead her to in the future, but she wants to be prepared for anything. Kayla also enjoys performing in the Apple Core Band. She plays clarinet. Kayla enjoys working with the SPARKS in the local AWANA program. She has been a leader for the past five years. She has been the music leader and store manager for the past three years. She has also served as a Bible Quizzing official the past two years and an AWANA Olympic scorekeeper for the past four years. She has also earned AWANA's highest award, the Citation award. She is a partner with David in Wiles's Balloony Inspirations. Her creative nature shines as she comes up with many new sculptures for the business. She is also trying to learn to unicycle; but, more avidly, as she wants to beat her brother to learning it. Kayla originally wanted to learn to juggle; but because David beat her to it, she has given up. Despite her age, Kayla loves to collect dolls, especially the My Twinn Babies,Apple Valley dolls, Zook Kids, and Lee Middleton dolls. She currently has four My Twinn Babies. Her Apple Valley doll family has grown significantly. She currently has 22 Apple Valley dolls. She now even assemblies them herself from kits that she obtains from her favorite dealer,Dolls by Sandie. Her next favorite pasttime is photography. She loves taking pictures of her dolls and hopes to open her own studio as an adult. She hopes to add a page with pictures of her dolls to the web soon. Kayla is a true-blooded Trekkie. Kayla enjoys Star Trek: The Next Generation, and has filled her head with so much trivia, that we wonder how she has room for anything else. Kayla also enjoys surfing the net looking for STTNG items, but she loves watching her taped episodes even more.
