Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3 :5-6 I've always enjoyed walking through wooded trails and along interesting paths with twists and turns. The anticipation of "what's around the corner" is so exciting! As we walked our path to adoption, there were so many unexpected changes along the way, which isn't always as fu\n as a wooded path, but watching God's perfect plan unfold was an amazing experience and more than made up for the rough spots. I'm continuing today with our adoption story which much like the pictured path above, took many turns along the way. If you ... Read more
Snapshot Saturday: This and That
Hello, friends! I have a few snapshots to share this week but without any kind of theme like I sometimes do. Just some of this, some of that. I'm going to begin with the highlight of our week which was time with our small group! Graduation Fiesta Our small group met at our house this week to reconvene after our summer break and honor one of our sweet girls who's been a precious friend to my girls and graduated high school this past May! We celebrated with a belated graduation meal--a taco bar! Many in our group have been traveling this summer so it was so good to have the whole gang back together. I found some cute cactus paper goods, a pinata, and a cactus garland at Target, ... Read more
Adoption Day x 2!
(At the end of this post is a little blog announcement.) Tomorrow is a special day. It will be the 8th adopt-iversary of our son! He was three when we adopted him, and each year we have a little family celebration with just the five (now four) of us. Nothing over-the-top, just a special meal, maybe an activity, and a gift. Celebrating his adoption into our family is a special occasion each year! We also celebrate another kind of adoption around here: the adoption of our children into God's family! My oldest daughter made her most important decision ever 14 years ago this month when she became a Christian! "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children ... Read more
Teach Them Tuesday: Family Bible Time
Hello, Tuesday friends! Today I'd like to share how our family Bible time has been a huge blessing in our home. I know there are plenty of families who already do this, but if you don't and you're already sweating at the thought, let me assure you that this does not have to be formal, deep, or complicated in any way. And let me also assure you that this is not a judgmental post to say that all families should do Bible study our way and with the same frequency as we do. We don't do it perfectly. This is simply to share the idea and blessing of time together in the Word as a family. When I found out I was pregnant with our first baby, I went to a bookstore and purchased three books: two ... Read more
Teach Them Tuesday: Career Direct for the Homeschool Senior
Y'all, we have another senior! My kids are growing up! For those of you who also have a senior this year (or any high schooler), I'm just popping on here to pass on some information that was very helpful to us recently. Last spring, in preparation for this schoolyear and figuring out what courses she should take her senior year, we talked with our daughter a lot about her future after graduation. If she had some ideas of what she would like to do, she could select senior courses that would benefit her in her future pursuits. We found out about the Career Direct website and survey which helps you narrow down your fields of interest, and spent a Saturday afternoon helping her complete a ... Read more
Snapshot Saturday: Lovin’ Summer
Good Saturday morning to ya! Here is a snapshot of our week with just a few of the summery things I’m lovin’! Fresh Peaches I think peaches are the taste of summer! We haven't made it to our favorite Peach Park yet but it's on our bucket list and I've been purchasing peaches from Aldi to hold us over until we get there. We are eating them on salads, yogurt, cereal, and just by themselves! And because I'm in such a peachy mood these days, I brought home this peach candle, also from Aldi. It smells so sweet and summery! ***** Evening Glow I love to be outside at the end of the day when it's just about dark but not quite. The frogs, crickets, and cicadas are all ... Read more
Meet Liberty!
Ok, you're all going to think we have completely lost our minds since I just posted about our new kitten we got last week, but yes, we have a new puppy! She is my daughter's dog, and her name is LIBERTY because she came home the day before Independence Day. She's an Australian Shepherd and is utterly scrumptious and looks and feels like a stuffed animal. Just look at that happy face! So, are you wondering why we adopted two new pets in less than a week? Of course you are--because it's crazy. Let me explain. My husband and I have always tried to supply our kids with whatever resources they need to support their interests, hobbies, and ambitions. Whatever art supplies, books, tools, ... Read more
A Quick Hello (with flowers!)
Good morning, friends. My, how I've missed you all! I'm way behind on blogging and I've missed it so much because it's a fun, creative outlet for me. Even during the busy seasons of life, I try to make time for journaling at least a few memories here, but some seasons just leave absolutely NO time. We are thick in the middle of homeschooling, spring soccer for two of our kids, and wedding planning and college graduation for my oldest, among other things. Some moments I'm completely overwhelmed and then other moments I'm having the time of my life with it all! My husband and I just keep saying to each other, "We will look back on these days and miss them so much!" I think a person can be ... Read more