(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
All is Fair in Love and Star Wars
For many years our family lived in "little girl world". It's a magical place flowing with tule and dripping in pink! And my husband and I loved every minute! Now we're parents of a boy which is also loads of fun. I've learned a lot about boy stuff including all things Star Wars! I must admit I've never really been a big Star Wars fan before, but I work on learning the characters (I'm still getting them wrong) and I watch the movies with the rest of the family. We have a great agreement: I'll sit and watch a Star Wars movie with them, and they don't mind me working on needlepoint or reading a book while the movie plays. It's fair. And it's love, lol. Because I enjoy seeing my kids get ... Read more
Teach Them Tuesday: Homeschool Highlights of the First Week
We had a fun first week of school here at our little home academy! As with every year, I prayed all summer about our upcoming school year. And, as always, God resolved every question, concern, and decision I took before Him, and got us off to a great start. I love homeschooling my kids and am so thankful for the journey we've experienced together, and, because of that, I can easily get excited for the start of a new year. Here are a few highlights of our first week: We always have a "Pre-First Day of School" on the Friday before our first whole week. This is just a fun day when we take first day photos, hand out school surprises, set up new notebooks, go over the year's plan, and have ... Read more