...And That's a Wrap!

So long Twenty Sixteen.

It's been real (real, as in not-so-great-can't-wait-until-it's-over).

So there were good moments.
Our family survived "Flumageddon", Winter weather was super kind to us, Summer was slow and amazing, end-of-summer-vacation was relaxing and refreshing (which included the kiddos' first plane ride!) and Fall was on point with all her beauty and charm. We got to know our church family better, my husband was offered supervisor (though that turned out to be a thorn in our year), my husband survived knee surgery and being out of work for over a month, my dad did amazing in yet another back surgery, the boys and I are doing very well with homeschooling, we voted, survived post-election, most of our chickens are still alive, we made some new friends, my grandma is still with us (she just turned 96!), my baby turned five, and right now, we are all healthy and thriving.

So, there is still and always something(s) to be thankful for. Yes.

There have been hard lessons surrounding all these good moments. Moments that have brought us to our knees. Moments that have bent us near breaking. Moments that have caused tears and provoked hard mercy, forgiveness.

The cool thing about being in this wild deep valley? God.

He is here friends. He is good. ALL THE TIME.

Sure, He's around when we're on top too, but, He is most active when we are in the pits. WE GET TO SEE HIM in the depths of our struggling and suffering. We get to see Him move and work. And it's awesome. While I don't want to stay in the valley, I truly want to climb this mountain, I really want to stay fixed. I want my eyes fixed on Jesus. And I know that I know that I know, it doesn't just happen. We must purposefully make this an effort each and every day. And that's hard friends. Life happens and throws us off and messes us up.
But Jesus. Jesus meets us right where we need Him. And, we usually need Him in the midst of our mess.

So, I'm thankful for this hard year. I am.
I'm also glad to be moving on. With so much grace, with Him.

So, arrivederci Twenty Sixteen. Let's run into Twenty Seventeen with arms and heart wide open!

Hebrews 12:1-3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

School has begun!

Actually, it started four weeks ago for us. After a bit of preparation, I just casually said one day, "Ok guys, we start school on Monday!" ...and so began another year. But already, we have taken days off to go swimming, hang with friends, and simply enjoy the rest of Summer.

We are homeschoolers, we can roll like that.

We began a new season of community last week. We enrolled the twins in Classical Conversations last year and we LOVED it. It's an amazing community and a classical education curriculum rich in History, Science, Latin and Grammar. This year, we enrolled all three boys! Our youngest is only four, but we believe he will benefit greatly from being a part of the community.

Ever since becoming pregnant with the twins, I wanted to homeschool. It was a desire I simply had. Eventually, I knew it was a calling.

I hear about a lot of static between homeschooling families and public or "regular" school families, but have never personally been on the receiving end of any negativity. Actually, it's mostly quite the opposite. One time, after explaining that we homeschool, someone commented, "But, they won't be like any of the kids their age."
"Well, that's kind of the point."

Other than that, I get comments about how lucky we are and how terrible the schools are and so on and so on.
BUT, we don't homeschool because "the school systems are terrible". Honestly, that has nothing to do with it at all. 

So, why? Why do we do it?

It's a God-given calling. 

As I said before, there was a desire planted in my heart and I acted on it. God has carried us through this journey and I trust He will continue to do so.

The days are long but the years are short and, I like being with my children.

We have very few years to spend with our children before they are ready to enter the world on their own. I appreciate the time that homeschooling gives us to be together, to learn together, to connect and bond. And most of the time (Ha!), I really like my kiddos. They are fun to be with and truly amazing little people. They bring me great joy and being able to experience almost all their firsts with them is a real gift in itself.

Family and freedom to choose.
Our family is very close and I credit homeschooling for a big part of that. We are together pretty much all.the.time. 

Some say, "But you are together all.the.time!" 

This is where you have to be creative and put in some effort. Being together is important. There's a special bond and connection that grows when you are constantly working and playing together. But, yes, you do need a break from each other and the constant from time to time. It's called, making friends, extended family time and getting out.

 [Again, with the time. You have the time to do all this!]

What goes in, always comes out. 

We pick the curriculum. We know what's going into our kiddos' heads and hearts. We can tailor the work according to their learning style. And when something doesn't work, we can change it.

They get to be kids. 

My children, all children in fact, are a gift. They are amazing and beautiful and full of life. They have the most incredible imaginations and energy that is really fun to witness. When you push a child to grow up too fast, all that beauty and innocence is burnt out quick. Unfortunately, this is happening more and more in this fast-paced world. Homeschooling gives our kiddos the freedom to just be kids longer. While there is work to be done, they have more time to and are encouraged to play more, run more, be wild, get dirty and relax more, daily.

A foundation of faith. 

Homeschooling allows us to weave faith into every aspect of learning. We can connect God to all subjects. We do Bible studies and prayer time before we begin school and we can stop and pray or work on Bible verses anytime we need to. (Prayer gets us through all the hard days!) Because kindness and character are more important than test scores.

Deut. 6:5-7
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.


School is weaved into our life, not the other way around. While there are a few workbooks and we have a "schedule" now, we can be flexible. If everyone has the grumps, we can run outside and take a nature hike or wade in the pond. This almost always cheers us up. We can curl up with a good book or two on a rainy or snowy afternoon, or, anytime we feel like it. We can dive into Science, or not. We can read that book again, or not. We can stop when someone is too fidgety and play a game of Simon Says or hide-and-seek.

Tough stuff. 

 Homeschooling isn't always so "glamorous". (Really.) There are many, many hard days. There are days that end in what feels like complete failure. But, that's just life.
We just pray about it and try better tomorrow. And sometimes, we just go on a vacation. 

Twenty Sixteen and Midyear Ramblings.

At the beginning of the year, as I have in the past two years, I pondered a word for our family. In place of resolutions or goals that would be too quickly forgotten, I choose a word to focus on for the year. This year, it took much longer and by February, I was somewhat discouraged. I prayed on it, wrote about it, and prayed some more. One morning, as I read in the Bible, this verse stuck out; "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." Matt. 5:9
and yet another one,
"Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness." James 3:18

That's it! Peacemakers. That's our word! But, I thought, "What exactly does that mean? What does that even look like? ...

The year moved steadily on. We meandered through Winter, celebrated Spring, sulked at Winter's comeback and rejoiced at Summer's grand opening.

We survived basketball season, "flumageddon" after nine days straight, a new job position for the man and a shaky, somewhat blurred-lined end of school year.

Summertime has been glorious with it's bursting colors, flourishing gardens, striking sunrises, warm breezes and wild rompings. There are baby animals, including six new chicks for our flock, toads, worms and plenty of bugs to study and sometimes run from. The mornings are slow and the days are long. There are days of swimming, eating fresh foods and lots of popsicles, porch-swinging and racing through the dandelion fluff. Some days, there are naps and more often than not, dinner includes a movie. We read lots of books and paint outside. And soon, there will be a new play house; I can only imagine the hours of imaginative play that will take place there!

It's been a time of personal reflection and growth not only for myself, but each of us. Even my boys, who are growing and becoming more independent (and deeper!) thinkers, seem to have recognized in their own ways, that life is precious and fleeting.

It's been a time of slowing down for our family.

Slow seems a fitting word and I find myself using it more and more when describing our days. Oxford Dictionary defines slow as "moving or operating, or designed to do so, only at a low speed; not quick or fast."
But, as I ponder it more and more, it seems to fit well with Peace; Oxford defines the word as "freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility..."
and yet another word that has been my heart more of late, Preservation. Oxford defines the word as "the action of preserving something"
and "the state of being preserved, especially to a specified degree"

So, three words? Perhaps. But each leads to peace. And for my family, peace has been good for our minds, bodies and souls. Peace leads to joy! With the state of everything these days, family preservation is vital, yet seems nearly lost. To the world, it's absurd, almost unheard of. But in God's kingdom; in faith, and even in human spirit, family is precious, like gold. So as for me and my house, we have slowed down, we are keeping peace and preserving our family.

"If you want to change the world, go home and love your family." - Mother Teresa

A final thought; Time always bring change.

A Time for Everything
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:2-8

There will always be change. And we have lots to look forward to. The twins will be in their second year of school and the littlest is excited to join us in community and lessons this Fall. There will be a family trip and soccer season and then holidays and birthdays.  "Busy" will come to us again soon enough. But for now, we are resting and enjoying every delicious moment we can.