we homeschool now

This year, we made the decision to homeschool our kiddos.  Caleb had been attending our local public school until now, and honestly, we loved the school and had a really good experience.  He had some wonderful teachers while he was there, and we will be forever grateful for them!  Our decision was not due to anything negative at all, but there were quite a few factors that played a part.

- Caleb was doing well academically, but some things were becoming more of a challenge for him.  Math and reading comprehension were two areas that were a bit concerning for us.  We wanted to be able to work with him directly and really tailor his education according to his needs.  We also had some concerns with the way in which some things were being taught.  We felt that a lot of things were being made more complicated and confusing - unnecessarily so.

- Some days, there was a lot of homework.  While I understand the need for homework at times, there were so many days when Caleb would get home from school, have a quick snack, do homework, have dinner, get ready for bed, and go to sleep.  He would get so upset about having homework and how long it took, and he would then be grumpy about everything else that night.  And quite honestly, I couldn't blame him!  He wanted, and needed, time to play, and we wanted that for him.

- We started to feel more and more convicted about sending him to spend a majority of his day in a place where God isn't really spoken of.  I could say so much more about this and our thoughts on it, but the bottom line is - we love Jesus, and our greatest hope and prayer for our children is that they know and love Him too.  Caleb is now able to learn about science from a biblical viewpoint, or talk about historical events and consider how they were orchestrated by God.  We are able to begin each school day with a prayer, or have a spontaneous prayer if we need to regroup and adjust attitudes, end sibling squabbles, or if we simply just want to!

- We want more time.  Caleb is coming up on nine years old and Makayla is six.  We know that Ashlynn will be running alongside them before we know it.  Time is fleeting, y'all, and I don't ever want to look back and feel like we rushed through these days.  Don't get me wrong - homeschooling is a lot of work, and in a lot of ways it added so much more to my to-do list.  But I feel like the biggest difference now is the quality of our time, not just the quantity.  Our days typically feel less rushed and less busy, and we have been very selective in what things we commit to that will take up our time or pull us away from home.

There are a million other reasons that we made the decision to homeschool, but these are the main ones for us.  We just celebrated our 100th day of school, and I can absolutely say that I think that we've made the right decision for our family.  I know that homeschooling is not for everyone, and that's ok!  I know that our reasons may not resonate or apply to some families at all, and that's ok too!  I do know that this is where our family is today.  This is what we feel God has called us to, and we are thankful for this homeschooling journey that we're on.  We are taking it day by day, year by year, and doing our best to cherish each and every moment!

january 2017 book review

One of my New Year's resolutions for this year is to read more. I love to read, but I have not always made it a priority. So I've set a goal for myself of two books a month - one fiction and one non-fiction (something on parenting, marriage, christian womanhood, or education). It's a small goal, I know, and I hope that some months I am able to read much more than that! But my thought is that if I start with a small and very attainable goal it will be just the kick in the pants that I need to make reading a larger part of my everyday life.

I'm happy to say that I was able to read through three books in January, and I loved them all!

The Kitchen House

by Kathleen Grissom

I know - everyone and their mother has already read this book.....and now I know why! This was the first book in a very long time that had me staying up waaaaaay too late at night because I just had to know what happened next. The story is told from the perspective of two female slaves and really is quite dark and depressing - it is about slavery, after all. I thought that the character development was wonderful and I found myself absolutely loving some while being completely appalled and disgusted with others. It is a heart-breaking story, but weeks later I am still thinking about it which, I believe, is the mark of a good book!

What Alice Forgot

by Liane Moriarty

After seeing books by Liane Moriarty on everyone's must-read lists for years, I finally got around to reading one! I absolutely loved this book! After suffering a head injury, Alice awakens to find that she has forgotten the last ten years of her life. It really had me thinking about how much can change in that time, and how all of the decisions and events in our lives can have such lasting effects.

Also, I think this is supposed to be coming out as a movie this year?!! So excited for that!

Raising Your Children With No Regrets

by Catherine Hickem

I have had this book for years and I cannot believe that I am just now reading it! This was so, so good and is now definitely on my list of favorite parenting books. This book is all about the big-picture of being a parent - what our mindset should be, what our goals should be, what our role truly is - just being really intentional in our parenting.

"A mother's purpose is to give all of herself to uniquely impart values, faith, beliefs, and love into the children with whom she's been entrusted.  Embrace the journey of motherhood with the belief that you will empower your children to fulfill the purpose of their creation.  Mothering with purpose is to recognize that your very existence defines love, gives life, protects innocence, believes in the impossible, and views life's struggles as opportunities to enrich your children's lives.........A mother knows she is the emotional floor her children will build their lives on until they can transfer that foundation onto God."

Good stuff, y'all.

So those are my books for January! I am so excited to be reading more this year and to share them here!

family pictures

Oh man, if I could freeze them at these ages I would be more than tempted to do so!  I simply cannot believe how big my babies have gotten!

We are so thankful to Jennifer for meeting us on a chilly morning and taking these pictures of our family.  She even managed to capture some genuine smiles rather than the cheesy fake smiles that are the norm these days!

photos by Jennifer Dunaway Photgraphy

the pumpkin patch 2016

Once again, we made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch! This year's visit was extra special since it was Ashlynn's first time to go. The big kids were very excited to show her around. Caleb kept commenting on how small some of the things were. We had to keep explaining to him that everything was the same as last year - it was him that was so much bigger!

It was a warmer fall day and we had so much fun, as always!  Another pumpkin patch visit is in the books!

number three

Our family is so excited to announce that we are growing! Baby #3 is due this June!

Bobby and I are both so very grateful for this blessing, and both of the kiddos are beyond thrilled!  They've been asking for a baby and a puppy for awhile now and, well, the puppy is just going to have to wait!

"The Lord has done great things for us, 

and we are filled with joy!"

Psalm 126:3