Homeschooling gives us the freedom to set our own schedule. This is especially beneficial when our world is rocked by loss, whether expected or not. This freedom also allows us to take trips during less crowded times and serve others at a moment’s notice.  When people ask how long...

Growing up, I quickly learned that I was different from many of my peers. My parents were married to each other. My siblings weren’t half or stepsiblings. All four of my grandparents were alive. I even had a great-grandmother still living. My great-grandmother died during my sophomore year in...

In recent weeks, I’ve seen a theme emerge in the articles posted by the pages I follow and in my own Bible study. When I get deeply honest with myself, this message began during 2020, with times of isolation and separation. I draw comfort and encouragement from God’s word,...

We are intentional about everything we do in our family. When we first went through the Marvel movies (in chronological order not release date order), we enjoyed the storyline and the opportunity to discuss reality vs. fiction and good vs. bad with new content. Recently, we went through the...

If you are anything like me, the minute you read the title, a song comes to mind. This song plays in my head as I work in our small garden, along with a reel of memories of my Grandpa’s garden (which was almost his whole yard). I don’t have...

Last week, the kids had an allergist follow-up and a regular well-visit check-up. There was a time when we didn’t leave well visits without a dose of antibiotics and steroids because of allergy/asthma issues. We’ve broken that cycle and the kids are healthy with well-managed allergy symptoms. Dietrich’s even...

As I write this, my house is unusually quiet. The kids went out for the day with friends, so I’m alone with the house noises and chirping birds on the patio. Quiet time, even with only two children, is rare and perhaps even a bit uncomfortable. Even so, I’ve...

Last week, Madilynn enjoyed the summer session at her ballet studio. She started ballet with last year’s summer session. It’s been amazing to watch her learn and grow! Just this past week, I saw how much she’s improved in her skills. She loves her teachers and has made new...

We followed Dietrich’s return from church camp by hosting our Small Group for Sunday evening worship. Sadly, the other kids from our group were either out of town or unable to come, so my children were rather bored with all the “business” talk.  We picked our first tomato from...

Dietrich officially became a teenager and then went off to church camp. Before leaving, we celebrated his birthday with a sleepover and Mario Cake. I was very happy with this newest cake decorating achievement.  I packed all of Dietrich’s camping clothes, sleeping bag, towels, toiletries, and supplies, all in...