Last month we headed up to Nashville for the year’s first Teach Them Diligently Homeschool Conference. I had never been to one of their conferences, and was seriously wondering whether it was worth all the effort to get me, my babies, my pregnant body, and everything we needed for a three day stay four hours…
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#YouCanFindMeOnInstagram
Hey, ya’ll! Long time, no talk! I promise I haven’t given up on blogging, I just have not been in a season in which I can sit down at the computer long enough to compose a blog post. We know as moms that seasons change–sometimes week by week. No sooner do we find a rhythm…
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Thoughts on Balancing Motherhood and Writing
I love when other bloggers have cool ideas and then ask me to come along for the ride! Such was the case last fall when Emily Gardner invited me to be a part of a series on her blog about balancing motherhood and writing. I was grateful for a chance to explore the subject of…
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Five Minute Felted Acorns
If you’ve never felted before, don’t be intimidated by these felted acorns. Felting is so easy, it often happens by accident (remember that wool sweater you shrunk last year?). Balls are the easiest felt shape to achieve, and these take under 5 minutes each. How to Make Felted Acorns Supplies wool (here’s a beautiful pack…
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Extreme Thrifting: Birthday Edition
Some of us have the thrifting bug worse then others. I definitely have an advanced case. Which is why, when Lydia’s first birthday approached, I left her napping with her daddy and hauled the rest of my crew to the local thrift store to birthday shop. I wanted to get her a doll–I guess that’s…
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From Guilt to Strength {Tummy Team, Week 2 Recap}
Here’s a report on how I’m doing, two weeks into the 8 week online core rehab course from The Tummy Team. You can read why and how I started in this post. I’m super pumped this week because I’ve had some ups and downs but things are a changin’ for the better! Here’s a recap……
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Lydia’s Birth Story
She turned one this week. One whole year of the incredible joy her tiny self has brought into our home. 2:30am is her favorite time of day. My other babies were sleeping through the night more often than not at this age. My only explanation for the bonding time that we have once or twice…
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Two Weddings and a Book Tour
We headed north on Thursday. It’s my first time driving north since making Alabama my home. It’s crazy how attached we get to this world, isn’t it, considering none of it is really home? I’m leaving “home” to go “home” and always the journey tugs and prods at my heart like a good chiropractic adjustment….
Continue ReadingRaising Generations Today {The Conference}
As much as I adore my new locale, there’s just one thing that had me asking myself “Why!? Why did I leave Upstate NY?!” I also asked myself “Why, the year I move away, does an awesome conference finally come to the area–right to my old backyard?” Of all the conferences I’ve been to, this…
Continue ReadingConfessions from a Retired Fighter (FMF: “Fight”)
(participating in Lisa Jo’s Five Minute Friday Prompt…on Monday because my internet is extremely temperamental and, hey, this thing ain’t about the rules anyway. It’s about just writing.) I’m a fighter. I prefer words to silence. Work to rest. Action over stillness. But in the past year I’ve begun to realize that’s not what the…
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A Tour of Our New Home In Alabama
Y’all have been so patient. I checked out of the blog nearly three weeks ago promising I’d be back when we were settled in. I’ve decided “settled” is a relative term (similar to “cool” or “warm” in relation to weather. More on that later.) I’ve slept in 7 different locations in four different states in…
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Home Sweet Home Alabama
6 adults. 4 children. 4 vehicles. 3 trailers. 28 tires. 961 miles. And not a single blown tire, detour, or delay. It was our smoothest trip yet (and we’ve made plenty!). We feel kinda like the Israelites whose sandals didn’t wear out in the wilderness. We thank you for your prayers and support of our…
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A Poem about Stuff
Yup, I’m gettin’ real deep here, ya’ll. And oh, so clever with my post titles, no? The fact is, I’ve been going on minimal sleep now for a month (though Lydia is a good sleeper, really she is, there’s only so much shut eye to be had in a house of 4 children!) and every…
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Introducing Lydia
We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for this special announcement… Lydia Katelijn Holden arrived early Thursday morning, weighing 8 lbs and measuring 20 3/4 inches long. The Lord have us quick, smooth labor at home (birth story in drafts!). She was joyfully welcomed by her sister and big brothers… We could not be more delighted,…
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Having Fun with Our New Kindergarten Curriculum
When I opened up the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle last week, I thought I was getting just ebooks. But when I found entire kindergarten curriculums included in the package, I pretty much started dancing. We do school year ’round (which works with our kinda crazy traveling schedule) and I had just been looking around for what…
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Happy anniversary of the day of your birth
I get tired of the same old birthday greeting sometimes, don’t you? Anyway, I really just wanted to get on here and give a huge shout out to the love of my life, the mother of my children, the bestest friend I’ve ever known, my wife. I can’t say enough how grateful I am to…
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