Welcome!

Well, hello there! Welcome to my very first blog post. :-)

I'm now finishing up my 18th and final year of homeschooling and I can hardly believe this journey is almost over. I've always heard that the days may crawl by but the years fly by, and that has certainly proved true in my life. It seems like just yesterday, my kids were little and we were learning how to do this thing called homeschool together. I am so very, very thankful that the Lord led me to home educate my children by His grace.

I wouldn't trade these homeschooling years for anything. They have been such a blessing to me. When I think of all the years and months and days and hours and minutes I have been able to spend with my children, teaching them, learning alongside them, laughing with them, watching them learn and grow together, I can only think what if? What if I hadn't followed the Lord's leading in this area. Oh, how much I would have missed! I will never regret this time with my children. It has been said that children need quality time over a quantity of time. I have found that children do need quality time, quantities and quantities of it!

I am now one of those moms encouraging young moms to enjoy those days with littles, to stop and smell the roses, watch the butterflies, feed the birds, make the cookies, smile at your children, bask in the glow of their childish wonder and delight. It is a precious, precious time.

I am now looking back at our homeschool. I'm evaluating what worked and what didn't and how I would do things differently. I'm a keep it simple kind of person and that has applied to my homeschool as well. I'm a firm believer that the home is not a school, that learning should be woven into every day life in a natural and holistic way, that homeschooling doesn't need to feel artificial or complicated. Learning is not always fun but most of it can and should be as enjoyable a process as possible.

I found many helpful books and blogs and resources to help me through the elementary and middle school years that fit and molded my homeschooling philosophy but had a hard time finding resources when it came to homeschooling the high school years in the same manner. I've now homeschooled two children through high school and there is so much that I wish I would have known when I first began homeschooling my first high schooler, 9 years ago. It is my hope that I can be an encouragement to those, like my former self, who are searching for similar way to homeschool high school; a holistic, delight directed and individualized way.

I plan on sharing resources that I've used and even a grade by grade general homeschool plan as examples of my version of a keep it simple homeschool, and not just for high school but for the elementary and middle years as well.

If you're out there and interested please comment. I'd love to hear any questions or feedback you might want to share.