From 6 to 7
Celebrating Elias' Birthday
November 2024
This month, we took some time to celebrate Elias' 7th birthday. That first baby you have will make you feel confident and sure of your parent skills. They are rule followers who generally do as they are told. You tell them one time not to touch the outlet, they don't touch the outlet ever again for the rest of their lives.
Ahhhh but that second baby. That baby will make you rethink your parenting abilities.
Elias is the spice of our life. Since he could talk, he has kept us laughing. He says and does things that are truly the darndest things. Honestly, I wouldn't tell him this, but he is hilarious. It keeps Dusty and me on our toes in public, no doubt. One of my favorite things about him is the way he sees the world. He views it differently than I do and it stretches me and the way I think. The questions he asks, the way you can see his wheels spinning; he's so, so bright. He is a beautiful child, inside and out. He loves other kids and is so kind to kids who are younger than he is. He loves babies!
What a delight that we get to spend our time here on earth with such a beautiful soul. Thank you Jesus for the gift you gave our family in Elias. Happy 7th Birthday, bud!
Fall Fun 101
Trading Curriculum for Adventure
October 2024
When we took the plunge into homeschooling, I researched, ad nauseum, different curriculum options for all the different subject areas. I left no stone unturned when I was searching for the perfect curriculum. It was time well spent because here we are a few months in and we are still using what we started with, saving us a ton of money on curriculum. But all the curriculum in the world, no matter how battle tested, is no replacement for getting out and experiencing it for yourself. Enter, October. We took a few trips that were great experiences for the boys that will teach a lesson better than a textbook can.
First, we went to Denver Downs, a really neat little farm in Anderson, South Carolina that is "slap loaded down", as my Granny would say, with fun activities for kids. There's a corn maze, hay pit, zip-lining, cow train, etc. Bottom line, we opened it up and my kids would have shut it down if we hadn't had somewhere else to be afterwards.
Next, we went to Hagood Mill, a petroglyph site in Pickens, South Carolina. It is one of the richest sites of Native American/Colonial history in our area. The kids got to see bow and arrow demonstrations, a well-preserved petroglyph site with Native American carvings, interesting Native American artifacts, a grist mill, and really fun games that were current at the time Hagood Mill was at its prime. We will definitely be back.
Our next stop was to Jeter Mountain Apple Orchard. For all intents and purposes, this place was for mama. It's straight out of a Hallmark Movie. I half expected Candace Cameron Bure to pop out from behind an apple tree. Gorgeous and dreamy. I can't wait to go back.
Our last major stop was to a place that is our favorite. We have been dozens of time and we never get tired of it. Its our home away from home, the home of American royalty, Dolly Parton; I give you...Dollywood. Obviously if I wanted to pull something out of my, well you know, I could have made it educational; you know, force and motion and all that. But we just go to Dollywood for the fun. And fun it was! It has never ever disappointed.
The adventures we have traded our curriculum for the past few weeks have been more valuable than any curriculum I could have purchased. This is why we took the plunge. This is why we homeschool.
Easton's Eleventh Birthday
A Birthday Spent in the Eye of a Hurricane
September 27th
Easton, our oldest, turned 11 this month! Every single year, beginning at year one, to keep myself from slipping into a gripping depression at the thought of how life speeds by, I have to remind myself how blessed we are to get to watch him have another birthday. Some people don't get to see their children grow up, but we do, and for that, we are blessed.
Easton's 11th birthday brought some of the most excitement we haven't seen in these parts...ever. We kicked off celebrations from the eastern wall of the eye of a hurricane. There is no exaggeration here. We went to bed on September 26 knowing the next morning was expected to be wild in terms of weather. We all slept in the living room together which was actually pretty fun. We have a huge wall of windows in the living room so it was interesting to watch the storm roll in all night. About the time the sun came up on the 27th, Easton's Birthday, the eye of the hurricane was right over us and it. was. WILD. We have never seen wind like that and I hope I never see it again. The destruction and aftermath was, and still is, unlike anything any of us ever dreamed we would see in the mountains of Carolina. Building back what was destroyed will take years.
Life moves at a breakneck pace and there are times that I genuinely cannot fathom how we have an 11 year old on our hands; attitude and all. Easton is one of the most thoughtful kids I have known. He can "see a need, fill a need" better than anyone his age I know. He is a deep feeler, is incredibly kind to people who others would ignore, and is embracing the homeschool life even though I know this has been a really hard transition for him. God has used Easton to teach me about His character and love for us as His kids. Easton made me "Mama". That's pretty special. He is incredibly special. And it was a special birthday!
Jacob’s Beach Break
How A Last-Minute Beach Trip Turned into a Beautiful Family Reunion
August 2-9
My brother Jacob is stationed away from family as he serves in the Air Force. As the "baby" of the family, he has hardly been told "no" a day in his life, and by decree of birth order, he is the life of the party. There is hardly a serious bone in his body, you can see every tooth in his head when he smiles, and he is a beautiful, bright light in our family. So naturally, his move away from home has been hard on each of us, but especially tough for him, I think. Since he left to serve, he has faced some unexpected trials that have made being away from home even harder than I think any of us had anticipated when he left. Watching him hurt from across the country has been especially difficult. Often, we all just wanted to put a hand on his shoulder and tell him he wouldn't always feel this way, but we couldn't.
But God, wasting nothing, has used these trials to grow him, and watching him grow through this season has been such a beautiful thing.
Recently, he kept dropping hints that he wanted to see everyone. So, my mom and I sprang into action to create a plan to get to see him! After much debate, we landed on a trip to Destin, Florida. We met up with him the first week in August and it was so wonderful for all of us to get together. We went to an Air Force Armament Museum which was way more fascinating than it sounds, we ate delicious food and spent great quality time together as a family. We stayed in the pool most of the time. My mom can't swim (yet) and Jacob, the only person who could get away with it, attempted to torture her teach her how to swim. Progress was made and laughs were had. I will cherish that week at the beach until I get to see him again. I don't know when that will be, but I already can't wait.
Also, he is single :)
Riverside Revelry: Britton's Birthday Retreat in the Cabin with Swings, Dives, and Dance!
July 8th and 9th
Rope swings, high dives, salamanders, fishy sunglasses, spoons, spades, angry birds, box fans, confetti, rivers, pizza, glowsticks, a dwarf goat, and a dance party. What do these things have in common? They are a short list of all the things that comprised the most fun I have ever had on a Monday and a Tuesday.
We got to celebrate Britton's birthday this week and it was an honor. Easton's most long-standing friend turned 11! The kids spent our time together savoring what will likely be one of their most favorite core summer memories. The parents spent the weekend pretending not to notice what a thief time can be. We went all in on the fun and packed in as much action as one can into 30 hours and boy was it a birthday party for the books.
She is an easy one to celebrate!
Happy Birthday Britton!
Charleston Dash: The Beach in a Flash
May 30-June 1
Dusty called me on Thursday while I was having lunch with my teacher friend Melissa and asked if I wanted to be spontaneous. He had just finished a 22-day outage at the nuclear station, was a bit delirious, and needed a break beyond county lines. I'm not usually one for spontaneity, but since I had recently thrown caution to the wind and quit my 14-year teaching career to homeschool, I figured, why not? So, we packed up and headed to the coast. We stayed at the charming and underrated Hotel Indigo in Mount Pleasant. The pool area felt like a resort in the Bahamas. On Friday, we visited Folly Beach and had a relaxed day. I tried to make a conscious effort not to overthink things while grabbing snacks, drinks, and a flimsy umbrella from Walmart — the essentials for an impromptu beach outing. That evening, we put on clothes decent enough not to embarrass ourselves in Downtown Charleston and explored the town. We dined at a restaurant that seemed deserted even by locals, but the food was surprisingly good. Later, we stopped by River Street Sweets for pralines, which, I cannot stress enough, were the best I've ever tasted. While waiting in line, we ran into a fellow outage worker who had also whisked his family away for a spontaneous weekend. We chatted, strolled through Downtown Charleston, and then returned to our hotel. The next day, we visited Isle of Palms and enjoyed another gorgeous day on the beach before heading home that evening.
If you had asked me a year ago if I would be the type to spontaneously jet off to the beach, I would have adamantly said "no". But something changes when God strengthens your faith enough to make bold decisions like quitting your job — you become more willing to let go of control of some other things too. Totally worth it!
