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Showing posts with label Memories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Memories. Show all posts
Note: I wrote this newsletter to send with my Christmas cards, and I decided to share a modified version here as a nice little summary of our year. I'm sure you are all busy with your families on Christmas Eve, but maybe sometime in the next week you'll have time to read this, and you'll know I was wishing you all a Merry Christmas!
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As I sit down to write this, our house is dark. There are no twinkly lights, no ornaments or garland. After throwing together our Christmas cards at the last possible moment last year, I thought I better get an early start if a newsletter would happen in 2024, so no Christmas decor graces our home just yet. But my oldest is building up a fire in our woodstove, it’s the week before Thanksgiving, and our speaker is playing Psalm 100 put to music. Gratitude is our atmosphere this evening, and despite a year that had it’s share of disappointments, there are so many things for which to thank God.
Our year started off rather dreadfully, but also with a spontaneous bit of fun. For me, this will ever be known as the year that I had the worst dental procedure known to man, aka: a gum graft. The fact that I have previously worked as a dental hygienist made the procedure especially excruciating, since I knew exactly what they were doing each moment! I lost the ability to smile for two weeks (literally, couldn’t move my muscles properly all through January), but a new little puppy brought a smile to my heart at least.
Yes, Derek talked me into another dachshund, the full sister or our other dog, Lulu. We named the new puppy Dot, and she’s been a ton of fun, and also trouble, for the whole of 2024. Thankfully she is turning out to be a “kid dog”, and she loves snuggling with any of the kids before we tuck her in each night.
Our five kids have grown so much this year, not just physically, but in all the other ways you can think of as well. Our oldest three signed up for 4H in the spring - for woodworking, sewing, and leather-working. They each submitted projects to our county fair and won various ribbons, and two of them even got to send projects to the state fair and won ribbons there! I am so proud of the diligent work they put in, and for how well they each did. My little girls have another year or two before joining 4H, but in their spare time they keep each other busy with imaginative games, forts, baby dolls, and drawings that I find all over the house.
In May we took our annual vacation to Arizona - mainly to see the Saguaro cacti in Saguaro National Park, which were just as impressive as I thought they would be. Apparently Phoenix is not a popular destination so close to summer, but the weather ended up being just perfect for our warmth-starved selves. We took a side trip to Joshua Tree and Palm Springs - it was the first time I’ve ever been in California. The wind and solar farms in the desert were a little jarring, but our destinations ended up being well worth venturing into the land of $7 gas, just for a day. Of course the hotel pool will always be the kids’ favorite part of vacation. We could take them to see the wonders of the world, but it wouldn’t be vacation without a fun pool.
Our favorite summer experience was a day trip to a small mountain town to see wildflowers. While we hiked around the trails, we counted 21 different varieties of wildflowers, and seeing the colors bursting over the hills was glorious. God is so creative, isn’t He? We are casual hikers; we never were the type to backpack our toddlers into the mountains, so it’s fun to be able to get into nature more as the kids grow.
As a summer project, Derek and our oldest son rigged up a makeshift greenhouse and started a garden. We have grown things in a small porch greenhouse before, but it was exciting to have a more substantial vegetable garden, and we enjoyed a crop of squash and tomatoes as the summer stretched into fall.
I am still homeschooling the kids, and they each have been progressing very well. It’s such a blessing to have them home with me and to get to see them learning and growing, not just academically, but in their knowledge of the Lord. I am still involved with several other ladies in running a homeschool support group at our church, and this fall we also joined a co-op one day a week that has been a blessing for all of us.
Derek is working for the same government organization, most of the time from home. Even though he is locked away in his office, there is something special about having him under the same roof as us each day.
Time and space fail me, and newsletters that try to cover everything get tedious. I will only briefly mention that many books were read, many hikes were taken, kids jumped off diving boards for the first time, we went to the movies, we went on field trips, we taught all the kids how to roller skate. We had more doctor (and orthodontist) appointments than typical, plans were cancelled because of the cost of broken appliances, we had to buy a new (to us) car. We attended the state homeschool conference together, we spent time with both sides of the family, we saw our dear friends from out of town, and enjoyed weekly fellowship with other believers at church. Somewhere along the way, Derek and I passed our 16th anniversary with not a ton of fanfare, but with the quiet, solid kind of love that makes this stage of life so special.
So it’s been a good year. Any trials seem minor, and the blessings glitter like the Christmas lights that will be going up this weekend. It’s a lovely thing that each year ends with Thanksgiving and Christmas - what better way to close the year than by remembering all our gifts, and then contemplating the greatest gift of all, our Savior Jesus Christ!
There’s an old hymn line that describes Jesus as the “Light of light” coming to earth “as the darkness clears away”, and I’ve been contemplating that phrase as we approach the Christmas season. The Light of the world was born to us, clearing the darkness of sin and death away for all those who repent and trust in Him for their salvation. That God our Savior would be born a little child is a mystery too great to comprehend, but He was. He came to defeat our sin and the curse of death on the cross. So as I close this letter, I pray that you would know Him, and that in knowing Him, the light of Christ will shine on you and your family this Christmas season and always.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:12, 14
This week I got my Christmas shopping done.
Sometimes life gets a little hectic, and before I know it I have five projects hanging over my head. And the calendar keeps rolling on, and each day passes without anything getting crossed off my list, and the pressure in my chest builds. When I start to feel like I'm a few interruptions away from bursting into tears, it's time to set some things aside and make sure those projects get done.
That's what I did last week. I have a sweet husband who had the week off, so he filled the homeschool teacher role for a couple days. But aside from that, I cancelled school for the week, and I spent every spare minute crossing things off my list. I finished my Christmas shopping (except for a couple little straggler gifts). I sorted, edited, and uploaded all my 2024 photos (so far) for printing in January. I cleaned out my kids' rooms (no small task) in preparation for Christmas presents. And then I spent the weekend sending out emails, writing an overdue book review, writing a couple blog posts.
So here we are. I've been wanting to share our recent happenings on here before we are full-on into Christmas season. Despite what the weather did a couple weeks ago, it's still fall, and I don't want to let it slip by without chatting here.
Our Fall
Our post-election snowstorm.
Ever since 2020, I get very skittish in election years, and I've particularly avoided going out on Election Day. You just never know what is going to happen, and I'd rather be tucked away in my little mountain home to deal with the results on our own, for good or for ill. So I stayed up far too late on Election Day, went to bed with the slow dawning of relief spreading through my muscles, and when I woke the next morning with nary an election hiccup in sight, it felt like Christmas morning in more ways than one. Snow blanketed the ground, and we cheered the results and declared a snow day. I baked, we played Christmas music. It was lovely.
It turned into two lovely days, and then three, as the snow continued to fall, and our previously planned events were cancelled clear into Saturday. Finally on Saturday morning, with my husband and oldest out hunting, the younger kids and I could take it no more. We went roller skating, and had a grand time.
This fall we pinched our pennies a bit. Instead of a corn maze (which are quite expensive here) we went on a tour of a tea factory, and visited a fall bulb sale at our local gardens. Instead of a pumpkin patch, we visited our ranch friends, and they gifted us with pumpkins from their garden that are still gracing our house. Instead of picking produce, we went on an adventure in the mountains, and sat in the middle of a huge, secluded aspen grove while we read books and ate candy corn. Fall fun doesn't have to cost alot, does it? Spending time with people you love in the brisk air is what makes fall special.
Homeschooling is going really well, much more smoothly than the previous two years. As I've written before, I think when you hit a homeschool rough patch, the thing you really need to do is power through. Things do tend to improve if you give them time. Even though I have more to manage than ever before, I feel more up to the task as well. I would like to write about our curriculum choices for this year at some point, since we made a bunch of small changes and we are also managing work for our new homeschool co-op. We are taking a more "purist" approach to Charlotte Mason style history this year - my kids are reading so many good books, and it's really wonderful to see them connecting with what they're reading. I'm reading about half their books with them right now, and I myself am learning so much! A curriculum summary will be coming eventually, but for now all the books are my favorite change.
A Hobby Update
Every year around this time, I find myself wanting to learn how to crochet. I've tried learning to crochet before, but it's tricky! I will persist though. A Christmas ornament crochet pattern caught my eye on Etsy the other day. Even though I've gone shopping for the correctly colored yarn, I have not had time to attempt my project yet. Now that all my pre-Thanksgiving tasks are out of the way, perhaps this week I can give it a go. I hope to report success the next time I write an update.
Reading has been very touch-and-go since the summer. I have finally finished quite a few books, but can't seem to get my reading momentum going on any one book. I will have a reading update blog post coming in the next couple weeks, but I have a feeling my yearly totals are not going to be as impressive as previous years. One recent book quite likely will make my favorites list though - I just finished True Grit by Charles Portis a couple weeks ago, and I found it delightful. If you like spunky main characters, amusing first-person narration, and the Old West, it's a winner.
I haven't been baking nearly as much as I typically would in the fall, but I did make caramel pecan cinnamon rolls last week, and they were very tasty.
Derek and I have found several new shows that we are finding amusing. Our favorites are usually competition shows (think Survivor), and we found one called Anonymous. It's one of those social media game shows, which can often be annoying, but this one grew on us. We also have tried a show called The Snake, which is a one-day game show where contestants have to complete tasks while figuring out which player is secretly trying to sabotage them. And then we stumbled across Frogger - which is, well, a real-life Frogger. Similar to America Ninja Warrier, but sillier. We're saving that one to watch with the kids. One of these days I'll get Derek to finish watching Downton Abbey with me, but for now, competition shows are scratching the entertainment itch.
Gratitude
I told Derek a few weeks ago that this year has felt like a year of disappointments. I rattled off a list of things that have just not worked out the way we wished. We had to buy new appliances instead of taking a planned trip to see friends, we didn't have successful hunting seasons, and finances have been leaked away by scary trips to the emergency room.
What I really needed was a bit of sleep, because things always look worse when you're tired.
But in the last couple weeks, my heart has started to calm. God is gracious to us, and somewhere along the way that knowledge settled back on me, like the snow settled on the ground last week and made it sparkle. We are very blessed. All the things I was disappointed about are just life; but life is also full of gifts, isn't it? This is the time of year when we are reminded to open our eyes wider to see them fresh.
Remember when we all used to post thankful lists this time of year? I'm thankful for:
-A house that is filled with warmth, and voices, and a little bit of chaos
-The way snow looks when it's hanging all over pine trees
-The smell of fresh-baked bread
-Books that make you feel like home
-A healthy husband and children
-The smell of fallen aspen leaves
-Watching the sun rise before anyone else is up
-Holiday plans with family taking shape
-Friends that let you know when you're missed and welcome you into their homes
-A group to study the Bible and sing hymns with
-Good preaching
-The right to educate my children at home
-Pumpkin candles
-Twinkle lights
-Siblings to laugh with and supporting parents
-Fuzzy blankets
-Thrift store finds
-A small-town library that lets you check out board games
-Decaf coffee
-Small dogs that don't pass up a chance to cuddle on my lap
-Sweaters
-Sleep
So many little gifts when you stop to think about it. I know this, I've been counting gifts for years, but sometimes life gets busy, and you forget how wonderful everything can be - God's common grace in showers every day. And of course, underneath it all is always that deeper gratefulness that comes with knowing my Savior calls me His own. If everything else falls apart, if every hope is disappointed, if everything is lost - that is something that can't be taken away.
Happy Thanksgiving season! Knowing me, I won't get around to writing another personal post before the day. So I hope you all are overwhelmed by gratitude to the Giver of all good gifts this year.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." James 1:17
I just looked back in the blog archives and saw that I apparently haven't shared a Wednesday Five post in almost a year! That is unacceptable, because these posts are so simple to put together. They give me a simple chance to share some good finds, or a bit of encouragement, without having to sit down and outline a more intensive article-type post. I am making a goal of sharing one of these every other week over this homeschool year (or at least once a month?), and this is the first installment!
A Quote
"For my own part, I tend to find the doctrinal books often more helpful in devotion than the devotional books, and I rather suspect that the same experience may await many others. I believe that many who find that 'nothing happens' when they sit down, or kneel down, to a book of devotion, would find that the heart sings unbidden while they are working their way through a tough bit of theology with a pipe in their teeth and a pencil in their hand."
-C. S. Lewis
I share this quote because if you replace the "pipe in their teeth" with "a cup of tea on the table", this perfectly describes my own experience with trying to read more Puritan books. I have been more moved, inspired, and convicted by the Puritans than any modern devotional book I've ever read, and whenever my devotional time starts to feel dry, I pick up a selection from my little stack, and it's a breath of fresh air. Highly recommend reading the Puritans if you never have - currently I'm reading Contentment, Prosperity, And God's Glory by Jeremiah Burroughs, and I think it would be a great choice for dabbling in Puritan writings, especially as Americans (as we are pretty wealthy compared to much of the world).
A Recommendation
I recommend you try making evaporated milk ice cream. I first came across this concept on a random recipe forum, when a commenter explained a traditional Mexican guava ice cream recipe. You don't need a churn, you don't need any fancy ice cream equipment, and the first time I made it last year I didn't even have guava, so I substituted orange juice concentrate. It turned out so yummy, like an orange creamsicle, and my kids have brought it up so many times since then.
I finally got around to making another batch recently, with raspberries this time, and it was delicious. For a very rough, basic idea of the process, you refrigerate an unopened can of evaporated milk until it is very cold, then you whip it up with a hand mixer, add sugar and some sort of fruit puree, and then freeze it. I can't find the original recipe I used (like I said, it was literally just typed in a comment on a forum I've long forgotten), but I'll try to type up an actual recipe to share soon.
A Bit Of Nature
I have to re-share a couple more wildflower pictures. This was the most glorious bit of nature from our summer!
A Book
I've been reading alot of books that were “just okay” lately, so I don't have any firm recommendations in the book category. I did recently start one called The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay, set in East Germany during the Cold War, and so far it’s promising! I will share a reading round-up at the end of September, so keep any eye out for that to see how it turns out.
A Moment Of Happiness
Autumn is approaching, and as I reflect on our summer, I am all too aware that I have a limited number of free summers left with my kids. Every year I feel pressure to squeeze in as much fun as we can and make alot of memories while we have them, especially in the warmer months.
Unfortunately, prices have gone up for practically everything (if you haven't noticed), and between that and several home appliance repairs, our wallet was feeling a little thin. It was necessary to change my expectations for what kind of summer memories we could make this year, because the memory-making part is not optional.
To save money, we recently changed our idea for a day trip to a mountain town festival and swapped our plans for a more local hike. It turned out to be just beautiful. The day was sunny and unusually warm for the mountains, we walked along a completely deserted trail. We saw so many flowers, we enjoyed a snack under a bristlecone pine, and we made plans to come back soon on a day when we could walk a little farther. On the out, we ran into some horseback riders, and my sweet, social kids had such a sophisticated little conversation with them as they stroked the horses' necks and gave them treats.
It was a whole afternoon of simple, satisfying enjoyment, for only a few bucks of gas. In leaner times, I might have to let go of some of my ideas, but that doesn't mean I have to let go of making good memories with my family. Good memories don't have to cost a thing.
Regardless of the state of your wallets, I hope you too are finding ways to make good memories with your loved ones as we tumble into the fall.
Until the first week of May we were unsure whether or where we would be going on vacation, but at the last possible minute we made a decision. So amid the whirlwind of finishing our school year and planning a homeschool graduation ceremony for our church's homeschool group, we somehow managed to plan, clean the house, shop, and pack up for vacation.
We decided to go to Arizona this year - it's been 7 or 8 years since we visited, and the kids don't even remember going to the Grand Canyon. I'm just going to do a fly-over view of the highlights of our trip!
The Grand Canyon
We made a "quick stop" at the Grand Canyon before making it to our actual destination of Phoenix. It was really neat for the kids to see the canyon when they will actually remember it at these ages! On the way we listened to a few talks from Answers In Genesis about some of the current creationist research and theories surrounding the Grand Canyon, and it made this visit even more interesting for us.
Confession: I always feel a little underwhelmed looking down at the Grand Canyon, at first. But I think it’s only because it is just impossible to understand the scale of it. We did spot a helicopter in the canyon this time, and it looked smaller than a gnat. It’s just hard to understand how deep it really is. I’d love to go to the bottom someday. Looking up from the bottom might help my brain understand better.
We were also a little amazed to see lots of people leaving the trails and walking on rock outcrops, with a drop of hundreds of feet right behind them, as they stood on a mere four square feet of flat ground! And it was windy. I couldn’t point it out to them without being rude, but people die at the Grand Canyon every year by falling in. If you visit, just…don’t be stupid. There are lots of perfectly safe places to get good pictures at the top, climbing around on slippery rocks is really not necessary.
Saguaro National Park
We decided our main destination would be Phoenix because it's relatively close to Saguaro National Park. We basically planned this whole trip around going to Saguaro, and it was such a pretty place!
Saguaro National Park was really beautiful, the classic desert landscape. The desert can feel so dry and empty, but Saguaro is full of interesting plant life (and I'm sure animal life too). We got there early in the morning, when we could hear birds chirping among the cacti, it was so quiet. I wish I could explain to you the scent of desert air in May, it’s like no other scent I know, floral and woody and dry.
I took so many pictures, but I felt like I couldn’t capture the sheer amount of saguaros in this one little section of the park! They were everywhere, and some were so tall. Saguaros grow about an inch every year - they don’t even start to grow arms until they are 50-80 years old. The tall saguaro I’m standing beside in the photo below is probably around 150 years old.
One thing we didn’t know before we went - there are actually two separate sites for this park that aren’t connected. We were very confused when our map apps were leading us two different places, until we figured it out. The west site has three times more saguaros than the east site, but some on the eastern site grow fatter!
Joshua Tree
We decided to take a one-day trip to California to see Joshua Tree while we were so far south, since it's only about 3 1/2 hours from Phoenix. This was my first time ever visiting California! The gas was expensive, and it was hot in the desert, and there were wind and solar farms all over the place, but other than that it didn't feel as foreign as I expected (what can I say, California has a reputation).
Joshua Tree National Park was a very unique place to visit! Joshua Trees are actually not a tree at all, they are a yucca-type plant. They grow very slowly, similar to the saguaro cactus, and we even saw a few of them still flowering. We entered the park from the east and drove through to the west entrance, and I quite liked going in that order…we went from the Colorado desert to the Mojave desert, and from mostly cacti (including a “teddy bear cactus”) to Joshua trees everywhere! Some of them were so tall, and some areas so thick, that they looked like pine trees from a distance. It felt a little bit like a Dr. Seuss landscape.
One thing we wondered about as we saw a few dead “trees” was what the inside of the trunks looked like…the ranger at the west entrance answered that question. Apparently the trunks are good for almost nothing - the insides are spongey, and when they are dried out they’re still very fibrous, and they can’t be burned. Just interesting to look at, I guess!
Palm Springs
On the way back from Joshua Tree we looped around and visited Palm Springs - I am so glad we drove through there, because it was a very interesting town. As you drive, the surrounding desert is so dry, and the air so dusty - but suddenly you see snow-capped mountains in the distance, and before you know it you are tucked away next the the hills, driving through palm-tree lined streets. I don't think I've ever seen surroundings change from desert, to mountainous, to almost tropical so fast!
Palm Springs is a natural desert oasis, and it's surrounded by parts of the Aqua Caliente reservation - we decided to take a little hike into Andreas Canyon, which is on the reservation.
I am not exaggerating when I say that Andreas Canyon was probably one of the coolest places I've ever been. This is a natural fan-palm oasis, and feels more like you're in Hawaii than in the middle of the Mojave desert. The palms are so tall, it's surrounded by tall rock walls, the water is bubbling and crystal-clear, and the air is sweet-smelling and refreshing. It was just gorgeous! We hiked on the trail, took a bunch of pictures, waded in the water, and enjoyed the unique atmosphere of this place!
Apparently there can be rattlesnakes near the oasis, but we didn't see any - October to May is supposed to be the best time to go to avoid snakes. We stayed about an hour, but I could have spent much longer there. If we are ever in the area again, I would definitely go back - it's worth the entrance fee (about $60 for our family of 7), even for an hour.
Phoenix
We spent some time just relaxing on this trip as well, which was much needed. We spent an entire day at our hotel's water park, we went on an evening desert walk, and walked to a European pastry place for breakfast. Having a little down-time between visiting national parks on this trip was so nice.
Petrified Forest National Park
On the way out of Arizona we detoured to check out Petrified Forest National Park. This park used to be a national monument, and got upgraded to a park in 1962. It's a very overlooked park, but I'm glad we stopped there - it was so interesting! There wasn't any single big sight to see, but as you drove through the park there was petrified wood just everywhere. We have some petrified wood areas in my state, but the sheer amount of petrified wood here was pretty amazing. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to go there again, but it's worth a stop if you are driving through, and it's one more National Park that we can cross off our list!
I've been to Arizona four times in my life, and I think this was my favorite trip there. We were able to see so much, we went in May when it wasn't ridiculously hot yet, and we worked in some relaxation days, which is the key to a good trip in my book. It was a much-needed and inexpensive vacation for our family this year, and proof that you don't have to spend alot of money or go too far to have a worthwhile vacation - there are so many interesting places in the U. S. that are worth seeing!
I learned from my mistakes last year and broke out my fall decorations on time this week. The autumn season is always more brief than I expect, and I want to enjoy it fully this year: including fall decor, fall candles, pumpkin muffins in the oven, and moody mystery books galore!
Summer eased out rather uncomfortably around here. We started school, but I wasn't as excited about it as I sometimes am. I think the dreary weather for a large part of our summer made it feel as if we didn't get a proper summer break, and this school year, which I've known will be a particularly difficult one, has been looming. I have all five kids homeschooling this year, and even though I feel exponentially more capable as a homeschool mom as the years go by, the challenges that come with more kids in school and older grades always seem to (nearly) cancel out my homeschool-mom gains. This year I can at least give myself the credit of seeing the challenges coming.
(The traditional first-day-of-school donut.)
Our homeschool days have been easier in some ways than I thought, because I have really got my homeschool systems down after perfecting my strategies over the last couple years. But it's also been harder in some ways. I shifted my mindset a few years back about homeschooling as the parent, treating it in my mind as more of a job that could take as long as 8 hours a day if necessary, and that helped transform our homeschool in alot of ways. However, this is the first year that it actually has been taking nearly 8 hours out of my day, and those extra demands are taking a little getting used to (for me). I also know this is most likely a temporary thing - our days will run smoother eventually, expectations will even out, skills will catch up, and I'll likely have more time on my hands again at some point. But right now my days feel packed.
We took a vacation a couple weeks ago, and I'm quite happy to report that it was uneventful! I think this may have been the smoothest trip we've had in quite some time, and a problem-free getaway was much needed. We drove up to South Dakota, we saw Mount Rushmore (including the evening lighting ceremony, which was wonderful), made a day trip to the Badlands with a stop at the infamous Wall Drug, saw a gunfight reenactment in Deadwood, took a tour of Jewel Cave. We stopped at Bear Country ( a drive-through zoo with more bears than I could count), and drove to the South Dakota Air and Space Museum (though the inside exhibits were unfortunately closed). My kids gained a grand total of six badges for various National Park Junior Ranger programs, which was quite an accomplishment.
Last time we went to South Dakota it rained the entire week, quite literally. We were tent camping, I was pregnant and soggy and miserable, and we cut our vacation short because we just couldn't take it anymore. After that experience, we were both a little nervous about this trip, but South Dakota was a winner this time! Overall, it was a nice quiet trip, with no car problems, no hotel issues, and no freaky weather events. Just what the doctor ordered!
Before we headed home we drove to Devil's Tower in Wyoming, and we also read about Custer and Crazy Horse before visiting Little Bighorn. It was a sobering way to end our vacation, seeing all the markers on the hill where Custer's regiment was completely wiped out. We read about the battle, and just seeing the sloping of the hills in person, I could really picture every stage of the battle as the cavalry advanced, and then retreated, finally forming a barricade behind dead horses on a ridge, before they were ultimately cut down. It was chilling, but it peaked my interest to read more about the Wild West, and I listened to "The Summer Of 1876" by Chris Wimmer on the way home. It was interesting to listen about different historical events as we were driving past the very locations where they happened.
The wide open, empty spaces of South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana got into my blood in a way. I live in a rural area already, but it's become very much more crowded than the places we visited, and I've been scheming and planning a fall hike somewhere more remote to get that taste of wilderness again.
I usually like to ease back into life when we get back from vacation, but I was forced to hit the ground running last week. We packed two field trips (one pre-planned, one spontaneous), plus a birthday outing for one of my kids with grandma, into that whirlwind of a week. We topped it off last weekend by visiting our local botanic gardens for a fall plant sale. We didn't end up buying any plants, but we did enjoy the gardens before coming home to watch a football game.
Then I drank some tea and and sat down to write this post before scrounging up some dinner. I've been missing writing on my blog, and I'm very much hoping I can carve out more time for writing despite this extra-busy season. Sharing on social media has always been draining to me, but writing on my blog tends to give me energy. It helps me organize my thoughts and feelings, and somehow that gives me a little boost to get on with what needs to be done. That's worth something! I'm looking forward to making it more of a routine again as we head into my favorite season.
Happy New Year, friends! Every year I do one of these recaps, and it's always a good exercise for me to see our whole year laid out like this. There are always so many things I forget about until I'm sitting down to write about it.
This year, overall, was happy, and it wasn't because all was right with the world. This year's news cycle was almost as stressful as 2020, when I sit down and think about it objectively. I didn't even avoid the news, but it was a peaceful year internally all the same.
I think with more time on my hands, I spent more time this year pondering my own tasks, the things the Lord has given me. To raise my kids. To love my husband. To run my household well, to be an encouragement to my friends and family, to honor the Lord with everything I'm doing. I've faced my own selfishness this year in a way I haven't in the past, and while it was painful in some ways to consider past mistakes, the Lord's grace to me was ever more evident. He's been working hard on me this year, readjusting my priorities, and even when it hurt a little, it's been sweet.
January
-I gave up social media, with the intention of it being a long-term thing. This ended up being a really great thing for me all through 2021, and especially in January with the hectic state of things in the nation.
-I took a reader survey from you all, and you gave me some amazing ideas of topics to tackle! At the time, my emotions were too raw from 2020 to get into any sticky topics, but I might have to revisit that survey again for ideas.
-I started organizing photo projects, my kids' drawings, and a home organizer planner. Maybe I'll do a post soon about how that all went.
-My parents started to get into snowmobiling, and we got to try out snowmobiles for the first time at their house!
-We spent alot of time at home and with family in January, and it was lovely.
On The Blog: A Happy Review Of A Rough Year
February
-Wyatt turned 10 years old! We did a special Nerf war party for him.
-We let Wyatt get his first pet, a betta fish.
-We had a sweet Valentine's Day with the kids, and I prepared little goody bags for them.
-I tried doing monthly book recap videos, but I didn't really make that stick. I may try videos again in the future, but I kind of hate watching myself on video, even though I recognize I could use the speaking practice.
-Rush Limbaugh died, and I honestly found myself missing his take on all the news events of 2021.
-We made tie-dye shirts for neon night at Awana.
-I had friends over for a brunch and tie-dye project of our own, and it was really fun to do a craft project together.
-We went snowmobiling on a mountain pass with my parents, and it was so much fun!
-I started reading up on frugality, which was an interesting project until it was quickly foiled by my books being due back at the library.
On The Blog: What's Changed Since I Quit Instagram, What I Learned From Rush About Living Well
March
-We started using latch hook kits during our read-alouds, and it was a great way to keep the kids' hands busy.
-Gwen became very interested in reading about Annie Oakley, and it was fun to find books about her!
-I started teaching the kids a bit of Shakespeare, and they caught on quicker than I thought. I also planned a Resurrection Day unit study that was a highlight of the homeschool year.
-We had some good snows in March, including one two-foot storm, and we took a homeschool snow day. I also started reading The Wingfeather Saga during a snowstorm in March. We also had some beautiful, warm days too.
-I started organizing a homeschool park/hiking group with some of my friends, and we got together multiple times a month all year!
-We got a nasty cold, which was not Covid, proving that people do still get regular old colds which are no big deal.
-The kids built a wooden car (Wyatt), and cardboard box cars for an Awana derby night. It was really fun! Gwen won a prize for her adorable car design.
-I patched the kids jeans for the first time, part of my quest to be more frugal.
On The Blog: How I Manage A Typical Homeschool Day
April
-We visited my childhood friends who own a ranch, and it was a wonderful time as always. It was also a particularly beautiful spring day, which got me in the mood for summer!
-Clyde turned 7 years old! He lost his first upper tooth.
-I got very introspective without social media to distract me.
-We did all the Easter activities - coloring eggs, resurrection rolls, paper "stained glass" crosses - before celebrating Resurrection Day with family!
-We had a "decades night" at Awana - the girls dressed up like the '80's, and the boys did a '50's look.
-Derek's brother and sister-in-law came to visit from out east, and we went out for hiking and dinner!
-Derek got a new job! Still in accounting, and still working from home, but the new environment and new challenges were a blessing.
-More much-needed snow!
On The Blog: What to Consider Before Joining A Homeschool Co-op
May
-At the end of April and in May, our school subjects slowed down quite a bit as we finished lessons for the year, so we worked on some special studies, including joining an online nature art club. We also did a state history study that was enjoyable for all of us.
-We celebrated a rainy, quiet Mother's Day, which ended up being just what I needed.
-We had Derek's mom over to show us some of the kids' genealogy on his side - it was so interesting for them, and I hope we can do it again this year!
-We did a "homeschool field day" and my mom's house to finish out the homeschool year!
-They lifted the mask mandate in our area, and I put away our masks mostly for good! Happy to report that I haven't worn one hardly anywhere since (except the doctor's office, because they won't let me in without one, and that's one place we do have to go).
-We celebrated my mom's birthday at Chuck E. Cheese, which is an arcade and pizza place that the kids love!
-We also took a weekend field trip with the kids as our last field trip of the year, to a local historic fort. The kids loved it way more than I thought they would!
-On Memorial Day weekend, we took a last-minute road trip to visit some of the National Parks in Utah. It was really beautiful and memorable!
-Our poor old dog got another tumor on his leg, and we had to take him for surgery to get it removed. He is such a puppy about going to the vet, and it made me so sad. I don't think we ever found out if it was malignant, but he seems to be doing fine now.
On The Blog: Why We Keep A Traditional School Schedule
June
-In June we went on a camping trip with my family, at a KOA with a huge slide! We also visited my grandpa in the same weekend, and it was really fun for all of us.
-We had a family campfire on Father's Day!
-I started buying flowers to plant in front of our house again.
-We did some grammar review for Wyatt's 4th grade standardized testing, which proved mostly useless since it wasn't on the test anyway. He did quite well, for the record. I didn't need to be worried.
-We enjoyed hiking and fishing at a nearby state park (a couple different times).
-We celebrated my birthday, and I went to our state's homeschool conference with my sister!
-We enjoyed more park days and splash pads with family and homeschool friends.
On The Blog: Why You Should Go To A Homeschool Conference
July
-We had a quiet few weeks in June and July, and it was really pretty restful overall.
-We celebrated the 4th of July starting on the 3rd, with a trip to the zoo, and then we met up with my family for fireworks. On the actual 4th, we had hamburgers at my house with the family, and we listened to a bunch of stories of my dad's childhood, and told a few of our own. Then we let the kids do sparklers outside, because for the first time in years there was no fire ban on the 4th! It was a really great celebration this year.
-I had a bit of an epiphany about forgiveness, and it really changed a relationship situation I was struggling with.
-Derek and I went on an anniversary overnight trip, and it was a really nice getaway for us.
-The wildflowers were in full force, and I started thinking ahead to the start of the school year.
-We did more hiking and campfires and fishing! We also started making plans for a fall trip with friends.
On The Blog: My Beauty Favorites For Summer, Life Without Instagram - Six Month Update, Visiting Utah National Parks With Kids
August
-We went swimming a few times, once with my sister, with friends, and just as a family! The kids are getting so much better at swimming this year.
-The two little girls got their first haircut! I decided to trim a few of Georgie's curls that had grown out unevenly, and Clarice and Gwen insisted I trim their hair too. It was especially scary for me to trim Clarice's hair, because it's grown out so perfectly and I didn't want to mess up her curls! But it turned out alright.
-We visited my grandma's mountain cabin for a weekend, after having to postpone it from our original June plan. We went fishing and played card games - it was a refreshing and sweet visit!
-The kids had a cousins sleepover at Grandma's house, and they had a great time feeding the horses and hiking to a rope swing up on the mountain.
-We took the kids out to a movie, which is a rare enough occurrence that it's worth noting. We saw the Paw Patrol movie! It was cute.
-As a last hoorah before school started, we took the kids to a local amusement park! Since it's a smaller park, we were able to ride so many rides. Derek and I might have got a little sick, but we all had a wonderful time!
-I put some serious effort into organizing a couple year's worth of photos - it felt so good to get it done! I hope I can be better about getting our albums caught up in 2022.
-Some friends and I decided to re-read Jane Eyre, and I created a Pinterest board for inspiration.
-We started school, trying to get a couple weeks of work in before our September trip.
-My pastor's wife asked me earlier in the summer to help start a homeschool support group at our church, and we had our first meeting in August!
On The Blog: A Minimalist Approach To Morning Time
September
-We took a trip to the Ark Encounter in Kentucky! We had asked some of our good friends if they would be interested in going out there with us, since I would have to drive out alone and Derek would fly to meet us. We were so excited that they were able to make it work! It was a fantastic trip, and a wonderful memory with our dear friends.
-As soon as we returned from Kentucky, we came down with a cold-like illness, and soon enough tested positive for C-19. In retrospect, I have some doubts about the accuracy of the test. But regardless, we hunkered down at home for a couple weeks, and I'm glad it's over with.
-The three big kids started soccer, and I could really tell how much they're skills have grown by the end of the season.
-Derek and I spent a weekend chopping up a big tree that fell over the river on my parent's property - free firewood! We also got our wood stove problems figured out. We were having problems with smoke filling the house whenever we tried to light a fire, and it was because the air wasn't drawing properly - having a proper wood stove is more technical than I originally guessed. But we added additional pipe to the top of the chimney, and it is now fully usable this winter.
-We celebrated Clarice's birthday at the end of September! We went to the zoo on her actual birthday, and accidentally discovered that if you come to the zoo on your birthday, you get a coupon for an impressively big ice cream cone - for free! So now all the kids want to go to the zoo on their birthdays.
On The Blog: Lived In
October
-I took on a huge project in October and decided to attempt, again, a 31 Day Blogging Challenge. I am happy to report that for the first time, I completed it! I blogged every day in October, and there are lots of good posts from that month - you can click here to read them all!
-We went to the pumpkin patch and corn maze twice, once with our homeschool friend group, and once by ourselves! It was fun both times. The kids loved competing to see who could find their way through the maze first.
-The big kids continued on with their soccer games, and the grandparents were able to watch their games or practices!
-We went on a gorgeous leaf hike with our good friends, and took a bunch of leaf-pile pictures.
-We were able to finally enjoy Awana nights again, after missing much of September. Derek and I resumed our weekly Awana night dates!
-We had a field trip to a historical farm and museum with our homeschool friends!
-I got a Reformation Day unit study guide, and the kids and I had a ton of Reformation Day fun.
-We celebrated Georgiana's 4th birthday! We took another trip to the zoo for more ice cream.
On The Blog: 31 Days Of Blogging (All Posts), Searching For A Signature Dish, What We're Doing For Reformation Day This Year, What I've Learned Homeschooling Multiple Kids
November
-November started with hunting season, and Derek got a deer! That's more meat for our freezer.
-I started a "Thanksgiving tree" with our kids to focus on gratitude in November. We all loved it! We also read a ton of Thanksgiving picture books.
-Wyatt and Gwen participated in a unique field trip where they "ran the world" for a day. I volunteered and was assigned to consult for the delegates from Russia. Gwen worked in Canada selling pop and snacks, and Wyatt worked as a manufacturer in China. It was so interesting for them to learn a little about economics from a global perspective, especially with supply chain issues in the news.
-As the big kids finished soccer, the little girls started ballet. They loved it while it lasted! We had to drop out of the class a little early, but I loved getting the chance to see them in their sweet outfits.
-Derek's brother and sister in law came back in town briefly for a family funeral, so it was nice to see them while they were here.
-We started reading 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea with the kids, after watching the movie. The language is so difficult, but they were really enjoying it before our break! I promised them an under-the-sea party if we finish it, so we'll start it up again in January.
-We got lots of great visits in with friends - a fall party with our homeschool group, a zoo day, and a chance to babysit for my friend that turned into a fun playdate for the kids!
-We enjoyed Thanksgiving with my family - we were actually sick, but it turns out everyone in my extended family was sick at the same time, so we figured it couldn't hurt to go ahead with Thanksgiving!
-The weekend after Thanksgiving we set up our Christmas tree!
On The Blog: Our Thanksgiving Tree, Thanksgiving Picture Books We Love
December
-December started off with lots of parties! We went miniature golfing with Derek's coworkers for a Christmas party of sorts.
-We went to a "trail of lights" with my family for my dad's 60th birthday! It was truly a perfect night for it, with warm enough weather that we didn't even have to wear our snow clothes. We went out for pie afterward.
-We had a Christmas party for our Sunday school class that was a ton of fun, as always, and a "secret sister" Christmas exchange with the ladies in our class.
-My grandpa turned 85 years old, and we went to a wonderful birthday party that my Grandma Juanita threw for him! It was a perfect visit, I thought.
-We had Christmas with my mom's side of the family at my grandma's house, and I finally got to meet my new little second-cousin, and found out another cousin is having a baby next year!
-It finally snowed! December is awfully late for a first snow around here, and it wasn't much, but my kids made the most of it.
-I took photos of our Christmas decorations, for the first time in this "new" house.
-We went on Christmas break, Georgiana got an ear infection, and I had to do a last minute Christmas shopping trip for things I forgot. It put a damper on our baking week - but somehow we squeezed it all in!
-We had Christmas Eve with both sides of the family, and it was lovely!
-Christmas morning was relaxing and magical. The kids loved their presents, and played with their toys all day. My parents stopped by for lunch!
-We celebrated Gwen and Derek's birthday, and it was Derek's 40th! We will have a party for him in January, but of course we spent their actual birthday at the zoo. More ice cream! We also decided, on the spur of the moment, to go to a movie, and we saw Encanto in the theater. There was alot of fairytale magic in it, which I'm generally okay with - there was one part that seemed a little too much like a magic spell, but other than that, it was really cute!
-We celebrated New Year's Eve by watching Star Wars with the big kids! This is their first time seeing the original trilogy. They were unsure with Episode 4, but by Episode 6 they were into it!
On The Blog: Christmas Picture Books We Love, Spicy Mocha Recipe - A Caribou Coffee Dupe, Hope (Some Christmas Thoughts)
A year of personal peace was badly needed with all the turmoil going on in the world, and I think the Lord was gracious enough to give me that. I'm so thankful for everything we were able to do together this year, for the memories we made, and the lessons I learned along the way. I can't wait to see what 2022 has in store - and whether good or bad, it's ever a comfort to know we are right in His hands.
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