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Life

Just Floatin’ Down the River

We have a small river nearby. In the spring it becomes large enough for canoes and even now, because of all the rain, it hurries by quickly. Every year we try to spend one sweltering afternoon swimming in a sheltered part of the river. This year, instead of swimming, the three youngest girls and I […]

Summer Plans Part 1: Dream Lists

Summer happens.  Days pass, one by one.   Some are memorable and enjoyable.  Some are boring.  And then, suddenly, it’s all over for another year, and all we’re left with are memories. We want those memories to be happy, so every year our family plans the summer. The first step is to brainstorm our dreams.  It’s […]

The Word I Dare Not Say Aloud

There’s a word I say that I shouldn’t.  Or so my kids tell me.  They reprimand me, so I dare not say it out loud.  But I still whisper it to myself, because I need to hear it.  What is it?  Focus! Focus: It simplifies decisions, because you know your priorities. It adds joy by […]

Homeschooling Moms are More Visible

An excerpt of Nicole Johnson’s Invisible Woman sketch is making the rounds of the internet, though often without attribution.  It appeared in my email this morning.  Many women are captivated by the excerpt’s poignant self-pity which, ironically, misses the entire point of Nicole’s message.  When I read the excerpt (reprinted below), I could sympathize with it […]

Party Pictures

On a beautiful Thursday, we had a party.  Miss 18 concocted this delicious fruit punch.  I think I had 6 glasses full, it was so good! We had some special snacks….  Apparently the asparagus roll-ups look like little babies in blankets.  The other ones were pickles; not everyone likes asparagus. Our gardens were beautiful that day. […]