Category Archives: Monday Memory

Homeschool Year 10 – A Day in the Life

blessings, children, choices, faith, Foster, God's goodness, gratitude, homeschooling, Jonah, Katie, memories, Monday Memory, motherhood, parenting, Parker, priorities, siblings, teenagers, Theodore July 30, 2018 Leave a comment

I have an app on my phone that causes me to have the competing emotions of happiness and sadness daily. You may have heard of Timehop? After beginning our tenth homeschool year last week, a few pictures from 7 years ago came across my screen. 2011. Foster was in 2nd grade, Katie in 1st grade, Theodore was almost 4, Parker had just turned 2 and I was 7 months pregnant with Jonah.

I think there were about 6 pictures but I found myself analyzing everything. The place we lived at the time, the school books they were working in or toys they were playing with. It was a homeschool day-in-the-life but I wanted more! I wish I’d taken a picture of myself with my ginormous belly. I barely remember those days. I remember them but I can’t transport myself back to feeling the same, when I only had one child who was beginning to read and still had someone in diapers. When I had fatigue and hormones and very little patience. When we were still adjusting to the loss of Chris’s mom and the fact that his dad was about to remarry. When Chris was new to his job at the airport and our purse strings were pulled extremely tight. Scraping by to feed and clothe and house a family of 6 (almost 7).

It’s the looking back that affirms our choices. We can ponder and speculate all day long the “what-if’s” of life and try to feel confident in what the future will hold, but the looking back reassures me that while at the time it felt too difficult to be good, that God did honor our choices and is continuing to care for us and give us an abundant life. If someone had said to that tired, overwhelmed, burned out, struggling momma that she’d be mentally and emotionally strong enough to become a foster mom, I’m sure she would have said you were crazy. Or that she’d have the courage to homeschool her children through high school! At that time I was still trying to figure out how to get someone from reading c.a.t. to reading chapter books. Oh the stress!

Today I stalked my children and took some day-in-the-life photos. In another 7 years, I’ll be able to look back and praise God for what He was doing, what He was teaching all of us on those days.

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Dollywood (Christmas 2012)

Monday Memory December 3, 2012 1 Comment

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Foster was pretty excited that he didn’t even need a bracelet and was cleared to ride ALL the rides.  And he took advantage of that by riding the Wild Eagle with Chris! He said he’s not sure what happened because he had his eyes closed the whole time.

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This is the adorable face Jonah makes when I say “say cheese!”

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Even though we’ve been battling sickness and crud for the past few weeks, we decided to make some memories.  (Sorry to the public that I am sure we infected with our germs.)

Monday Memory: 2002

marriage, memories, Monday Memory March 13, 2012 Comments: 2
Ten days from now we celebrate our 10 year anniversary.
Chris surprised me with a sweet card and also brought me a vanilla iced coffee to Monday Fun.
His card said I get more surprises over the next 10 days. He’s so sweet.
In preparation for this big anniversary, I drug out the box labeled “wedding memories” (that’s as far as I got, putting a post-it on a cardboard box, I know all you scrapbookers are jealous).
Tonight we brought out our wedding photos.
When we got close to the back of the album and saw this picture Chris said “Yessss…”

Monday Memory : 1989

growing-up, Monday Memory March 6, 2012 Leave a comment
I am fairly sure I was 13 in this picture, making it the end of my 8th grade year.  I don’t remember exactly how old I was but I do remember exactly what my friends and I were doing.  We always poured over those teen magazines that were full of “before and after” pictures.  Since most of us were dealing with acne, braces, raging hormones and insecurities we decided that we would prove that if we took “before and after” pictures that we would end up looking like superstars, too. We took “before” pictures of ourselves with no smile, no make-up, an ugly shirt, no jewelry and flat, uncurled, hairspray-less hair.  Then we spent a couple of hours putting on make-up, nice clothes, curling and spraying our hair A LOT, then smiled huge smiles for the “after” shot.  I don’t have the “before” picture. Maybe it was so bad I burned it, I don’t really remember that part. 
Turns out we still just looked like our awkward 13 year old selves. Not superstars. Not anyone who would make River Phoenix turn his head anyway.