What do I love most about homeschooling? Let me count the ways! I absolutely can’t choose just one. It’s like asking me “What do I love most about life?” I love almost everything, but even with the bad thrown in, I’m still happy to be alive. I truly feel as if I’ve achieved the ultimate life. I’m blessed to spend my days with 4 of the most amazing people God ever created. I get to assist them in creating and learning. I get to help them pursue their dreams while I’m living mine.

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We named our homeschool Providence Expeditionary Academy. What is expeditionary learning? Students learn by conducting “learning expeditions” rather than sitting in a classroom being taught one subject at a time. I was an honor student in elementary school. I have all the little certificates to prove it! I don’t remember most of what I was taught. I know I had to pass all the tests, but it’s all gone from my memory. I do, however, vividly remember every field trip I’ve ever taken. My husband’s parents were pastors. They took him out of school to go to a convention. He told me he learned  more in those 2 weeks than he did in the whole school year.

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Our life is a constant field trip. When my children have an interest, we go touch, feel and see. It gets ingrained in their memory. My oldest daughter has an interest in art. We pursue all avenues. We go to museums. She takes classes. She now has some art on display at her eye doctor’s office. My daughters are interested in butterflies, we go to a Monarch butterfly farm. We bring home milkweed plants and witness the whole process from egg to butterfly. This is something we will continue to do every year.

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1460829927909-393756629When we studied bees, we worked with a honeybee farmer so my daughter could have an up close experience. When we studied earth rotation, we held a ball and flashlight to demonstrate. We watched a sunset so we could show how the sun isn’t actually setting, the earth is rotating. It’s hands on and it just clicks in their minds. They understand it so much more than reading in a book and memorizing for a test.

In the homeschool community, there are some of the most kind-hearted, encouraging and helpful people I’ve ever known. No matter race or religion, they come together to encourage and help any way they can. My 1st daughter was a resistant reader. My homeschool community encouraged me to not force it, so I would have a child who loves reading and learning. I received criticism from some family/friends, but I heeded the homeschoolers advice. I now have an 8-year-old who loves to read.

I am so honored to be invited to Ana’s blog party. I have a lot of life changes coming up. We will be doing some road-schooling and I just entered a fitness challenge. I have plans to start a blog to document our life through our adventures and changes. Hopefully, also to encourage others, but it honestly overwhelmed me.  I found Amanda Long’s Virtual Assistant Services through this homeschooling community. She’s going to help get my blog up and running. So, thanks, Ana, for inviting this blogger without a blog to the blog party!