This was Malachi a couple years ago during a math lesson.
You’ll want to read the entire story.
As much as I love schooling our kids at home, I will admit that the past homeschool year was one of the most challenging of all the previous 12 years. Some years are just tough – and this one was a doozy.
God is bigger than all of it, proven by the fact that we not only survived – we graduated our oldest child successfully. He ended his high school career with 24 college credits, persevering through some very difficult online courses with overwhelming expectations. There were many learning curves this year with the ACT, FAFSA, scholarship applications, and weighty decisions to be made. Praise God: we did not die (not even a little bit). There were several times I thought we might. But here we are, kicking and smiling and half passed out on the couch.
It goes without saying, then, that the thought of school coming again in the fall has made me feel a bit woozy. School books? I couldn’t stand the thought. Educating children? Not today, please. Bring on summer break! Yesssssssssssssssss!
While I am praising God for the next several weeks of refreshment and revival – I am also thanking Him for what He just provided. This is actually making me excited about taking on another school year. (After a lovely break, of course.) I wasn’t sure it was possible. But what was I thinking? God always provides the encouragement and resources we need so that we can do what He has called us to do.
I just had a chance to look through all of the packages being offered in the 2015 Biggest Homeschooling Sale of the Year (available this week only). It definitely helps awaken my school book interest simply because all of these are marked down up to 90% off. But it’s not just that. These packages contain so many great items that will bless our 2015-2016 school year.
The 2017 sale is here. Take your time. Have a blast. Equip your family and home with all sorts of learning opportunities at a huge discount! Sale ends May 30, 2017. :)
Praise God with me that He always provides exactly what we need, exactly when we need it. He is faithful.
Are you enjoying summer break? Still, does it just make you a little bit excited for next year when you see all these great resources?!
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What a great give away! I would love to win this!!!
This looks awesome!
Quick question…are all these products digital? It all looks really good, I just have a hard time paying that much for school stuff that I have to print out myself. Ink isn’t cheap lol.
Yes, we do have to print them ourselves. You’re right! The cost of ink does add up.
I feel that it’s worth it though since each book is averaging to be only about $1.66. (I’m doing the buy two get one free, which gives me 35 books for a total of $58. Amazing!)
Plus, I plan to only print what my kids actually need in print. Otherwise, they can sit at my computer to do some of the reading and such. :)
We make great use of a kids ipad. It’s in a hay duty protective case, and we have just one that all four kids share. But this way they can easily access digital files I don’t want to print.
This year we did school online. It was tough but we made it through. We will be done this week. My daughter will be going back to public school for the friend factor only. She has a older sister and we live in a small town that really has nothing to for home schooler. This year she learned material that should of cover way long ago. I enjoyed having her here, but its get a little boring when you only have mom to talk too. Next year she starts high school. Oh the drama. How I cant wait.
Honestly, Laura, I miss the earlier style posts you used to have on your blog that didn’t include so much advertising. They were much more centered around homemaking – recipes, kitchen tips, homeschool encouragement, and general updates on things going on with your family (with only the occasional mention of a good product that you had found). Now I feel that all of that is constantly peppered with sales pitches. I was looking forward to reading today’s post, but found yet another advertisement at the bottom. Even if it is packaged as a “wonderful deal you can’t afford to pass up”, the constant urging to buy this or that eventually becomes a turn-off to those who are trying to live a frugal lifestyle. I guess I feel that your blog has morphed over the years from a heart-felt desire to teach and encourage other homemakers to a business that involves many affiliates which need to constantly be showcased. I would encourage you at this point to re-evaluate where you are in your blogging journey, place it before God, and let Him help you determine what is really most important.
I struggle to know how to respond to this, aside from saying that without a doubt, I absolutely lay this work and ministry before God and I’m sad that you would question this. Over the past 8 years of writing here, my blogging style has changed in many ways – because of my family’s needs, because of time limitations, because it now takes hundreds of dollars of my money each month to offer free content and a free newsletter to thousands of readers, because of reader requests, and most importantly because of the specifics of what God puts on my heart and the ways He is as work in what I do here.
As always, I encourage readers to grab the content they love, skip what they don’t need, and to enjoy the community of readers here who are a blessing to each other.
Thank you for replying. I am glad to hear that it really is your heart’s desire to let God guide you in the content of your blog. Sometimes he uses others to help give that direction. Suggestion: Why don’t you ask your readers whether they feel that the content has become more heavy with advertising over the years – possibly more than what they are comfortable with? I am also puzzled to hear you say that it costs hundreds of dollars a month to have a blog. I have never heard of this.
Thanks for pointing us to this! I don’t homeschool, but I do supplement in lots of ways. I grabbed the boys bundle (I have three boys, and one little girl who thinks she’s a boy!), the character bundle, and the arts bundle. Great ideas for summer projects, reinforcing church lessons, and as an answer to the dreaded “I’m bored” whine. And all for less than $50!
This is a great giveaway! :-) I love that Owl Flexi <3
I agree with you, Joy!!!! I also looked so forward to each daily email from Heavenly Homemakers because it was a breath of fresh air and usually a bit of fun humor in there to lighten up or days. It WAS the only blog I actually subscribed to hear from daily…
This looks like a terrific deal. I’ve never seen anything like it before though, is this a regular yearly thing or something entirely new? I have to say, I’m a tad overwhelmed. I want it all!
And I just want to say, I love your blog and all the fun deals you point us to, the newsy posts about your family, the spiritual encouragement, the constant new recipes and content. How have you been doing this so consistently for so long and still have new stuff to share? You’re a marvel. On top of that, you are humble, sweet, and funny, and I come away from your blog refreshed and uplifted. I think half the time since I started reading your blog I’ve been on weird diets where I cannot even do most of your recipes, haha, but I will never stop subscribing and staying connected to your blog. Oh, and I have many, many times said, “Well, Heavenly Homemakers says…” and a big portion of my friends and family go to your blog regularly too. I’m so excited that a girl from our church is going to York. I just feel like she’s going to get to hang out in your kitchen like I’ve always wanted to. God bless you, Laura. I hope we get to meet someday this side of heaven!
I hadn’t seen this before either! I think it started last year, and it only runs once each year. I was overwhelmed with it at first too, then spent way too much time looking through it. ;) I found some awesome books I’ll be using with our two youngest next year (and this summer). Super fun!
I love your encouragement, appreciate your longtime readership and sweetness, and can’t wait to meet your friend coming to York this fall. Alaska is too far away! MAYBE we’ll meet “for real” sometime, somehow. (Maybe when your kids attend YC someday??!) :) :)