My life began on my grandparent’s farm outside a small North Texas town. Some of my fondest memories are of that farm. I remember the clouds of dust our car left behind as we traveled down the long gravel roads. I remember Paw Paw calming my fears by assuring me that the bridge would indeed hold the weight of the car one more time. I remember gardening with Mama, country neighbors and bonfires.
When my older sister reached school age, we moved to town, because it was important to our grandmother that we become “city girls.” So, Paw Paw sold the farm and to town we went. I consider myself blessed to have been raised by my grandparents.
My grandfather worked for Sante Fe Railroad, and my grandmother, “Mama,” devoted her life to raising my sisters and myself; we were “her special girls.” Her love was unconditional and she was the most influential person in my life. When we were in High School she went back to school and became a nurse. She loved taking care of people and made a difference in many lives. It’s important that we have someone in our lives who truly believes in us and for me that person was my grandmother!
Time passed and when I was 19 years old I went to work for a major Airline. Living in a large Texas city was a big change for this small town girl. I did some traveling over the course of 3 years, and it was fun. But, I knew that this wasn’t my life’s calling. My heart was beating to a different drummer and I had to follow it.
As long as I could remember I wanted to be a wife and mother. It’s simply what I was meant to be. So, I said, “Yes” to Mark and we’ve been married now for 30+ years. We’ve shared our lives with our eight children, and four teenagers are still at home.
When our oldest child was seven I wanted to educate him at home. Upon hearing the news, my neighbor responded, “Oh, you’re a home schooler!” That was the first time I heard the term for what I was already doing. Our home schooling journey has evolved from “school at home” to a more gentle “lifestyle of learning” which fits our family perfectly.
A lifestyle of learning is not just for children. It’s for all of us! My own lifestyle of learning over the years has included many different areas of interest. Homemaking, parenting, cooking, bread making, quilting, music, reading great literature, remodeling, photography, writing and speaking, building a home-based business, and developing this blog to name just a few.
I’ve been very blessed to be able to stay home with my children. But, being a single income family hasn’t always been easy. In fact, my husband has been laid off more than once and we both realised that we can no longer depend on his J-O-B. So, I went online looking for solutions and have never looked back.
It’s my hope that you’ll find inspiration and encouragement on this blog, and that you’ll share your story with me and my readers as you experience your own journey towards living a life of beauty, honor, and freedom.
From the Heart,
