Homeschool ain't as hard as I thought!: Another Year Passed!

My. My. how life can change.

When we started this blog 6 years ago, we were living the average life. A small middle class home in the city with pretty green treated lawns and trick or treaters at Halloween. Friendly neighbors. 2 car garage. Concrete roads. Community pool. We lived in a 1200 sqft house on a small city lot with a couple of dogs.

We've traded all that in. Fast forward 6 years to today. We are now living our dream! The 3 of us own a 21 acre ranch, a 4,100 and some change square foot house with 34 animals to care for daily. We traded the garage for carports and a barn. The concrete for gravel roads. The treated lawn for breathtaking views of cattle grazing on beautiful Texas pasture and fireflies at dusk.

My husband works a full time job. Katie and I work part time for a local realtor. Sometimes from home and sometimes at her office. We've started a local homeschool group. We've been making a selling products to local stores. Whatever time is left goes to volunteering at the animal adoption center. And I thought homeschooling was tough then! Now our days are much shorter. Oh how I wish I had more time to blog! More time for everything.

Katie and I will be starting 5th grade pretty soon. We just finished 4th grade on Monday. We sold a house, moved, and went through emergency surgery that caused us to loose our child and fertility this past year. Life is always going to happen but despite the changes, we are still trucking along and finished 4th grade strong with all high 90's.

I don't think I would change a thing. Homeschooling is a humbling experience as a parent and a constant testing of one's patience, knowledge, perseverance, and self discipline. Daily we become closer and I see that one day she will become a better woman than I have ever been. Not because of me, but because of God's grace.

Katie's future goals haven't changed much. This young lady is still striving to become a Veterinarian. Spending her free time bottle feeding and caring for animals whether it be hers or an orphaned animal. Oh, and lets not forget her hobby of crafting with friends. Katie has also taken an interest in cooking. She's still learning her way around the kitchen.

"This past year I've done so many new things. I now have cows and horses. I get up in the morning thinking about what I am going to do next whether it's feeding the cows, horses, chickens, rabbit, dogs, or cats. I am working on starting a craft stand soon with my friend. I am inspired to cook by watching Chopped Junior. I am working on a really cool book." ~ Katie 10 years old

Photos below are a glimpse of the daily life I've been blessed to experience this past year alongside Katie.