About me
I’m mom to three grown children, a daughter in law, too many dogs, and one adopted-from-the-streets cat. I love Jesus and my husband and coffees teeming with caramel and whipped cream. And those are all the things that keep me moving forward every day! (Even when I want to hit the snooze button. Again. Because I love a snooze button, too.)
Being a mom is my all-time favorite job
I homeschooled all three of our children beginning when they were in fourth and first grades and kindergarten. We homeschooled all the way through graduation. I was nervous as could be when I began, but looking back I don’t regret a single moment. If you’re still in your homeschooling journey, know this: it’s all going to work out just fine!
Our oldest child, our son, now owns his own business and is married to an amazing woman he met while on a mission trip to Honduras. Our middle daughter works online and does lots of real estate and design and contractual stuff I don’t understand. She’s also training to receive her black belt this spring in American Freestyle Karate. Our youngest daughter is a fulltime college student, studying to receive a bachelors degree in criminal psychology, and working to pay her way through school. So, yep, I’m convinced that homeschooling can and does produce productive, empowered, able citizens!
I could brag about my kids all day long, but I should tell you something about me. So here are some random things about me:
11 Completely random things about me
1. I grew up right beside my grandparent’s dairy farm. I spent my summers helping my Grandma feed bucket calves, wading in creeks and manure, and collecting bugs and caterpillars in jars that she’d use an ice pick to put ‘air holes’ in the lids.
2. We own hound dogs and I’m completely in love with this stubborn, rambunctious, loud breed. Our neighbors may have other opinions.
3. My husband makes me a caramel latte every morning. He’s the morning person; I am not.
4. I was encouraged to write by my husband and some of my friends. All I have to say to them is, “Careful what you wish for…” 😅
5. I love books!!! My house is FULL of them. I have a disease where I want to OWN it, making it very difficult to just check it out of the library and return it. Having said that, I am a fan of libraries (ahhh, to be surrounded by books!) and will forever be grateful for half price Thursday at our local library back when we were homeschooling. If not for that, I may have either had to mortgage the house or leave the country a few times, thanks to also having a problem with returning books on time. 😳
6. I’m quite the introvert. But an odd one, because I love people. As in, I don’t want to go, but when I do, I’m the last one to leave because I’m talking to EVERYONE. It’s weird, I know, but I genuinely like people and LOVE to encourage people, even though being around people for very long completely drains me.
7. I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was 23 years old. Without a doubt, best thing I’ve done, ever. There is no doubt I would not be who I am today, I would not have the marriage I have, and my kids would not be the people they are today, had it not been for that decision. God’s unfathomable grace and unrelenting love for me never ceases to amaze and captivate me. Embrace all the things but don’t neglect the MOST IMPORTANT thing, and this is it. He makes the journey so much more beautiful, so much more do-able, and the destination is out of this world!
8. I have owned rabbits (as pets) since I was in high school. Most of them have been pets that were no longer wanted, so I’ve taken in all sorts of breeds and all ages over the years. When the kids were younger, we had a particularly friendly mini rex named Gingersnap. She became our ‘school mascot’ and was known to steal pencil erasers because she loved to chew on them.
9. I went back into the ‘punch-a-clock’ workforce when my youngest graduated. I wanted to help my husband with our finances, since he was always supportive of me staying home with the kids. It has been a different season, not always easy, and I’m not even choosing jobs I want to make a career out of. But I value the experiences I have had, the people I have met, and the things I am learning. If not for this season of growth (which can sometimes be painful), I would have never had the courage to start a blog.
10. I’m not graceful. Really. And now I just own it. I embrace the way I trip over my own feet and bang my head on the doorframe when I’m getting in a truck. (almost every. single. time.) Because why not? Dr. Seuss says the people that matter don’t mind and the ones that mind don’t matter. And I kinda think he’s right about that. 😉
11. I can’t make a long story short. I can’t even make a short story short. That is painfully obvious looking back over these ‘facts.’ 😂
Just all the things – the blog
“Just all the things” has so many meanings to me.
For moms
As a mom, we are expected to do “all the things.” Or maybe I should say “ALL the things.” And we guilt and stress and worry that we aren’t doing enough of the things, or aren’t doing the things right. I’m an advocate for mom support and encouragement. We are way too hard on ourselves almost all the time. So I think we should love our journey and laugh as much as possible and encourage moms in just all the things. Because, really, moms, you’re awesome.
For the sake of dreaming outside our comfort zone
As a mom of grown children, I hit the panic button when my youngest graduated from our homeschool. NOW WHAT?? was a pretty consistent question my brain liked to entertain. Add to that a smidgen of mid-life panic that sounded something like, I’M RUNNING OUT OF TIME TO DO ANYTHING. Yes, that was dramatic and a tad morbid. (But painfully honest.) So I decided I wanted to do just all the things. I have never been a pessimist, so I summoned my inner optimist, and asked myself what I would do if I could do anything. And this blog is one of those things. One of those very scary, big-dream-crazy, kind of things. And that’s when I also decided I wanted to encourage you to do just all of your big dream things, too.
For the journey
Just all the things also represents the things that are most important in life. The things that aren’t material things. The things you look back on and treasure, like homeschooling. I know how hard it can be, all the tears, fears, and doubts, and since I’ve been there, done that, I can help someone else. I can tell them, “It’s a tough race, but the view from the finish line is awesome. Keep running.” The other things on this blog – growing food, starting projects, all the life lessons – represent this season of my life and the knowledge that it’s not the “things” that are the important things. These journeys are meant to be shared. We all need to embrace all the things that make our lives unique, all the things that define our purpose, that ignite our passions, that inspire us to help each other.
For the things: homeschooling, gardening, and critters, oh my!
And then there are those actual things: gardening, earthworms, chickens, homeschooling – some things I’ve done, some are new. I want to help you do these things. You will help me do these things, too, because I’ve promised to tell you about them, so now I must write! Or maybe walking with me in some of my things will inspire you to do all the things that are perfect for your purpose and your journey.
For laughter
And then there’s laughter. I really love to laugh. I love people that I can laugh with. So why not find online friends to laugh with as well? And here you are.
Thank you for being here!
Maybe you identify as a kindred soul, a mess at times, but always believing there’s some beauty to be found.
Maybe you’re a mom, with laundry in grand piles and strong coffee brewing – bless you for reading this much because the kids have probably pulled every. single. toy. into the middle of the living room by now.
Maybe you’re a homeschooling mom, looking for a suggestion or just someone to say, “you’ve got this and they will succeed in life,” because you do and they will.
Maybe you want to grow your own food, but you’re overwhelmed by so much information and so many weeds. Me, too, sister, me, too.
Maybe you have big dreams that have been buried for too long. Maybe you need to buy some earthworms and take a leap of faith that you CAN do all the things, one step at a time.
I strongly believe in the importance of encouraging each other. Whoever you are, wherever you are, we all need a kind word and a new perspective and a good laugh every now and then. I hope you find those things here.
I hope you find this to be a comfortable place where you want to hang around, visit often, and sign up to receive my newsletter so we can stay in touch.
