I am a planner.  I make plans for everything.  I am constantly thinking about what I can do.  So when my now husband asked for my hand in marriage many years ago, I had something big to plan and organize. My husband and I got married outside in my parent's front yard.  They lived out in the middle of nowhere so... »

You can substitute any foreign language into the title of this article and reap the benefits.  However knowing the language itself will make the series much easier to do.  If you are not fluent yourself, there is no time like the present.  Learn right alongside your children. In the article, "Review of Rosetta Stone," I talked about how Charlotte Mason relied... »

It is that time of year again.  The night air is getting much cooler.  The leaves on the trees are beginning to fade into different shades of yellow-green.  And, pumpkins are everywhere.  Churches are selling them in big lots.  Stores have them out as decorations. I sadly did not get any pumpkins from... »

Am I the only parent that dreads family portrait day?  Are there any families that look forward to it every year?  I have to say that it is not my most favorite day of the year.  I do not look forward to trying to get everyone to look in the same direction, to smile, to keep their eyes open, and... »

Yogurt, which is full of friendly bacteria, is great for your digestive system.  It is also versatile.  You can eat it plain, add it to smoothies, add fruit to it, or use it in place of sour cream.  Yogurt is delcious and very easy to make. I use my raw goat milk to make yogurt.  Since most of my family is... »

Thursday evening my husband called me from his shop.  He was hurt.  While he was working on a pick-up truck's transmission, he tripped.  The transmission fell from the jack and landed onto his leg.  He hurt so bad that he almost passed out.  I got him inside and barely got his boots and jeans off before the swelling would have... »

When you make goat milk soap, the bars have to go through a process of saponification.  They have to cure for 5-6 weeks before use.  I have been making soap at home and trying a few different combinations of essential oils.  Therefore I have several curing batches of soap at home.  I read... »

When I read some magazine articles or blog posts or even some books, I am left with the impression that the author has it all figured out.  As a writer myself, I know how easy it is to make some things seem better than they really are.  Therefore for the sake of full disclosure, I live a not-so-perfect life. Living in... »

Based on the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, our church is in the middle of doing a fun and meaningful project called "The Matthew 25 Project."  The church gives each of its members a relatively small amount of money.  My husband and I together received $40.00.  We are then challenged... »

It has been raining so much lately that the ground is completely saturated.  Even if it is not literally raining, the humidity and the mud make going outdoors unpleasant.  So our family has spent more time in the house than usual.  At first it was not so bad.  We cleaned the house, caught up on laundry, baked cookies, watched a... »

Since the drought during the spring and summer, it feels like it has not stopped raining this fall.  We have enjoyed weeks of rain.  The grass is all green, the ponds are filling up finally, and the mosquitoes are alive and unfortunately well.  Following my own advice for... »

One of the reasons that I study the Bible is to try to learn from other people's mistakes.  It is much easy to see why David was a "man after God's own heart" when you read his Psalms.  However, you can also learn from his many sins involving Bathsheba.  Learning things the easy way is why I also listen to... »

My children worked for a day at a home nearby picking up limbs, cleaning up, sweeping off the porches, etc.  They each received a duckling.  We brought home four.  This was a couple of years ago. We really enjoyed our ducks.  They entertained us by waddling around the yard, quacking, playing in rain puddles, and... »