When I was about four years old we lived in an old farmhouse in central Illinois. My Mom decided to plant an herb guild garden and she heard that it was a good idea to use a garden hose to help you layout the space you wanted to plant in. She overestimated and used the entire length of our hose to do so, then proceeded to hand-dig all the sod out of the enormous circle. Turned out to be a happy mistake though. I can still remember how it felt to be in that garden when it was finished. We rarely had vegetable gardens when I was growing up but I am certain we always had herbs. To this day, as a grown woman with five children, I still equate chives to a sense of home.

It was 2024 when I planted my first garden. We moved into a rental home that sat on a double lot which had been neglected. I asked if we could garden on it and the property manager said yes. I knew we likely wouldn’t be there long-term and I wanted to design a garden that would bless the next renters. We found old edging stones buried around the yard, dug them out and placed them precisely to establish beds with four-foot paths. I broke down all our moving boxes and used those to suppress the weeds and grass in newly established beds. After purchasing a few bags of mulch and realizing how expensive it would be to fill all my new beds adequately, I spotted an arborist on our street and flagged them down to ask for a truck load of wood chips. They took my address down and one day, months later, they showed up with a full load for us. We hauled that mountain of wood chips to the backyard every spare minute for a week using 5-gal buckets and a friend’s wheelbarrow. Little by little over the next year I went deal-hunting for perennial plants. I got them from the local greenhouses at the end of a season and the grocery stores before bad weather. I bought bare root plants and dormant bulbs from big box stores. I attended plant swaps where I could bring some seeds I hadn’t used and leave with cuttings or seedlings other folks had brought to trade with. I put the finishing touches on a garden I could envision but would never get to see the month before we moved away. A majority of the plants were in their second year and were coming awake as we left. I potted up one tiny chive plant and a successfully propagated white geranium to bring with us.

Our new home doesn’t have a yard but I’ve learned to make do with whatever little we have. Every spare inch of the back porch has a planter or grouping of pots filled with little plants. My big goal is to develop stock to be able to propagate off of and multiply in advance of finding a property to grow in-ground on again. But aside from that, I am just grateful to be able to establish a pocket of living things to check on, tend to, and watch as we get our own transplanted roots re-established in our new home town.

FROM THE TABLE

Thunder rolls, lightning crashes, gentle rain is falling. It is 57 degrees out and, due to the showers, less light than it would usually be by this time on a clear spring morning. My four older children are fast asleep.

6:14am. The baby stirs, cooing joyfully to the familiar ceiling becoming illuminated once again by the light of day. His breathing shifts and he searches for where to suckle milk. Luke comes quietly up the stairs, finished with his early morning routine – quietly plodding through a Master’s Degree online in the hours before work and after the kids go to bed at night – heading to get ready for a mid-week work day. It’s the one day of the week that he gets a ride from a friend so that I can have the car.

Padding steps come down the hall. A lanky four-year-old in long-sleeve construction jammies climbs into the side of the bed left vacant by his Daddy. Baby smiles brightly at his big brother. “Can we make waffles this morning?”

More times than I can count we begin our mornings with those words. Down the stairs, baby on my hip, hair still up, we go. He gets out the waffle iron and plugs it in. Little sis comes down, following the sound of a kitchen astir. We measure and mix. “I can do it,” he tells me and pours a portion of batter into the iron. Reaching into the fridge behind him I pull out a handful of eggs of varying hues – they came from a farmer we just met at the market. The cast iron skillet, seasoned by over a decade of our fried-egg breakfasts, is heated in preparation. Soon a refreshed 9yr old and a bed-headed 6yr old will join us.

“Rain is dripping, Mom!” A clear observation, an exciting proclamation, but also a coded question. In case I missed the message he clarifies, “Can we get the umbrellas out?” Many days have not held the rainy conditions that were required to put such a tool to good use. Many a day the same question has been answered with the disappointing maternal instruction, “Umbrellas are only for rain.”

A longing fulfilled is a tree of life. I answer the way that I did this morning for the request for waffles,

“Yes.”

REFLECTION | I’ve had a deep longing for a piece of land to root deeply into, to establish a homestead that feeds our bellies and hearts. I’ve held it in my heart for so long and every so often I cry out in prayer, “Will I have a homestead, Lord?” Hope deferred makes the heart sick.

Yet, as we have built a home from place to place and multiplied from one sweet baby into a brood of children, I have had so many years to glean from others, to ponder, plan, and prepare. The homestead I would have designed a decade ago doesn’t compare to the one I’ve planned to-date, and something tells me that His plans are even greater than these. I don’t know how much longer we may have to wait until my longing is fulfilled but I know I’m more ready to steward it with each passing day and I’m thankful for how gently He’s leading us along the way to His “Yes”.

IN SEASON

Our second month living in a townhome complex in a new city.

On the Porch with the Children

If you have never heard of Azure Standard, you are in for a treat. I was introduced to this bulk-food business based in Oregon while we lived in Texas. When you create an account with them you pick a “drop” location near you. This is where you go, along with everyone else ordering from your area, on the delivery day, to help unload the semi-truck and pick up the items you purchased. I get a lot of organic pantry staples throughout the year from Azure and am so thankful for the ability to source organic ingredients in bulk for my family of seven. The first order I placed from Tennessee happened to be just a few days before the order deadline for my new drop location. It also happened to be the time of year where they offer plant starts. I decided to be surprised and ordered the perennial herb bundle. There were several plants that could have been selected to fulfill that order on their end but the ones I received were: Munstead Lavender, Lavender Bergamot, Marjoram, Sage, Thyme, and Lemon Balm. These were lovingly tucked into the few terracota pots I had managed to bring from Texas. I knew they would quickly out grow those though.

After a month the children and I went to a couple of garden centers in our new area and came home with three deep planters that would fit our space to re-pot the herbs into, as well as a bunch more seedlings. We found a variety of mints: Apple Mint, Peppermint, Chocolate Mint, Pineapple Mint, and Mint Julep. The following day when I ran out to pick up some more potting soil I discovered a rack of discounted seedling bundles. I brought some home and we divided them up between the planters and I assisted each child in planting the remaining ones into our now-empty pots. The back porch looks so lush now and I am not the only one taking great delight in it. The children were so proud to tell their Dad which plants were “theirs”. We sit out back and rub the lemon balm, taste the mint, or snip a few sprigs of thyme for a meal. Utter luxury.

Rhythm

5:30-8am Children wake up

7-8am Breakfast

8-10am Dressed, Free play

10-11am Walk to the mailbox

11-12pm Lunch

12-2pm Naps, School time, Dinner prep

2-4pm Tea time, Chores, Pool

4-5pm Dinner

5-7pm Family time

7-8pm Bedtime

Weather

May 5th: 67*F at 10pm and 100% chance of rain.

May 28th: 86*F at 1pm and overcast

THE WORK

This month we focused on rest.

That may seem counterintuitive or unconstructive, but the wise design was modeled first for us by Yaweh and it is becoming increasingly apparent to me, as a mom of five, just how foundational it really is. When I start to feel anxious energy rising in me it is usually due to the amount of tasks on my internal (or external) “needs done” list that, measured against the fuel gauge of my capacity, which then projects an outcome of: impossible, futile, burn-out. The other night it was happening and, after a little cry, it occurred to me that I was simply tired and my highest priority needed to be rest.

Sometimes I need accountability to prioritize rest. I’ll put checks and balances in place by saying to my kids, “I know I only have the energy to do these dishes and the load of laundry upstairs, so if you see me doing something more than that please remind me to rest instead.” It’s hard to see things that need doing and just let them be, but there is a time and place for taking the break rather than burning out on the rabbit-trail of endless to-do’s as a primary caregiver.

Laziness isn’t the same as resting. One of our family values is diligence, faithfulness, finishing strong. If we are faced with a task or assignment that we don’t feel we’re up for but, nevertheless, must be done we expect ourselves to rise to the occasion with a respectful attitude toward all those around as as we do. There is a satisfaction and confidence built in doing hard things and doing them well. But, as we prepare and hope and plan for a lifestyle of fulfilling hard-work, perseverance, and problem-solving, I believe one of the most fruitful ways to do that is to master this exercise of rest.

Our home rhythm includes homeschooling. We have historically done schoolwork year-round, taking breaks for the Spring and Autumn Biblical Feasts, and some of the best weather around those times of the year. We also do our work six days a week and take a solid rest day at the end of the week. This has felt less hectic than the alternatives, and our rest day is a savored treat, rather than a sense of overindulgent inactivity.

What worked:

Having a physical check list and our daily routines printed and visible to all is key. This makes it so everyone in the family can reference them to know where to apply their energies at any given time, in order to work toward the same ends of keeping the house running smoothly, getting the school work accomplished, and feeding everyone three times a day. I assign one room/space in the house to each day of the week, except the Sabbath, for deep cleaning focus. I have a list of tasks and the kids have one. If it is a day where we have a lot of time to focus on the chore then we do everything on the list, if not, then we prioritize what would be most called for that week. This helps me to keep track of what has been done, what needs doing, and also to be reassured that the house is being managed intentionally – not just on the back-burner for “when we get a chance”.

What we’re adjusting:

When I was growing up it seemed that we needed to hurry up and do most everything. I see that in myself still and I question passing it down to my children. I think there is a worth in working whole-heartedly and efficiently, not to dawdle or do things half-way, but I don’t think it’s fruitful to rush out of anxiety or the stress of “too much to do, too little time to do it”. Some days when the baby is restless and I’ve nursed and cuddled him to sleep, then held him through his nap so he is certain to have deep rest, I do have to rush to get dinner prepped. I may ask a child to help in the preparations, which they’re usually excited to do at this stage of their development, but as they work with unpracticed hands at tasks I set for them, I sometimes feel the urge to rush them along. I’m still learning how to soften that from an urgency into an instruction, to reframe even my own work from upset rushing into purposeful haste.

Lesson Learned:

Right now, even with a few slightly more independent children – they can tie their own shoes and make their own lunch – I’m still relied on heavily, day and night, seven days a week. If I don’t rest at intervals, and do so in a fruitful way, eventually my body just shuts down and forces a reset. Whether anyone applauds the effort or recognizes the intention, I am working on leaning into rest so that I can sustain the overwhelming privileges entrusted to me. I want to be really good at it so that, by the time we are on land and tending it, I am able to steward that privilege well too, not be run-down by it.

So, every day we have a “quiet time” where my youngest kids nap, my older kids keep busy in quiet occupations (like dolls, art, audiobooks, and independent schoolwork), and I go in my room to spend some time reseting my nervous system for the rest of the day. I may think, breathe, stretch, write, read, or talk to a friend. Just being still and quiet is helpful in a season of endless stimulation and demands. Then, during the day when the children play outside awhile, I also sit quietly in the sunshine with a refreshing drink. Both of these rhythms send the signal to my system that all is well. Inevitably someone will be causing a commotion again shortly and I’ll need that reminder.

AT THE TABLE

Tuna Salad

Seasonal Ingredient Highlight

• Radish

Instructions:

• Dice a handful of washed radishes nice and small

• Open and drain six cans of tuna

• Mix the drained tuna and diced radishes with half a cup of avocado mayo, a splash of apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and dried chives to-taste.

• Serve open-faced on a toasted piece of sourdough bread

• Save the rest for a quick lunch throughout the week

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a system through which a farmer sells shares by subscription to local customers. In return for the financial support of their farming efforts, those customers receive weekly boxes of seasonal produce. We are delighted with the CSA we are a part of through Bountiful Blessings Farm. We get their “small” box and it is plenty of veg for our family of seven to supplement my staples of potatoes and onions.

If you’re in Middle TN and would like to try them out, you can use my referral QR code and get $30 off your first order:

.Other produce we received in our CSA boxes this month:

• Tuscan Kale

• Carrots

• Golden Beets

• Basil

• Tomatoes

• Summer Squash

• Broccoli

• Green Onions

• Arugula

FROM THE GARDEN GATE

A Note

Learning is a fruitful use of the time spent waiting for a longing to be fulfilled.

I have done it regarding marriage, motherhood, missions, and homesteading, as well as smaller things like waiting to move houses, replace a vehicle, or start a new year of homeschool. No waiting season is wasted by preparing through learning.

A Practical Tip

Carry band-aids while on walks with kids. Period.

Listening To

the new animated film: DAVID soundtrack. When we aren’t listening to the recordings, we’re listening to our kids sing it.

Reading

Homestead Living magazine

On the Shelf

4lb Azure Market Organic Palm Shortening

1gal Azure Market Organic Coconut Oil, Expeller Pressed

1gal Azure Market Organic Olive Oil, Extra-Virgin, Cold Pressed

3lbs Azure Market Raw Berry/Wildflower Honey

The Lord has led us so gently into this new place. We’ll keep expectantly tending what’s been given to us.

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Hey friends, it’s Chelsea.

It boggles me that as a culture we traditionally celebrate, with great gusto, an event that the God we claim to follow never told us to, on a day that has no historical relevance to the event itself, but has historical significance to a whole opposite religious group, who were the original creators of the manmade holy-day anyway. Meanwhile, when followers of Christ in this country celebrate holy days that God created Himself, to point to and be fulfilled by His Son, which the Son observed during his years on the earth, His apostles celebrated afterward, which both remind and point to Him being the foretold Savior and coming eternal King, they are seen as being legalistic. It’s so muddled up.

All October we were celebrating the holy days that Jesus will fulfill in the future. Someday all people will hear the trumpet blasts that will call believers to heaven (Feast of Trumpets), the great and terrible day of final judgement on sin (Day of Atonement), and the marriage supper of the Lamb (Feast of Tabernacles). It makes for a chilling, sobering, lavish, and wonderful month. It saddens me that the Jews don’t realize what they are celebrating each year and that the manmade traditions that are in place in Judaism are so far off from the original design God had. Being co-heirs with Christ (who didn’t abolish the law but fulfilled it perfectly) brings the feasts to life! As a family we enjoy decorating our sukkah (“noun. a temporary shelter covered in natural materials, built near a synagogue or house and used especially for meals during the Jewish festival of Succoth.”) and making autumnal treats for every day of the week-long feast.

What’s new?

I suppose we’ll start things off with my birthday since that was at the beginning of the month. As life goes, it was uneventful but memorable. A lot of viruses went around this month and we had one that day. A card from Luke, free birthday drink at a coffee shop, and a solo trip to the grocery store were the height of celebration. The slow morning making scones and evening snuggling the kids to watch a horse show were also delights.

A few weeks later a couple ladies from our house church got together for an evening in a park to celebrate another friend and I. It’s the story of so many of us here that we were in a stretch of loneliness and then God connected us altogether. The Body is such a gift.

Luke and I were gifted an afternoon out. It was overdue really, having been eight months since our last date. We savored it fully. It afforded us a chance to explore a new little town, be still (other than wrangling a baby who is on the move), and have uninterrupted trains of thought. We had needed a chance like that to discuss what is on the horizon. Finding gluten-free treats and quality drinks was an added bonus.

Listen in — Luke’s latest podcast episodes

Documenting his journey as a sports management student, Luke interviews a variety of people within the industry. Listen on Apple or Spotify.

Take a peek — Recaps from our homeschool group

Navigating through multiple weeks of sickness and school break for the Fall Feasts made this month a blur to me. By God’s grace we managed to make it to every meet up and host those who were healthy enough to come. While we had tastes of chilly mornings and cool breezes we also had some heat spikes. Everyone was ready to be pulling out the cool weather clothes but we still needed shorts and tank tops right up to the end of the month.

Curriculum Corner

Samuel School makes some wonderful Gospel-oriented guides on the spring and fall feasts, as well as Sabbath, for families. It’s so rare to find that sort of resource and we have enjoyed using ours over and over. (Pictured: Naomi highlighting verses in her Bible that she has memorized in AWANA.)

What We’re Ordering This Month

AZURE: Coconut milk, salt, and beeswax taper candles.

Wild Oaks Apothecary: We’re stocked up right now. [Use code CHELSEA10 for 10% off every purchase!]

Go-To Recipes This Month

Rice and lentils in bone broth

GF apple pie

GF apple scones

GF pumpkin muffins

GF pumpkin waffles

Currently Reading

Personal read: Little Britches by Ralph Moody

Chapter book read-aloud: —— (too hard to do with a sore throat)

Audiobook: Rainbow Garden by Patricia St. John, Bruchko by Bruce Olsen, and Gladys Aylward by Janet and Geoff Benge

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Hey friends, it’s Chelsea.

Trigger warning: remembering a sudden loss.

“Thank you, Father, for this day. Thank you for our hours of play. Thank you for my (babies) dear. Thank you that You’re always near...”

I sang this to ‘Dassah while rocking her to sleep one afternoon and savored the moment in time. It hadn’t hit me yet what day it was: Labor Day. On the same weekend, seven years earlier, Luke and I were sitting in church. I was holding our first born but handed her off to Luke so I could use the bathroom. I didn’t realize that I was carrying our second baby in my womb as I entered and I was shocked by the discovery that came not from a pregnancy test but a miscarriage. I didn’t know what to do. I just remember thinking, as I wrapped the little one in toilet paper and dropped it, that babies don’t belong in toilets. Retrieving our daughter from my husband, I sat in the foyer the rest of the service, processing the shock. Before we met, Luke had an impression from the Holy Spirit to one day name his first two daughters Naomi and Ruth. Our firstborn was a girl. We named her Naomi. I didn’t think twice before asking Luke if we could call the miscarried baby Ruth: “companion”. It would be six and a half years, another miscarriage (even further along), awareness of endocrine disruption, discovery of chronic illness, a health journey, and two full term boys, before we got to hold another full term baby girl in our arms. We’re still grieving the loss, but so grateful for the babies that are here.

“We thank you, Father. We thank you, Father. We thank you, Father. You are so good to all.”

What’s new?

I had the opportunity to animal-sit for some friends this month during their annual family vacation. Getting up before the sun and driving 30min to feed and water animals may not sound like a treat to you, but it is a refreshment to me. The mornings are so open, still, and free out there. I brought home fresh eggs and a few handfuls of zinnia blooms and relished those bits of country living.

Listen in — Luke’s latest podcast episodes

Documenting his journey as a sports management student, Luke interviews a variety of people within the industry. Listen on Apple or Spotify.

Take a peek — Recaps from our homeschool group

This month we have done a nature walk at a favorite trail by the river, enjoyed an afternoon constructing bird feeders and snacking, experienced a hands-on tour of our local ice cream shop, and helped with farm chores on a miniature cow ranch. Making these plans are a great joy to me but getting to walk into them, help orchestrate the experience, and step back to capture it unfolding is a rivaling delight.

Curriculum Corner

Something a lot of folks overlook for children is cookbooks. I have a child who is particularly drawn to food, cooking, and cookbooks. They have their own collection on our shelf. There has been a taste of Autumn in the mornings lately, and something in the change of shadows too. We savored a few overcast days with burning beeswax candles and the first pumpkin muffins of the season, made from a recipe we found in a library book. I like how so many books have a recipe tucked in them to share. As I type this my oldest kids are listening to the audiobook of Anne of Green Gables. We have a cookbook entirely inspired from that story. Cooking and tasting the dishes bring the story to life. May I encourage you to take a day in the coming month to pull out one recipe from a book you have around and actually make it with your kids? Those little (sometimes inconvenient) moments turn into the precious moments their childhood is made up of. It’ll be worth the trouble.

What We’re Ordering This Month

AZURE: Oats, palm shortening, applesauce, dried rose hips and hibiscus for tea, and laundry detergent.

Wild Oaks Apothecary: We’re stocked up right now. [Use code CHELSEA10 for 10% off every purchase!]

Go-To Recipes This Month

Burrito bowls

Hibiscus, raspberry leaf, peppermint tea

Currently Reading

Personal read: ——

Chapter book read-aloud: ——

Audiobook: Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

We didn’t read a lot this month — other than what the kids were reading for practice/fun and what we listened to on audible. We had a week of some virus and spent it at home, the kids doing a lot of imaginative play and me making play food for them. Free stress relief.

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Hey friends, it’s Chelsea.

This month started with a bang (and it’s ending with another one). I shot video for a friend’s wedding. That sounds so simple but anyone who has ever worked in the wedding industry knows that a wedding is an all-day marathon. Throw a nursing infant into the mix… it was another level. I was totally exhausted afterward but so satisfied creatively. Luke and the community of ladies from our house church made it possible for me to have my hands free and I am so thankful.

What’s new?

We got hand-foot-mouth disease for the first time. Noble was the only one who had it (praise God!) but we all quarantined for the week he was sick. During that time I put my sewing machine to good use and whipped up a baby quilt just for fun (and to make sure I remembered the process correctly).

Listen in — Luke’s latest podcast episodes

Documenting his journey as a sports management student, Luke interviews a variety of people within the industry. Listen on Apple or Spotify.

Take a peek — Recaps from our homeschool group

We wrapped up the stitching classes I offered this summer with an embroidery project (personalized tote bags or aprons) and a lesson in finger crocheting. As hectic as it was to juggle assisting multiple young students at once it was so sweet to pass along my bit of know-how to another generation of curious makers.

I have been finalizing the plans for our homeschool group meet ups. It’s the ideal mix of practical logistics and inspired brainstorming for me. Talking with local business owners and farmers, exploring nature trails, finding art projects and making snacks, all to serve fellow homeschooling families — it is an absolute pleasure. Our kickoff day was the last day of August and I can’t wait to dive into all the surprises mapped out for the school year ahead.

I designed some homeschool merchandise — totes and tees — which I am quite pleased with. Those launched to the group the last week of this month and I am working on how to make them available to the wider homeschool community of Waco.

Curriculum Corner

We went from no reading kids to two in the past year. I wasn’t even going to start with the kids until this year but Timothy’s enthusiasm spurred us all on. By the time that we were six months into lessons with him he was picking up early readers and working through them on his own. Naomi had been entirely disinterested in learning to read until that moment. Now, half a year later, Timothy is reading chapter books aloud to us. Naomi just completed the Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons book, which ends at a second grade reading level. Her deciphering skills are gained with more difficulty (it seems like she may have some dyslexic tendencies) but her enunciating and inflection is incredible — a benefit of all the hours spent reading aloud to them over the years.

Noble is in that transitional space of wanting to be part of the big kids’ work but still developing best through play and exploration. I had come across an old curriculum called Five in a Row. The concept of it is taking a curated collection of picture books and reading one book every day for a week, then adding in handicrafts, recipes, games, and such to immerse your child in enriching thought. I am very particular when it comes to books though and didn’t care for the lists of books used by this curriculum. So, I went through our shelves and selected my own to use. I’m not in a place to add in all the extra fun right now, but Noble and I (and everyone else who stops what they’re doing to listen in) are loving this quality time spent reading together each day. This month we read:

• The Frightening Philippi Jail

• Right This Very Minute

• Home in the Woods

• The Twins’ Picnic

What We’re Ordering This Month

AZURE: Honey, coconut oil, dairy-free chocolate chips, and muffin liners.

Wild Oaks Apothecary: Dish soap bars and dish brushes. [Use code CHELSEA10 for 10% off every purchase!]

Go-To Recipes This Month

AIP Sweet potato curry with jasmine rice

GF Sourdough waffles with goat cheese and honey

Currently Reading

Personal read: Risen Motherhood by Emily Jensen

Chapter book read-aloud: Little Glass Lake by Jenny Phillips

Audiobook: Heidi by Johanna Spyri

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Hey friends, it’s Chelsea.

It’s officially hot. Summertime in Texas is the best time for cozying up inside with books or going out early to jump in water. We have been doing both. Luke has had a month break from his online classes and the kids joined him in a mini break. We were ready for a reset after a long stretch of weekly faithfulness. Couldn’t keep Timothy out of his math book for more than a week though. The kid loves to study.

A local coffee-shop opened a new location between Luke’s job and the library. The kids and I got to stop in one morning and enjoyed the kid-friendly outdoor patio. There was disobedience, followed by discipline and weeping when we left, but this is par for the course in life with littles. We’re in the thick of character training. It’s hard work, but it’s the most precious time — a time all too easily lost if we don’t attend to it. As they say, “The days are long but the years are short.”

What’s new?

I like to organize things. Thoughts in a journal, food in the fridge, books on a shelf, plans in the day, curriculum in the week… it is a release for me. This year I have been able to try my hand at organizing new things. A homeschool group, a women’s event, children’s art and sewing classes. I have also been fine-tuning my years of (nerdy) homeschool research into a 12yr game plan for the kids. I spent several late nights looking into the requirements in Texas for high school graduation and figuring out how we can fulfill those credits using the resources I have found. Scoff, but it actually helps me to see how short the time truly is before those final school years come and the wonderful opportunity we have in front of us to both savor and employ each year before then. Starting with the snuggly baby years.

Listen in — Luke’s latest podcast episodes

Documenting his journey as a sports management student, Luke interviews a variety of people within the industry. Listen on Apple or Spotify.

Take a peek — Recaps from our homeschool group

We had our final art class of the season in early July. Everyone stayed for a tea party — complete with mini cupcakes, banana bread, and two kinds of tea — to celebrate. Chaos control was a big part of keeping six kids 8yrs and under engaged. They kept me on my toes. However, practicing art, sharing about books we have read, and fellowshipping in general made this class a sweet one for me. A good warm up for what was to come.

Stitch classes started the following week. I had three 1hr classes with four students (5-12yrs old) each on Friday. The first week we made wool felt needle books, inspired by the very one that I made in a sewing class around twenty years ago. We sipped tea, nibbled cookies, and spent half of the class time having to rethread needles (and laughing about it). The next week we worked on embroidery. I got to show the girls two fun stitches to use in their own pieces.

Curriculum Corner

Growing up using literature-based curriculum was my favorite. I enjoyed reading, so any chance to have a large stack of fresh reads was a treat. I received as many years of history instruction as the average student in America but the history that has stuck with me is what I absorbed while reading historical fiction — some call them “living books”. To this day it is a favorite genre of mine to read. When I discovered Christian Focus Publication I knew one day I wanted to use their History Lives series in our home. Over the past six months we have been reading through book one in the series. We have learned about early church fathers that I had only heard of previously and through the stories in the book have been able to piece together more historical context than ever before. I am excited to get into book two in the coming weeks. Timothy already pulled it off the shelf and put it in their room for bedtime readings.

What We’re Ordering This Month

AZURE: So many herbs (all organic), for tea and cooking: garlic, chives, rose hips, peppermint, nettle, lemon balm, hibiscus, raspberry leaves, and red clover. I’m also ordering another 25lb bag of Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free flour (it lasts me about three months), coconut milk, applesauce, jasmine green tea, coconut sugar, and some canning jar lids.

Wild Oaks Apothecary: Hand soap bars and more beeswax taper candles. [Use code CHELSEA10 for 10% off every purchase!]

Go-To Recipes This Month

Gluten free banana bread with toasted coconut

Nettle iced tea mocktail

Homemade BBQ sauce

Currently Reading

Personal read: The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson

Chapter book read-aloud: Sophie Mouse - Lighting Bug Light Show by Poppy Green

Audiobook: Ansley’s Big Bake-Off by the Pitts sisters

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Hey friends, it’s Chelsea.

Summer has arrived and it actually came in pretty subtly for central Texas — our first high 100*F+ days just started. We are resting up after a week of Vacation Bible School followed by a horse-themed birthday party for our oldest son. Quite the kick off to the season!

What’s new?

Our local bookstore does a Summer Reading Reward Program that we very much enjoyed last summer so we jumped into it again this year. We selected our 40 books mostly from our own shelves and have been working our way through for about a week now. Timothy is super close to finishing the Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons book and he can read short stories on his own. Naomi is not far behind him. By the end of this summer I am going to have two full-on independent readers on my hands. This milestone… it is so surreal.

Listen in — Luke’s latest podcast episode

Documenting his journey as a sports management student, Luke recaps some ideas regarding Name-Image-Likeness. Listen on Apple or Spotify.

Take a peek — Recaps from our homeschool group

If you caught last month’s newsletter then you may recall that we had one final outing planned — berry picking! We did end up getting flash floods around the picking date and had to postpone but we made it out on a nice, cloudy day in early June. It was a lovely time. The farmer was so accommodating that I scheduled a farm tour field trip at her place for our group when we begin meeting again in the fall.

Over the summer I am teaching some art and sewing classes to a few kiddos. It has been a fun stretch for me to instruct a group of six grade schoolers every Friday. I’m thankful for the chance to grow in my teaching/managerial abilities in this setting, and for a real excuse to sit down and do art each week.

Curriculum Corner

One of the resources I picked up while I was doing monthly country unit studies with the kiddos some years ago was On Mission magazines from The Gentle & Classical Press. Out of everything that we tried (Little Passports, Kiwi Co, Eat2Explore, and Thistles & Biscuits) these magazines were my favorite resource. Last year they began offering printed student notebooks too. They have since changed course and no longer offer the notebooks but are instead releasing a Teacher’s Manual of sorts to help guide you in using a select number of their issues as a full year’s curriculum. For now we are just using it as a fun geography piece. Either way I recommend giving it a try.

What We’re Ordering This Month

AZURE: Bobs 1-to-1 gluten free flour, organic cane sugar, and organic gluten-free rolled oats.

Wild Oaks Apothecary: Hand soap bars (and dreaming of more linen kitchen towels too). [Use code CHELSEA10 for 10% off every purchase!

Go-To Recipes This Month

More like a go-to ingredient, a friend gave me a bunch of her fresh rosemary and I used it in so many ways…

• Ground beef with onion and rosemary (ground lamb would be so delicious this way)

• Gluten-free drop biscuits with rosemary (as burger buns)

• Gluten-free lemon, dark chocolate, rosemary scones (these were phenomenal!)

• Rosemary as decor around Timothy’s birthday cake

Currently Reading

Personal read: Habits by Charlotte Mason

Chapter book read-aloud: Clash inspired by Bethany Hamilton

Audiobook: Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

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Hey friends, it’s Chelsea.

Can we all just take a moment to thank the Lord for rain in Texas?! Spring comes around and we celebrate, knowing that the long dry season (summer) is just around the corner. This year we have been dealing with flooding though. So many crazy thunderstorms have passed through here. I told Luke to remind me when we go to buy land someday (I pray that day will be soon) to figure out if any of it would be swampy during the rainy season. Don’t want my future animals to wash away, ya know?

What’s new?

Luke got a job as a car salesman at Apple Sport Chevy-Ford, a dealership about 30min from us. He can sell across the country and if anyone reading this is in the market for something they have on the lot he’d love to help. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558635583700&mibextid=LQQJ4d He currently commutes with our one car, leaving the kids and I with a lot of home time. It’s been working out well so far — though there are nutty days.

For those who don’t know, we do school year round and take breaks when we feel we need them throughout the year. We have taken our sweet time easing into various subjects the past eleven months but the ‘type A’ part of me decided it would be nice to wrap up our current workbooks before “starting” another school year come July. Establishing this as a lesson in diligence and faithfulness I began making class schedules for the big kids to check off their math, handwriting, and reading lesson each day. If they are faithful all week we pay them a dollar. Two months in, they are doing wonderfully! They’re each saving toward something they’ve seen at our local bookstore.

Listen in — Luke’s latest podcast episode

Documenting his journey as a sports management student, Luke interviews a range of interesting people in sports. Listen on Apple or Spotify.

Take a peek — Recaps from our homeschool group

We braved the weather for the last nature walk scavenger hunt of the school year. I schedule walks once a month and flip flop between two trails. I always feel like one is my favorite of the two until I go to the other one again. Really, I love them equally. I know in about a month it’ll be too hot to enjoy these hikes so I was truly savoring it.

Our continent taste test potlucks have been an all time favorite. The kids aren’t always brave enough to try something new but it’s such a fun way to offer the chance at palette expansion, and we mamas don’t mind that there’s plenty left for us to enjoy. This month was our final one, next year we’re trying something different for our second week in the loop schedule, and that’s bittersweet. We went all out on European flavors to end on a sweet note.

Sadly the strawberry picking day I had planned out since September fell through at the very last minute. We’ve had flooding here due to the high volume of rain this spring so the berry patch was done for the season earlier than expected. However, a friend knew of a blackberry patch that was ripening and suggested reaching out to them about a field trip. That turned out to be a fruitful lead — pun intended. We have a picking date scheduled for the end of the month — as long as we don’t get rained out.

To celebrate the close of a great year of school together we met up at a park and shared ice cream treats and played. I’m already looking ahead to this coming fall when we launch the group afresh for another year.

Curriculum Corner

I came across Pentime handwriting books in a local shop one day and picked up level one for Naomi. It was so plain-Jane and economical I decided to get the next level when we had worked through the first one. By then Timothy wanted in on it too and, for the price, it was no problem to get a second copy. In one year they have gone through almost three workbooks each. The way the levels go the one they’re in now is a transition from print to cursive. I was glad for them to learn the dying art of cursive penmanship but I understood their apprehensions at the shift. I’ve always told them that we don’t have to do it if it’s too overwhelming but if they choose to press in they can be sure they will pick it up. I’m pleased to report the courage they have acted with, and the deep joy they express each time they learn how to do a new letter well.

What We’re Ordering This Month

AZURE: Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 flour, organic cane sugar, organic rolled oats, organic ground cinnamon, organic palm fruit shortening, and organic dates (chopped). Baking staples for muffins, cookies, scones, and (the best!) baked oatmeal — recipe linked below in this newsletter. I also ordered avocado oil mayo, organic jasmine rice, organic rooibos tea, and organic jasmine green tea.

Wild Oaks Apothecary: Dish soap and beeswax taper candles. [Use code CHELSEA10 for 10% off every purchase!

Go-To Recipes This Month

Vegan Baked Oatmeal

(Our Favorite) Gluten-free Muffins

Mango Salsa — mango, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt

Currently Reading

Personal read: M is for Mama by Abbie Halberstadt

Chapter book read-aloud: The Giant Killer by Charlotte Maria Tucker

Audiobook: Mary Jones and Her Bible by Mary Ropes

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Let’s begin here.

It’s April but shortly it won’t be. Birthdays keeping coming and going, the year is marked by the cycle of seasonal feasts (holy pauses), and school continues it’s regular ebbing and flowing. Luke and I are up to our own little creative ventures — always communicating something we find valuable to the people we think it will bless most. The children are all in the throws of ‘becoming’ and every growth spurt or benchmark of life skill meets them each in due time.

Why a newsletter?

Having been off social media for most of my kids’ young lives I have no desire to get back on, posting for passersby. I’ve been blogging publicly for 14yrs and even started a YouTube channel to further be able to document and share pertinent information. However, I want to be able to share our personal news with those who truly care. This post free. It is an example of what I aim to share with paid subscribers moving forward. My kiddos will want to share their big ideas too, so you won’t want to miss out on their two cents!

Listen in — Luke’s latest podcast episode

Documenting the journey of a sports management student. Listen on Apple or Spotify.

Take a peek — Recaps from our homeschool group

Our nature walk this month fell on the hottest day we have had this season. A little taste of summer temps — just enough to remind us how much we’ll be sweating soon. It was good to be following the familiar shade-covered path along the river, and to fellowship afterward in the pavillion. Luke was able to join us for the first time this month which was sweet.

We were going to do a taste test potluck of flavors from Africa (which I was drooling just thinking about) but ended up having to cancel due to half our group being unavailable and my family getting a gnarly cold.

While the sick bug hung around our house the rest of the group was able to head out to a local farm for a great tour. The owner/operator was extremely kind and was generous with his expertise, passing along a wealth of insight for growing in this location and working with our seasons.

As the rain filled up the forecast we bumped up a planned trip out to our friend’s homestead. Spending an afternoon out there is such a refreshment. The kids roam freely and interact with all the critters. Right now there are baby chicks, kittens, and goats, as well as a big puppy and, of course, the dear rescue ponies we love to ride.

Curriculum Corner

Naomi and Timothy are both well on their way to learning to read. Timothy actually led the charge on this interest. The kids all love to “read”, sitting to pour over books silently, but figuring out words for themselves is something I am so excited for them to gain. We are using Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons and it is working wonderfully for both kids — even with their different ages and opposite learning styles.

What We’re Ordering This Month

AZURE: Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 flour and organic shredded coconut. Keeping on hand the ingredients I need to make our new tea party staples — coconut cookies and gluten-free scones.

Wild Oaks Apothecary: Hand soap, dish soap, dish brushes, sea sponge, lip balm, and beeswax taper candles. [Use code CHELSEA10 for 10% off every purchase!

Go-To Recipes This Month

Gluten-free Roasted Strawberry Oat Scones with Chocolate Chunks

Crockpot Bone Broth

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Currently Reading

Personal read: Susanna Wesley (The Sower series)

Chapter book read-aloud: (Sophie Mouse series)

Audiobook: These Happy Golden Years