Happy New Year! I can’t believe it’s been exactly one year since I last blogged. Life must have been crazy. It’s definitely been an emotionally challenging year, the reasons which I hope to share one day, once the dust has settled (does it ever settle in family life?). It has also been a year filled with changes, the major one being that I’m no longer homeschooling. Yup, you heard that right. After 14 years, we have made the difficult but hopefully right decision to send all the kids to school.
A series of events led my husband and I to decide that homeschooling was no longer serving our family well. This isn’t a knock on homeschooling at all. I still firmly believe that it is a wonderful way of educating one’s children, especially in this climate of idealogical insanity. We certainly don’t regret our decision to educate our children at home. But, last year it became clear that for one of my kids, going to school was, at the very least, something that we needed to try for their sake. So we started researching and praying for a good school option. To make a long story short, what do you know, the Lord always provides. A new, tiny private Catholic school had just opened its doors – and it’s literally a few blocks away from our house! I always pray for clear signs, but this one takes the crown. After a few more months of deliberation, conversation and prayer, we took the plunge. So now our youngest 3 kids (ages 4, 9, and 11) are proud students at Mater Boni Consilii Academy.
So far the transition has been a positive one. It hasn’t been without its hiccups, but we feel at peace knowing that our kids are receiving a solid Catholic education, surrounded by teachers and staff who care about their development as a whole person. It’s been hard for me to let go of homeschooling, which, to be frank, has been a huge part of my identity. But life is often about letting go, and so here we are.
Many people ask me now, what am I doing with all this free time? Well, I’m ironing a whole lotta school uniforms, for one. Actually, I’ve been surprised by the reality that I’m quite busy. I’m pretty involved at the school, which I love. I’m finally cleaning areas of my house that haven’t seen the light of day for the better part of a decade. I’m trying to get all the house management done during the weekdays so the weekends aren’t so crazy. I’m also focusing on my health and well-being. The past few years have been filled with challenges that have taken a toll on myself and my marriage. So, we’re taking this time to heal, recover, exercise and pray. I’m reconnecting with friends. I’m reading more. I’m listening to the Hallow app. The hubby and I switched our nightly walks to the mornings, so now we get the extra added benefit of more energy and vitamin D.
I’m also eager to dedicate time and effort on something that has been in my heart for years. I want to help out engaged and newly married couples in their journey. So I’m taking steps to becoming a Catholic marriage coach. I’m super excited and a little scared about taking this step, but I believe that God is putting this desire in my heart for a reason, and it’s time to heed the call.
Finally, I’m committing to giving this dear old blog some much needed TLC. Fingers crossed, you’ll be seeing a lot more posts coming your way.
May 2025 be a year filled with blessings, growth and love.
