I conducted this interview quite awhile back, but recently their baby, “Mighty Joe”, has been diagnosed with enterovirus. PLEASE keep him in your prayers and read updates on his condition on his mommy’s blog Preschoolers and Peace.

There are far fewer homeschooling dad blogs out there than mom blogs. What first drew you to blogging? Is it what you expected?

Yes, I have also noticed that the mom vs. dad blogging ratio is skewed. Here’s the funny thing…blogging for me was just a means to an end. theMangoTimes began as a monthly email newsletter for friends and family members that I wrote to chronicle our family adventures. I eventually took theMangoTimes online, but the design and coding just took too much of my time. Homeschoolblogger.com made it very easy for me to continue recording our family antics, so I would say that specifically HSB is what drew me to blogging. So, like I said, I wasn’t looking to start a blog as much as I was looking to continue theMangoTimes. It also helped focus my writing a bit more on who we are as a family, record our family identity and share what makes us unique (homeschooling, theology, etc…). Answering your second question, in a sense, blogging is not what I expected, because it has changed the look and feel of theMangoTimes, but at the same time I love it, because it has allowed me to try new things and write on new topics.

How do you feel about the successfulness of your blog? Were you surprised to have such a big readership?

I have always said that I write theMangoTimes for two people, one of them being my wife, Kendra. So, my definition of success with my blog is not based on any awards or recognition. I am successful when I write something that makes Kendra laugh out loud (double points if she spills or snorts what she’s drinking at the time). That being said, I am also no longer surprised by my readership. Several years ago, I went to a wedding where I didn’t know anyone but the bride and groom. At one point I was introduced to a complete stranger who responded with, “Oh, I know you…you are the Mango guy who writes theMangoTimes!” So, from the very beginning, I understood the concept of the WORLD wide web. However, I am shocked to find people reading and linking to theMT. I’m still shocked I won the like to think that what I write is witty, but if you don’t know me, I’m still surprised that anyone would actually want to read my blog.

If I am correct you have 8 children, right? Can you tell us a little about them and your family’s homeschooling style.

Yes…you are correct. On Cinco de Mayo, we welcomed our eighth child. If you’ve ever read my wife’s blog, you will notice that she is an organization nazi, so we have been accused of organizational family planning. Our first three children are boys (my uncles and brother all had daughters, so personally, I think I was worried about continuing the family name). Next, we had three girls in a row and suddenly our homeschool became co-ed (had to modify all the bathrooms and put in a girl’s locker room…etc…). Then in the last year, we have added another two little boys. See what I mean? We are completelyo organized. Neither of us came from a large family (actually both of our families just give us nervous smiles when we announce another pregnancy), but we have always trusted God to give us the children that he wants through birth or adoption.

Our oldest is in high school and we have privately homeschooled since the very beginning (no charter/co-op school). We use the classical model for education, so in any given year we have kids being educated at some point of the trivium. We teach history on a four year cycle and each kid has a handpicked curriculum.

Your wife is also a former HSBA winner. Did you are your wife start blogging first? Do you have a lot of dicussions about blogging? My husband does not blog (yet), but we have often finished an adventure or a discussion only to declare it “blog worthy”… can you relate?

Yes, my wife and I swept the HSBA mom and dad awards this year…it was a big day in the Fletcher house with speeches and receptions and so forth. Officially, my wife started blogging first and at the time she actually had a purpose (since it developed out of multiple repeat questions she received from speaking at homeschool conferences). In order to resurrect theMangoTimes, she encouraged me to move it to a blog format. We do tend to talk a lot about blogging and we each have our favorite writers, so when I link to someone off of my blog, I truly mean they are a “favorite.”

We also discuss when something is “blog worthy.” I will often comment on something that my wife is doing with our homeschool and follow it up with, “You should write about that…” In my case, I have a few recurring topics that my readers will send in ideas about. Also, we regularly say to one another, “Ah…another fine moment for theMangoTimes.”

I was very interested to see the links on your blog to Family Integrated Churches… a subject very near and dear to my heart. Can you tell us more about the concept?

That would have to be a completely separate interview and if readers really want more discussion, they can read it on my blog (links available if you would like?). However, in a nutshell, aside from my job as a dentist, I am an ordained elder in a presbyterian church (www.centralvalleypresbyterian.org). We helped to create this church five years ago, but have maintained a vision for family-integrated worship for the past ten years. It’s actually a very simple concept: we keep the family together for worship and discipleship. That means that our church does not utilize children’s church. We worship together as families. Sermons are given to the entire family. Sunday school is taught to the entire family (so we do not segregate our teaching time by age/ability). The primary benefit is that everyone in the family goes home with the same teaching. The challenge is to actually pull this philosophy off. Visitors are challenged when they realize there is no place to dump their kids. Parents are challenged when they are expected to break the contents of the teaching down to their littlest children. I am challenged as a pastor to actually teach my dad (aged 77), my wife (late 30’s) and my daughter (age 4) the same topic and hope that I reach each of them.

Conceptually, it is actually a philosophy that I think appeals to homeschooling families, since they’ve already adopted a “unique” way to educate and this is just a “unique ” way to worship. I’ve heard the criticism and I have actually answered some of it. Personally, I’ve seen this work and I’ve also seen it fail. If the church leadership is behind the idea, I believe it’s the best format for church ministry.

I enjoyed reading the section of your blog that explained the title The Mango Times… very clever! I am, however, curious to know more about your tag line, “Quietly Making Noise”. Could you tell us what inspired it and what it means to you?

Ha! This is where I lose any serious homeschoolers (note to self: readership in theMangoTimes is about to decline!) Many of my references from my blog come from my hidden love for Jimmy Buffett music and all things tropical or island like. “Quietly Making Noise” is a song written and performed by Jimmy Buffett. I chose this as my tagline from the very beginning, because it sums up what I am doing with my blog. I am trying to make a little noise and I am trying to ruffle a few feathers. Too many Christians and homeschoolers have it all figured out and they are all noisy about it when they tell you how/why you should do things like them. For me, it’s not what people believe, but how they go about telling you what they believe that turns me away.

That is where I come in. Like everyone else, I want to make a little “noise.” I actually think the noise I make is pretty good, I just want to make it quietly without drawing a whole bunch of attention to myself. If and when I get a strong reaction from someone (for example, when I say that Family Integrated worship is the best format for church ministry!), I love to remind my very noisy critics that they are arguing with theMangoTimes…home of the spinning blender, comfy hammock, and summer tan!

Who does the photography for your blog? It is very good. I really enjoyed the new baby pictures (especially the black and whites… beautiful!)

Thanks for noticing. Unless I give specific citation or credit to another photographer, all the photography found on my blog is mine. It’s one of my loves and I’ve even published a book of my favorites (http://www.themangotimes.com/?p=397). I love making pictures of my family to chronicle who we are and what we have done over the years.

How involved are you in the actual homeschooling process… academically speaking?

Several ways. First, I allow for my wife to spend time and resources to prepare for the school year. Initially, it was just something she asked for, now it is something I like to think we require. I come into the picture by understanding that she needs concentrated time to plan the year. So, not only am I giving her the weekend (kid free) to get it all done, but I serve as a sounding board to her regarding which books will be included in the reading list, which curriculum we will use for math, science, history, etc…for each of the kids.

Second, I’ve always been the math teacher. I readily admit that due to her organization, Kendra is much more faithful to teaching, following up and evaluating the progress of our kids than I am, but I have been the math teacher and I am faithful to monitor and evaluate that one subject.

Third, as my children enter high-school, I begin to take them to work with me each day. So, I am directly supervising their school work at my office. I’ve created a school room onsite and they are personally responsible to me for the work accomplished each day. I realize not every dad can do this, but it has been really nice for our family and it keeps me engaged daily.

Today’s interviewee, Karen Woodward, is our 2005 winner of the “Best International Homeschool Blog” award.  Karen and her family served as missionaries for 10 years in Romania. She currently blogs at For Such a Time as Now and resides in Virginia. Below, Karen shares advice for those considering missions, encourages those who are homeschooling in “less than ideal” situations, and proves it is possible to blog AND maintain a clean desk at the same time. If you’ve never visited Karen’s blog, do so today. You’re in for a treat.  I enjoyed reading her anwers to my questions and I bet you will too.

Tell us a little bit about your family.
My husband John and I have been married for 21 years. He was in law enforcement when we met. Six years after we were married, he resigned from the Virginia State Police and began studying for the ministry. We have 3 children. Gabriel is 17. He enjoys art, drama and history. He is the family comedian and keeps us laughing. Hannah is 15. She has a sweet spirit and gentle nature. Her passion is photography and shopping! She also has a blog.  Holly is 10. She is a girly girl and loves anything pink and sparkly. Her goal in life right now is to be a teenager.

Karen, you and your family were missionaries for 10 years to Romania. What is your favorite memory from that time?
It’s really hard to choose one favorite memory out of 10 years. One of my favorite moments was during our last year. We had gone to a conference with national Romanian pastors. It was similar to a missions conference. They found out that it was my birthday and they sang to me, gave me a beautiful wreath and the children gave me a bouquet of flowers.

What a wonderful tribute to the love and respect these pastors had for you Karen. I’m a MK and remember vividly graduating from high school and moving to the states for college. I stood in the grocery store in awe…..out and out shock. Did you and/or your family have any similar culture shock when you moved back to the states?
One of the things that was a surprise to my family was the friendliness of the cashiers in the stores here in the states. It was such a shock to be greeted with a “Hello” and a smile.

Can you share a bit about what your family is currently doing?
When we returned to the States in March of 2007, we had no idea of what we would be doing. I am not yet ready to share online about the direction that we are heading but I will say that we never imagined that we would be walking down this road. I will also add that John will be taking some tests on July 8th concerning this path and I am begging for fervent prayers.

You have my prayers, and I’m sure many of our readers will pray for you and your husband’s test as well.

Do you have any advice you care to share for a young person or family interested in pursuing missions? (This is a personal question as our 21 yo is planning on going overseas in the next year or two).
First of all, take a first aid/CPR course. Medical conditions in most other countries cannot compare to what we are used to in the United States. Second, have a good grasp on English grammar. Knowing your own language well will help in learning a foreign language. Third and probably most important, be prepared to find the enemy in unexpected places.

Great advice. Do you have a favorite must-read-before-you-graduate book on missions that you’d recommend?
I’ve read several biographies of missionaries but the one that really made an impact on my life was William Carey. His first wife became such a burden to him and his ministry. It became my prayer that I would not be a hindrance to my husband and ultimately to God’s work.

What does a typical homeschool day look like in your home?
This past year has been a difficult homeschool year. We not only moved back to the States but then we moved from Alabama to Virginia. The expense was tremendous and we found it necessary for me to go back to work part time. I was a teacher in the public schools before we had children of our own and it made sense to become a substitute teacher. That meant that I had to do a lot of planning on the weekends and have assignments written down for the children to do independently. On a day that I am working, I leave before anyone else is awake. Gabriel is usually the first one to get up and he will start on his schoolwork immediately after he eats. Hannah and Holly get up a bit later and they do their work. When I come home in the afternoon, I go over their work with them and see if they have any questions. It’s not the best scenario but it works. Thankfully, John works in the evenings and can be home with them during the day. The best situation in any homeschool would be for the mom to be at home, but life is not always ideal. I will be working full time for 12 weeks beginning in August. I am hoping that we will have our debts paid off soon after that and I can be a full time stay at home mom again. Meanwhile, I would love to be able to encourage others that homeschooling is still possible when life is less than ideal.

Karen thanks so much for sharing honestly. Your gracious words are an encouragement. What a joy to hear how God faithfully enabled your family to fulfill the call to homeschool even in the midst of less than ideal circumstances.

Would you care to share a piece of advice for new homeschoolers?
Don’t try to do 5 or 6 subjects with the early grades. Concentrate on reading and math.

What is your favorite book on homeschooling?
Amazingly, I don’t really have a favorite book.

Karen you’ve been blogging for quite a few years. When DID you begin?
I began blogging on June 18, 2005.

What motivated you to begin blogging?
I was researching online about notebooking and came across Cindy Rushton’s webpage. I joined her Mom to Mom group and one day she had a message saying that everyone should get a blog. I didn’t really know what a blog was but I decided to check it out. It quickly became a passion.

What are some of the good and the bad things that blogging has brought into your life?
Good things have been meeting blogging friends in real life like Julie , Patricia  and Cindy Rushton. The bad things would be spending too much time on the computer and neglecting my lifelong passion for books.

Overall would you say blogging has been a positive experience? What advice do you have for others just starting to blog?
Overall, blogging has definitely been a positive experience. I have found encouragement both in reading other blogs and from comments made on mine. My advice to new bloggers would be to monitor your time spent on blogging. Also, don’t be afraid to comment on other people’s blogs. It’s great to know that someone has actually read your blog and you just might be the encouragement they needed for that day.

What are your favorite topics to blog about?
My family and how God is working in our lives.

Can we see a photo of your desk where you blog?

Do you have any passions besides blogging and missions that you’d like to share with us?
Reading! I love reading Christian fiction and biographies.

Thanks for taking the time to let us get to know you a bit better, Karen. I’ve enjoyed visiting your blog in the past few weeks. I’ll be checking in for my dose of encouragement For Such a Time as Now.

Today I am interviewing Dana Hanley. Dana graduated from college and planned to have no more than one child while she pursued her goal of a career in journalism or political science. She is now a homeschooling mom to four precious children. Dana currently blogs at Principled Discovery. She also writes a column titled, “Homeschool in the News” over at Heart of the Matter Online.

Tell us a little bit about your family.
My husband and I met as exchange students in Germany. He from Australia and I from the US. So it’s a good thing I wanted to go to Germany and he was passed over for the spot to Sweden. Else we never would have met, never would have married, and four lovely children just wouldn’t be.

The one thing that amazes me most is how different each of our children are. Despite sharing in the same gene pool and the same parenting, they are truly unique individuals. Each day I am challenged to encourage them, to challenge them and to educate them.

What does a typical day look like in your home?
The typical day starts later than I planned and is filled with the typical distractions of a curious one year old and a three year old who wants to do everything with us. I have learned to be ready to involve her, but sometimes I still get frustrated that we cannot “just get things done.” I am very goal-oriented, and sitting back and just enjoying the process, regardless of the mess and the extra time involved, is something I am working on.

We do more formal, school-like lessons for math and spelling and I try a more tutorial approach for everything else. This is rather intensive because it involves a great deal of planning to make myself more of a “living text book.” It is worth the effort…but I do not always commit the time to do it well. And then things can be somewhat more chaotic. That isn’t exactly typical, but it happens way more than I would like and is a good preface for the day I share for the next question!

What does a perfect day look like for you?
The nearest thing we experienced to a “perfect” day was our lesson on Jesus as the Bread of Life. We still have those moments, but it is rare that my children are that engaged for that length of time. It was a very rewarding time for all of us and we all learned from the lesson.

Do you have a separate room where you homeschool?
No. We do the formal part of our day in the front room with the baby and the toddler in my lap, the five year old at my feet playing with his train track and my nine year old seated next to me. When she needs quiet to read or write, she will usually retire to her desk in her room.

Would you like to share any advice for a new homeschooler?
I am just finishing my fourth year so I really am still a beginner myself. I still remember the insecurity of beginning something completely new that I had never really considered very deeply, the desire for affirmation and the fear of what would happen to my children should I fail.

If I were to give advice, it would be to take the time to really develop a philosophy of education and to write it down. This is really just a statement of what you believe about education, the role you play as a teacher and what you want your children to accomplish. Use this as your guide in purchasing decisions and the decisions you make regarding your children;s education rather than the “latest and greatest” program everyone is buzzing about.

It is easy to project our ideals on those around us and imagine that all of these “superwomen” we meet in homeschool groups and at conventions greet their eager children every morning with a smile, a prayer and lessons completely planned which are pulled off without a hitch. Real life rarely looks as good as it is portrayed in books and in speeches, however. Don’t set the bar so high it is unattainable or you will likely give up in defeat.

And remember to relax and have try to have fun with your children every day.

Dana, how long have your been blogging?
Three years.

What motivated you to begin blogging?
I posted a summary of my first day of first grade to a forum and several people emailed me and encouraged me to start a blog to record our days, both as an encouragement to others and as a record of our accomplishments. I didn’t know what a blog was, didn’t know why anyone would want to read my ramblings about our school day and figured I’d keep it up for about a week. But I started one anyway, because I’m always game for something new. Especially if it involves writing.

I enjoyed it much more than I would have imagined (kind of like my tentative start into homeschooling, actually) and do not really see myself stopping anytime soon. My blog has moved twice now, and changed focus at least as many times. Or perhaps I should say it has developed a focus beyond whatever I am thinking about for the day.

You blog deals a lot with current events, so I’ll assume these are the issues you most like to blog about. What are some of your favorite sources for staying current?
I mostly get my news from Google Alerts. It is easy to set up an account and news stories relevant to different keywords are delivered to my email account. This allows me to skim several stories without having to actively search for them. I also subscribe to a number of blogs and am active in a few forums. While I actually prefer the stories which develop out of these conversations, this is also the most time consuming way to stay current and find something to blog about.

How much time would you guess you spend on blogging during a typical week?
That is a difficult question to answer because so much of what I blog about has to do with projects I am already working on. My best guess would be ten hours just because it generally takes me an an hour to write a decent post.

What are some good things that blogging has brought into your life?
Mostly it has given me a voice and connections to people as passionate about their beliefs as I am. It has given me an outlet for my writing and an ability to speak with adults about adult things throughout the day rather than being so focused on the children all day. I actually dealt with this quite a bit in a recent entry: How online communication has affected me.

Have there been pitfalls?
The biggest struggle for me has been the tension between the time I spend on my blog and the desire to write for publication. Blogging satisfies most of my “drive” to write, and I enjoy the conversation. But opportunities I used to pursue have remained neglected. On the other hand, however, my blog has been the doorway into all of the writing I have done for other publications. I never pursued blogging for that reason, but perhaps someday it will help with my other goals.

Overall would you say blogging has been a positive experience? What advice do you have for others just starting to blog?
I love blogging. It is a wonderful way to share your ideas and make connections with others with similar world views. It is also a great way to be challenged in your beliefs about the world, and refine what you believe and why you believe it as you will almost inevitably be confronted with people you disagree with. Some people enjoy this part of blogging more than others. (I happen to be one who enjoys that aspect!)

Getting started, however, I would suggest really deciding why it is you want to blog. To connect with family and friends? To converse about a specific topic? To share your knowledge? For traffic and attention? How to go about getting started will depend a lot on the answers to those kinds of questions. As time goes on, it is easy to get distracted by traffic and lose focus because of a desire to get more traffic. On the other hand, it can also seem like a pointless endeavor to continue sharing your thoughts to an audience of three.

I can really only answer that question for those who have similar goals as I do, but I love talking about blogging, so am more than willing to answer any questions!

Can we see a photo of your desk where you blog?

Sure! On it you will notice the night time resting place of Kit Kat, the family gerbil. She stays up there at night for fear of what the dog might do while we are asleep and what curious young ones might do should they awaken before mom. The stack of papers in my cubby is my “to do” stack. And you may notice the calendar. Technically, it is my blogging/writing calendar. At the moment, it looks as if I have no deadlines or things to worry myself over. But that is just because, at over two weeks into May, I haven’t taken the time to transfer things from my email box and scrap sheets of paper.

Are there other spots on the web where our readers can find your writings?
Yes, I also write a monthly column, “Homeschool in the News,” for Heart of the Matter. And my first feature article is still archived over at Crosswalk.com.

Do you have any passions besides blogging that you’d like to share with us?

Reading, writing, teaching my children and becoming more like Christ. Not necessarily in that order.Come July, I will be slipping a new endeavor into that list as I launch Home School Talk, a radio talk show broadcast over the internet.

Thanks for taking the time to give us a glimpse into you, your family, homeschool and blog. I’ll be waiting with anticipation for the roll out of your new radio show. I plan to sign up with Google Alerts before the week is over.

Today I’m interviewing Mrs. Kim Brenneman at Large Family Logistics. She won Best Homemaking or Recipes Blog in the Homeschool Blog Awards back in 2006. Mrs. Brenneman is widely known for her Home Management for large families. She also has a yahoo group that you can join, which sends daily to weekly to monthly reminders to get mothers on a scheduel to help keep the home running smoothly. Kim is a mother nine beautiful children ages 16, 14, 12, 9, 7, 6, 4, 2, and Baby.

1. Please tell us about your family and your home-life.

We are a family of eleven now with little Baby Matthew being quite an exclamation point. He was born at 26 weeks gestation, spent 3 months in the NICU, and turned our lives upside down and inside out. God used that trial to teach our family many things.

My husband Matt is plant operations manager for a seed corn business, farms 300 acres of rotating corn and soybeans, and 50 beef cows. He’s a busy man but has always included our children in his farm work. That has translated into our oldest sons being very involved and capable of doing nearly all the farm work at 14 and 16. This year they will be renting ground and getting their own start with the use of their dad’s equipment. Our oldest girls are 12 and 9 and wonderful right arms for me. They can soothe a baby, make Asian Chicken Wraps for lunch, put Beef Pot Roast in the crockpot for supper, sew a skirt in an afternoon on a treadle machine, and are more domestically capable than I was at 20. Growing up on a farm has also made them great helpers for their Dad. They milk a goat twice daily, and currently bottle feed a baby goat, lamb, and calf. We don’t work all the time, it seems that every time I turn around I’m pulling someone out of a book. The next two children are peas in a pod, they are 18 months apart and the children that everyone asked of, “Are they twins?” They are 7 and 6, can unload the dishwasher in less than 5 minutes, are reading everything in sight, and can’t wait for the weather to warm up so they can catch frogs. Our 4 year old is a little mommy to Baby Matthew and her dolls while singing and humming continuously. The two year old is starting to talk quite a bit and her antics amuse us all day long. She can throw a fit to put most two year olds to shame–we’re working on that!

2. How and where did you grow up? What did you aspire to be when you “grew up” as a child?

I grew up on a farm 1 1/2 miles south of where we live and my husband grew up on a farm 2 miles east of us. Our children are so blessed to have close grandparents! Our families are Christian so we have that blessing also, but we grew up in the school system and will always carry those scars. It seems that driving hedonism, humanism, and relativism out of ourselves is rather difficult! My mother is a nurse but stayed at home until I was twelve. When I was little I wanted to be like her a mom and a nurse. Then she went back to work and I missed her. I decided I would NOT be a nurse because I didn’t like the hours. I was going to be a school teacher and a mom so that I would be home when my children were. That was my goal until had my first baby in the midst of my college education. My husband and I were very committed to me being a stay at home mom. His mom stayed home and between the two of us we were very familiar with the stability and comfort of a home with a mother in it.

3. What is an average homeschool day for you and your family? Can you show us a picture of your sweet kids?

At this moment in time the older children are gathered around the dining room table folding laundry, soon they will be leaving for piano lessons, the nine year old is on to make lunch when they get home, then reading this afternoon, chores, and the 12 year old has supper duty tonight. Most mornings the children sit around the dining room table doing their “book work”. We always start with Bible.

4. When did you decide that homeschooling was for your family and what method did you use?

When our oldest was a baby I gleaned a lot of baby wisdom from another mom at church who had five children. Her children were sweet, pleasant, well mannered, intelligent and homeschooled. We watched and admired those children. As the years went by they had more babies and we had more babies. My questions to this mom changed to stubborn toddler questions and then school began to loom on the horizon. I could not bear the thought of putting my sweet tender boy on the school bus to learn what he already knew. We live far enough from town that it would be an hour ride both ways. Two hours on the school bus! I remember the school bus all too well. I started asking my mentor questions about homeschooling and she started handing me materials. It didn’t take long for us to decide to homeschool due to several philosophical reasons beyond avoiding two hours a day of the school bus.

My homeschooling mentor used a boxed curriculum but I leaned to the more creative and eclectic. There were several years that we tended to be Classical with Charlotte Mason thrown in a bit. We are all about reading classic books and going with the interests of each child. Next year we are going to do something completely different with the 13 and under crowd. It has been several years since we read the Little House books aloud and so we’re going to do that and the Prairie Primer unit study. We’re going to set up our family room as an old fashioned one-room school and use reprints of the classic curriculum: Ray’s Arithmetic, Webster’s Blue Back Speller, The New England Primer, McGuffey’s Readers, Nature Readers, Anna Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study, old history reprints and more. If they all enjoy this, we might do it for the following year and work through the unit study for Anne of Green Gables. The beauty of homeschooling is that we can do different things as the dynamics of our families change. The period that we did Classical was when my oldest boys were in elementary and junior high. I am so glad that God led us down that path for that period. Now that they are young adult men they are so busy with entrepreneurial pursuits, working here on the farm and working for others that I can hardly keep them inside to do schoolwork. When they are here, they work diligently on math, science, and writing. They know to put their head down and work. I think that we spent enough time on history for them to be well versed in all time periods. I have said when our oldest was 14 that he knew more history than I did when I graduated from high school. Of course I would like them to know more and I often use reading a Christian living or history book as an incentive to do something. I.E. They want to go to the Teen Pact national convention and in order to do that I have books lined up to read before hand, they are driving there and I will send along educational audios that they are expected to listen to and report to me on. The next three children are girls that love to read and do activities. I think a couple of years of old fashioned school, The Prairie Primer, and Where the Brook Meets the River (Anne of Green Gables) will be appropriate. I really think it is important that we be sensitive to the educational needs and interests of each child.

All of that said, the most important lessons to be learned are when we walk with our children and proactively teach them how God wants us to live. I think it is a very common error to fall into a method or curriculum as the “be all, end all”. A method is a means to an end, it is not the end. Our goal as Christians is Godly seed for future generations it’s not simply to save our child a bus trip and have fun with them.

5. What does your homeschool/work space look like? Can you show us a picture?

That would be a picture of my whole house and farm. All of life is learning and that is homeschooling. I formulate my thoughts for writing all throughout the day. My mind constantly churns ideas. When I can grab a minute or hour I sit down and the words pour out. Editing and organizing my writing is what I have trouble getting around to. Editing takes more concerted thought and it’s hard to do that with the noise level here.

6. How long have you been blogging?

I started blogging in December of 2004 at the prompting of my friend Samantha Blythe. I had put together a yahoo group for email reminders of things to do during the homeschool day. If a mom needs reminded of what to do next, the email reminder message tells her what that next thing is. We can get so busy and overwhelmed with the tyranny of the urgent that we don’t know what to do. The email reminder group can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LargeFamilyLogistics/. Samantha encouraged me to blog about the details of how to do the next thing and that’s what started the blog. I started to compile it all into book form and that slowed down my blogging time, then last June we had Baby Matthew and the only blogging I’ve done since then have been updates on life with him. Now life is normalizing, the Large Family Logistics book is nearing completion and I plan to blog more regularly in the future. We are planning a large garden, gardening year round, and blogging about that also.

7. What do you like to blog about the most?
I really like to teach what I’ve learned or am learning. I also write to encourage people. Since starting to blog I have received hundreds of emails from desperate moms. There are a couple of generations not taught how to care for their homes or how to live at home. They were trained for careers not babies, homekeeping, and homeschooling. I want to encourage these moms that they can do what God has called them to and the instructions are found in the Bible. Not how to vacuum a room, how to clean cupboards, or make a good broth but the instructions for how to handle the overwhelming feelings of discouragement are found in God’s Word. These moms don’t need “me time” like the world purports but time with Jesus.

8. What are some hobbies you enjoy?
I love all the things to do with home and family, sewing, gardening, cooking, photographing memories and scrapbooking them. I also enjoy being outdoors hiking, canoeing, sight seeing. I love to read and write. I like to watch the sky.

9. What encourages you when you’re feeling out of sorts?
When I’m feeling out of sorts it has always been because my eyes aren’t on Jesus and doing His will but instead caught up in myself and how things weren’t going my way. I have learned to recognize that and check myself. If I don’t check myself I end up lashing out at someone, the nearest person usually, and making my problem all their fault. What a horrible thing to do! I am a sinner saved by grace. I don’t deserve God’s grace, I can’t earn it by trying to do the right thing all the time, I have to come to Jesus daily, repent, and study His word. Scriptures I have learned over the years, conversing with God throughout the day and talking to my children about God’s goodness make those “out of sort” times become times for further sanctification. God wants us to know our need for Him and to come to Him for encouragement. “Check yourself before you wreck yourself.”

10. What is your favoutire Scripture?
I don’t really have a favorite. I love the Psalms for their encouragement and the way that they describe God and His attributes. I love Proverbs for their practical advice. I love to read about Jesus in the gospels. The epistles are convicting and instructive. Studying a person of the Bible is always interesting and full of lessons. I grew up Christian but there was a period of time when I lived very self centered. I hardened my heart to God but He did not let me go. He always brought me to a passage in Ephesians 4.

17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

If you keep reading there is further instructions on living as renewed Christians. Those words that God has used over and over to bring me out of selfish living have guided my life. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit in our daily lives to guide us each step.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Thank you Mrs. Brenneman so much for taking the time out of your busy homeschool schedule to answer my questions. I hope this gave you, the readers, an insight on Mrs. Brenneman’s life. You can stop over to her site for more large family encouragement!

Today we are interviewing our 2007 Best NEW Homeschool Blog winner. Kristine’s winning blog can be viewed at Mama Archer’s Blog. It has been a pleasure to get to know Kristine through her blog.

1. Tell us a little bit about your family.

I go by MamaArcher online (my last name is not Archer BTW). This comes from Psalm 127. I am a Christian and I seek to honor God and bring glory to his name in all I do. I am very aware of all my failings and am so thankful for his grace, mercy, and forgiveness! I am married to a wonderful man. He is a minister serving in the USAF. We currently have 8 children and one on the way. I am finishing up my 12th year of homeschooling.

2. Kristine and I have a few things in common. We are both moms of large homeschooling families and we are both spouses of Air Force Chaplains. I know I have a list of “comments” I’ve received as we traveled from state to state. Can you share the funniest comment you’ve heard about your family size?

Most comments tend to be ones of shock and unfortunately there are also many negative comments. We are always thankful for the positive ones. However, the funniest one we have had, on several occasions is this…

When people find out that my hubby is a minister and then the number of children that we have they tend to automatically ask one particular question. “Are you Catholic?” To this my hubby simply replies, “well, I wouldn’t make a very good priest would I?” It takes a moment but people usually figure it out.

3. What does a typical day look like in your home?

I don’t know if I can really describe a typical day. Things are somewhat flexible around here. I do like to keep to a schedule and will most likely write about that next month on The Heart of the Matter. I am not overly rigid with my scheduling. We have fallen into a rountine but each day is a bit different. Some days we have piano and other days we have unexpected things arise. I have a post with the basic outline (opening of school day) and the curriculum we use. School Days at the Anderson Academy.

4. What is the one “chore” you, personally, would rather avoid?

I hate doing dishes!

5. What does a perfect day look like for you?

There is no such thing as an absolutely perfect day. Have you ever had a day where everything went the way you intended? But I would consider a perfect day to be one in which we accomplish our schoolwork with loving attitudes all around. It is one in which the preschoolers are happy and content to play and nap well. It is a day in which school was not only accomplished but finished early enough to have a straightened house and dinner smelling good when my husband walks in the door.

6. You are a classical homeschooler, right? Do you have a set curriculum you use?

I do have a set curriculum. It took about 6 years or so to find the one we fell in love with. We use Primarily Veritas Press materials. I have thrown in a few other things along the way making some adjustments for our child with learning disabilities but the core of our curriculum is VP.

7. Do you have a separate room where you homeschool?

No, we school primarily at the dining room table. Often the children will spread out around the house looking for a quieter corner in which to study.

8. Do you have any advice for new homeschoolers?

 I have adressed this in several of my posts on The Heart of The Matter. To sum up the things I have written there I would say it is very important to know exactly why you are homeschooling and keep that forefront in your mind. Make sure you prioritize and do not overload yourself. Always remember that there will be bumps in the road. Things will not be perfect or run exactly as you wished they would. High standards are very important but be careful not to set a standard so high that it is unattainable and by doing so set yourself up for failure.

Great words, Kristine.

9. You are fairly new to blogging. What are some good things that blogging has brought into your life and have there been any pitfalls?

When I started blogging just over a year ago I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I have been hurt, discouraged and forced to look more deeply at who I am. Though most painful, this has stretched me and caused me to grow. But I have also made many friends along the way. They have encouraged me, spurred me on and challenged me which has also caused me to grow. The Lord is actively at work in my life and I have a peace that passes all understanding. I have been allowed to be a blessing to others and the Lord continues to open new doors of ministry for me in the blogging world. This adds a great responsibility I did not anticipate and is one I constantly feel ill-equipt to fulfill. I am humbled each time I am praised because I know that it is only by the power of the Spirit that anyone is touched.

I am thankful to the Lord for providing my small space in blogland to reach out to others. I am also thankful for those who have encouraged me and extended friendship to me. May I be obedient and faithful to continue to blog about the things God has laid upon my heart and let that bring glory to Him.

10. What advice do you have for others just starting to blog?

My advice would be that new bloggers remember that there will always be others who disagree with you. Try not to wear your feelings on your sleaves. If someone says something contrary, evaluate your life and what you have written. Be teachable. If after that evaluation you are not pursuaded then stand firm upon your convictions! Sometimes we need to be taught and other times when people (even other Christians) take issue with what you have said it is their issue not yours. I wrote a post concerning this a few weeks ago and it seemed to make a big impact in blogland. A Disclaimer on Conviction.

11. What are your favorite topics to blog about?

 The topics change from time to time. I enjoy participating in a few memes. I mostly like to write about what the Lord is doing in my life and the things he has taught me. I write about homeschooling, parenting, and the ongoings in our life.

12. I’m sure you hear this often, I would love to hear YOUR answer: “You homeschool, you raise a large family, you blog, you support your husband’s ministry….How do you do it all?”

 I don’t “do it all” and those things that I do accomplish is by the grace of God alone. He is the one who enables me to do what I do.

13. Do you have any passions besides blogging and family that you’d like to share with us?

I do not have much time to pursue many other things at this stage of life with all that I have going on but there are a few things that I enjoy. Genealogy is a fun and interesting hobby; it is never finished and I can pick it up at any time. I also LOVE music! I would love to start composing again. I would also love to have another oboe (I haven’t played in years) and I would love to learn to play the cello one day.

14. I know you are facing some new challenges in your life. Would you care to share how our readers can best pray for you in the next few months?

We are facing some new challenges but they are exciting ones. We just recently found out that we are expecting our 9th child. Please pray for a safe and healthy delivery and that this child would grow and live a life that glorifies the Lord. We are also preparing for a big move. We are headed to Alaska! This is over 4ooo miles from where we currently live. We are excited and axnious to begin this new trek but please pray for us as we accomplish all involved AND that morning sickness and seasickness (on the 3 day ferry ride) doesn’t overtake me!

Kristine, thanks for taking the time to visit with us today. We appreciate the glimpse into your life.

Today we’re interviewing 2005 winner Mental Multivitamin. “Mental multivitamin was established in October 2003 for readers, thinkers, and autodidacts. It is an attempt to write across the “curriculum” of this reader-thinker-autodidact (and unabashed generalist); to synthesize what I am learning about astronomy and history and ornithology and current events and literature and technology and art and, yes, about myself, my family, and the world.”

1. Please tell us about your family and your home-life.

There are five people in my family, and there’s not one of ‘em I’d swap.

Seriously, check out my reply to Question 3. I think everything anyone needs to know about our group is captured in those linked entries.

2. How and where did you grow up? What did you aspire to be when you “grew up” as a child?

I was born and raised on the Jersey Shore in a newer suburb in which “all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” To the question “How did you grow up?” I’d reply, “Slowly.” To the question “Where did you grow up?” I’d say, “Well, I began growing up in earnest the day I got married, so the answer is South Jersey.” (Since beginning my own family, I’ve lived in South Jersey, Southern California, and Chicago.)

As for what I wanted to be when I grew up… well, although I toyed with the idea of becoming a teacher or an interpreter for the United Nations, I always knew I would be a writer.

And for twenty-six years, that is precisely what I have been.

3. What is an average homeschool day for you and your family?

Check out these entries: A typical day and night here, Let’s go, and Morning meditation: What I lived for. Although they’re a couple of years old, they really speak to what our days look like and what we’re all about here.

I would only add my children are now 18, 12, and 10.

4. When did you decide that homeschooling was for your family and what method did you use?

Grab a cup of coffee (or a bottle of Mountain Dew) and sit back. This is the longest of my replies.

As an admissions counselor — first for a private junior college and then for a large university, both in Philadelphia — I traveled to public and private high schools throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware in the late 1980s. For the most part, I did not like much of what I saw, particularly the lack of zeal that seemed to define most students’ interest in their studies. I was particularly unsettled by the afternoon I spent at the high school from which I had graduated six years earlier.

By that time, my husband and I had already talked about having children. Where will they learn? I wondered one evening after a particularly unsatisfying day at the local high schools. I spent some time at the public library, researching alternatives to traditional schools, and came across John Holt’s Learning All the Time. While we do not subscribe to the radical unschooling approach Holt espoused, his book is all but completely responsible for making me believe that homeschooling was not only a viable but also a practical alternative to the conventional classroom model of education.

Even so, we did not homeschool at first. By the time our oldest was three, we were living and working in So. Cal. and had an excellent relationship with the staff of the child-study center at the university where I had earned my master’s degree, so our son attended the school-day program there. Then we moved to Chicago and were fortunate to find an excellent private school for Pre-K/K. It was one el stop from my office, so I walked him to school every morning, spent many lunch hours folded into a too-small chair at a too-small table, and rode home with a companion bursting with stories about trips to the museums and parks, visits from musicians, and myriad projects. A parochial school admitted our son to first grade a year early, and all continued to go well: He had been an early reader; he had a precociously large vocabulary and was socially adroit; and he was, by all accounts, a born leader.

In second grade, however, he met his match in an older teacher who prized unquestioning obedience and standardized testing. Oh, the stories I could tell!

But I won’t. I’ll skip to the end: School ended in late May, and we spent the summer between second and third grades visiting the city’s parks, museums, zoos, libraries, theaters, and more. We took long walks and short naps. We discovered that our son needed eyeglasses. How had he seen the boards during second grade? we wondered. As it turns out, he hadn’t. So the ophthalmologist ordered glasses, and I ordered a math program, and on a particularly hot day in August, I said, “Hey, dude. Let’s get to work.”

We never looked back.

He is now a senior in high school. By the time he was sixteen, he had completed all of the conventional requirements for high school graduation (apart from driver’s education) and was using texts from my undergraduate and graduate studies in English, psychology, rhetoric, and linguistics and texts from his aunt’s undergraduate studies in physics and chemistry to further his studies. We moved out of Chicago in 2004, but in the two years before we moved, he took classes through the city college system. This year, he simply enrolled as a full-time student at the local college, taking advantage of the dual enrollment program to earn college credit while “finishing” high school. He is awaiting an admissions decision from [insert institution name here]. Frankly, after completing said institution’s arduous application process, we are all awaiting an answer.

Our daughters, unlike their brother, have never been to school — and they don’t need glasses.

Let’s see. In 2001, I read Jessie Wise’s The Well-Trained Mind. As I said, I had first been motivated to homeschool by the seeming lack of zeal that I had encountered when visiting high schools. Later, our philosophy was shaped by the idea that the conventional classroom does its best to encourage academic competence, but academic excellence? Not so much. TWTM offered one blueprint for achieving academic excellence, and I have culled many ideas from the first edition of that resource, including the idea of teaching history in three four-year cycles.

That said, I use only one “program” — a math system that I have used since we began this journey. The rest of our studies I cobble together based on need (theirs), interest (theirs and mine), and books I admire and/or appreciate (e.g., White’s books on philosophy for young people, Copi’s logic text, Horner’s Rhetoric in the Classical Tradition, and Gombrich’s The Story of Art). We study year-round, and our music, Latin, and math studies give each day its basic shape.

5. What does your homeschool/work space look like? Can you show us a picture?

Check out this entry for a glimpse into our home.

6. How long have you been blogging?

I have been blogging for about 4.5 years. In fact, M-mv will celebrate its fifth anniversary in October.

7. Why did you come up with the title “Mental multivitamin”?

When I started “Mental multivitamin,” I had only one idea… to chronicle my studies; to write across the “curriculum” of this reader-thinker-autodidact (and unabashed generalist); to synthesize what I am learning about astronomy and history and ornithology and current events and literature and technology and art and, yes, about myself, my family, and the world. Okay, I had two ideas: Given the glut of “mommy blogs,” I wanted my blog to do and say something else, something not that, if you know what I mean. The title, then, was meant to convey that M-mv was a place for readers, thinkers, and autodidacts.

8. What was the first blog you read online?

I think it was One-Sixteenth.

9. What do you like to blog about the most?

Books and the reading life… and the synthesis, synchronicity, and serendipity that define my own reading-thinking-learning life.

10. What are some hobbies you enjoy?

I tend not to think of my pursuits as hobbies but rather as studies. For example, I have been studying piano with my daughters since October 2006 — we’re preparing for our second recital. And I am taking a correspondence course in bird biology through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Thanks for joining me for Winner Wednesday! I have some more great bloggers on the roster in the coming weeks!

Blessings!

Today we’re interviewing a 2005 Homeschool Blog Award’s winner, ClassicalEducation4Me. Mrs. Kris Price is a Christian homeschooling mom of two great kids, and lives out by the great Smoky Mountains. She is the senior editor for HomeSteadBlogger.com, and designs beautiful templates, which you can see all over blogworld.

1. Please tell us about your family and your home-life.

I am happily married to my high school sweetheart and we have 2 children - a 14 year old daughter in 9th grade and a 12 year old in 6th grade. I truly enjoy being a stay-at-home mom and wouldn’t leave my house if I didn’t have to

2. How and where did you grow up? What did you aspire to be when you “grew up” as a child?

I grew up all over the US (nope, not military either!) and went to 3 high schools. I thought that I wanted to be a Dr., but I didn’t want to go to school for so long. So, I then planned on becoming a psychiatrist, but ended up not going on to get my Masters. I got married instead about a month after graduating from The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA.

3. You use the electic education method in your homeschool.What is an average homeschools day for you and your family?

A typical day is starting school around 9am. My son works until about 1pm or so. My daughter gets her work done throughout the day taking breaks here and there to draw or read. I do the chores in the morning while the kids work and I work for Gena Suarez, Publisher of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, as her assistant in the afternoons. Evenings and weekends are for family!

4. When did you decide that homeschooling was for your family and why did you pick the EE method?

Once my son was diagnosed with Aspergers & ADHD, I knew that homeschooling was going to be an option. He only lasted one semester in a small private school classroom and it was very apparent that I needed to bring him home. We’ve been homeschooling for over 6 years now. I guess I like to put my own curriculum together because then I can be sure that it all fits with the kids and the way that they learn. They are very different - my daughter has skipped a grade and I held my son back for a late-start to Kindergarten. They should only be one year apart in school, but they are now 3 years apart!

5. What does your homeschool space look like? Can you show us a picture?

My daughter does her work in her room and my son does his work on the living room sofa and sometimes in his room or in the reading nook area.

6. How long have you been blogging? Is it something you thoroughly enjoy or just something you do with spare time?

I started blogging almost 3 years ago and still have my first blog up, but I don’t blog much there anymore http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/classicaleducation4me even though it is the blog that I won the blog design for. I thoroughly enjoy sharing my life with others, but since beginning a part-time, work-at-home job, I have to be careful not to stay online too much and remember to balance my time wisely.

7. You design templates and graphics… where did you learn all your html-smarts?

I am self-taught and enjoy changing my blog template on almost a monthly basis - LOL! I get bored very easily. Someday, I would love to learn how to draw graphics, but I don’t have the time to tackle that right now.

8. What are some hobbies you enjoy?

I am learning how to make my first quilt right now and am really enjoying it. I also like to scrapbook and make homemade greeting cards. I know the basics of knitting and crocheting and hope to improve my skills someday. I also have my head in a book every night before heading to bed!

9. Who would you say has been your biggest influence and inspiration?

My husband! He believes in me 100% with regards to anything that I want to take on and he supports me through all of the ups and downs that life has to offer. I am so glad that I married my best friend!

10. Out of the following where would you vacation:
1. Camping in the great Smoky’s
2. A trip to the beach…. Cali, FL, or NC
3. Alaska
4. Waterpark
5. Touring the USA and all the historical places

I would like to take an Alaskan cruise with my husband someday. My MIL went on one and said it was fabulous!

11. What is one of your fondest memories?

Oh, wow - that’s a toughie! I would have to say that the 9 weeks that my husband (then my fiance) and I spent in England the summer before our senior year at college was incredible. We were there with a bunch of college students and earned 9 credits for studying Shakespeare, great art and other British literature. It was an intensive 9 weeks, but traveling all over England, Scotland and Wales was inspiring. We hope to take our kids there for an extended vacation someday.

Thank you so much for taking some time to answer my questions. It’s been a pleasure getting to know one of the mom behind the beautiful blog design on ClassicalEducation4Me. You can visit Mrs. Price @ her new location here: http://www.homesteadblogger.com/athomewithkris/

Today we’re interviewing a 2005 and 2007 Homeschool Blog Award’s winner, The Common Room, and the Headmistress, zookeeper is joining us. She is a Christian homeschooling mom of seven living in the Great Lakes area, who enjoys being a SAHM along with the tasks of menu-planning, homeschooling, homesteading, and things that clean themselves!

1. Please tell us about you, your family and your home-life. Your profile says you’ve lived in three different countries as well as living in twelve different states.

My family growing up moved around a lot (dad was a preacher), and we lived in Canada for five years, as well as several other states.
I am the oldest of three children and the only girl. My husband is the youngest of three children and the only boy. My folks are still married to each other (46 years). His divorced so early he does not remember then ever being together, and he was raised by his grandmother.

He joined the Air Force and was in basic training for our first anniversary, and after that we moved around even more than I did growing up. When I have lived in one house longer than 5 years, that will be the longest I have ever lived anywhere.=)

When we married, I said I wanted six children, he said he wanted two. We have seven children, two by adoption and five biological, from 24-9 years old, two miscarriage- one at 16 weeks and one the same day I realized I was pregnant.
I have always been a stay at home mom, and never wanted to do anything else. My mother was a career woman- going back to work when I was 6 weeks old. She felt she had to financially, and I understand why she felt that way, but I did not enjoy daycare, and I can see as an adult that it really wasn’t best for my character or for our relationship.

2. What is an average homeschool day for you and your family? What gets you out of bed in the morning and helps you start your day cheerfully?

I am afraid we do not have an average day. Our oldest two are graduated, although they still live at home. Instead of rent, they do most of the cooking and a lot of the cleaning. I think if they TRIED to pay me rent I would not take it- this is very nice. Our third daughter is severely disabled, and her ’schooling’ is primarily practice dressing herself, keeping her out of the kitchen (she sneaks food), and taking her to the bathroom often.
Ideally, the way our homeschooling works is that our next two are high school students, and they do most of their schooling on their own. I write them a schedule and give them a book list, and they run with it. I do schedule certain things each day for them to do with me- these are all things they could do on their own, but this way they have to come talk to me.;-)
The youngest two have a combination of things they do alone and things they do with me. We curl up on the couch with two crates of books for two or three hours and work through them.

What gets me out of bed and helps me start the day cheerfully?

Lunchtime.=)
If not lunch, then at least a cup of coffee.
3. Why did you decide to homeschool? And why Charlotte Mason?

It was an extension of my desire to be with my kids, to be involved in their lives in a way my mother couldn’t be in mine. It was the way we wanted our family lives to work. We did put our eldest in kindergarten at a public school- I am not sure why, since we decided to homeschool when she was 2, the second I heard of it. It didn’t work- the teacher didn’t welcome our involvement, our child was bored, and there were activities incompatible with our Christian beliefs. Plus, we were military. One year the military would have had my (then 2) kids in four different schools! As our family grew, there were times when I would have had my children divided between a grade school, a middle school, a high school, and a fourth school for our special needs child. I don’t function well when my life is that incoherent and fragmented.

Charlotte Mason- because that’s the way we were already living our lives- lots of rich literature, art, music, and nature study. Basically, it’s a generous and rich liberal arts program for kids, and that’s a great fit for our family.
4. Your profile also says you like organic, gardening, and homesteading. Do you live in the country? Do you have any farm animals, and do you do a garden every year?

We do live in the country. We’ve had chickens, ducks, goats (both dairy and meat), pigs, and horses. Currently the only farm animals we have are horses- the goats are in the freezer. I want to do hogs, a grass fed cow, and chickens again this next year.

I do not do a garden every year- we’ve often moved at inopportune times. and I am not a very good gardener At All. But I am trying. We’re in a new house on new soil, and most of our land is shaded, so I tried container gardening on our deck last year- we made some mistakes I hope to fix this coming spring.

5. How long have you been blogging? Is it something you thoroughly enjoy or just something you do with spare time?

It will be three years in February. It was not only something I thoroughly enjoyed, but something I needed to do, the way an artist needs to paint. But I’ve been going through a dry spell this last couple of months.

6. If you could only read five blogs who would they be?

I really can’t answer that question.

7. What is a favourite Bible story and why? What is your favourite verse in the Bible?

Currently, when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. I’ve just been rereading it, and I have a whole new appreciation for Martha- she gets a bad rap, but Jesus LOVED her, and she is the one who raced out of the tent to greet him and meet Him on the road as soon as she heard He was around.
Verse- so, so many. Romans 8:18-21:

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”
8. Who would you say has been your biggest influence and inspiration?

I’m not sure. My grandmother. Two Sunday school teachers I had in 6-8 grade. My husband. Mary Pride (author of The Way Home and All The Way Home). James Dobson, where I first heard of homeschooling. Charlotte Mason.=)

9. I see you love Pride & Prejudice as well as Lord of the Rings and the Fiddler on the Roof… all are my favourites! Who is a favourite character from each one and why?

P&P- Eleanor, of course (I know I spelled that wrong, and my eldest girl will not be happy with me)- she has so much self control and decorum, and high moral principles along with a good sense of humour and the ability to laugh at herself.
LOTR- Faramir- Noble, full of integrity, kind. I hated what Peter Jackson did to him.
Fiddler: Reb Tevye or the poor tailor- Tevye makes me laugh, and, of course, he sings. The tailor is just sweet.
10. What’s your favourite food?

The kind you eat? I like so many things - Asian, Mexican, Tex-Mex, Thai, it would be easier to list the foods I do not like than those I do. Unfortunately.

Thank you so much for taking some time to answer my questions. It’s been a pleasure getting to know one of the writers behind The Common Room. Visit the Common Room daily for updates and great posts.

Thanks for joining me!

Our (double) Winner Wednesday today is Ann Voskamp of Holy Experience. She won Best Inspirational Blog in 2005 and Best ‘Live-What-You-Believe’ in 2007. If you have never been to Ann’s blog, you are in for a real treat the first time. Her words are magical. Be prepared to stay a while and savor her posts.

“moon rising over farm fields… another day for Your glory by Your grace”

Tell us a little about your family.
[Ann] I am married to that Dutch boy who made my stomach go flip-flop in grade nine math, and whose Mama taught me of Jesus in Good News Bible Club. I still pinch myself that God graced me with that boy as a husband! Gift for the undeserved! And He has multiplied grace with our six exuberant, curious children: two boys (12,10), a girl (8), two boys (6,4), a girl (2).

You were the originator of the 1000 Gifts List, could you please tell us more about this and your inspiration behind the idea.
[Ann] My name means “Full of Grace.” And, frankly, I haven’t been. Instead of brimming with gratitude for His grace, its true: I have been critical–of self, of the world, of family, of God–everything. I’ve been a critic. Been one of unclean lips–demanding, dissatisfied, fault-finding lips. It was part, I am embarrassed to admit I thought this, of pursuing perfection (holiness?) –in me, these kids, our lives. The 1000 Gift List began as a way of becoming present to His Presence and steadfast, overwhelming love, of intentionally choosing to see the giving heart of God in ordinary life. It was about repenting of being an ingrate and deciding to take seriously His command to give thanks in all things–to thank God specifically and in detail. Its an idea that resonated with other bloggers and caught. It isn’t much, really, but it really is: The Gift List is about cultivating the soil of gratitude in the center of everyday living, it is about waking up to wonder and writing down the gifts, a thousand, (more!) from God’s hand.I’ve found the way into God’s presence begins, simply, with gratitude. “Enter in His courts with thanksgiving…” And yet, it hasn’t been so simple. It can be hard, in the midst, in the vortex of pain, suffering, soul-soreness, to see that all is gift, all is grace, all is God. The 1000 Gifts List has been about moving that theological knowledge down from the cerebellum into lips, feet, hands, to an everyday, transformative perspective. Not to mention that a daily gratitude journal has been found to measurably increase our happiness by 25%! And who doesn’t need to walk in more joy? Even if chronically ill, jotting down His gifts makes us feel happier, more optimistic, sleep better and feel more connected to others, facts confirmed in recent scientific research. Personally, I want–need– joy. And at His right hand, where we are when we are giving thanks, are His joys evermore. Committing to the act of writing down the gifts, (could I record a 1000?), and begin hopefully the genesis of a life-long habit. I have stumbled into transformation. (And, oh yes, did I need it!)

(May I enthuse further?) Letting even just 15 minutes per day “overflow with gratitude” (Col. 2:7) scientifically reduces the stress hormone cortisol (and as a homeschool mama, I think I have a bit much of this one flooding through these veins a few times a day!), and calm neurological and endocrine systems (And, oh, do I need that too!) Yes, as a still-recovering-complainer, I confess: I am passionate about gratitude and wholeheartedly concur with J.I. Packer: “…the true driving force in authentic Christian living is, and ever must be…the heart of gratitude.” Simply, we were made to give thanks and glorify Him. And I am learning: our bodies, lives and souls work best when we are giving Thanks.

I would like to invite you all to read more about the genesis of 1000 gift list…. and join the ongoing journey!

Tell us more about your farm and what crops you and your family harvest.
[Ann] God has given us six hundred acres in Canada to steward and work. We plant a rotation of corn, wheat and soybeans, and take care of six hundred and fifty mama sows, raising up litters of piglets. We are both 5th-7th generation farmers. It’s a quiet, (and sometimes crazy!) life. It’s what we know. We are grateful.

What led to your decision to start blogging?
[Ann] Just over three years ago now, I simply wanted an out-of-the way place to scratch down His story on the pages of our lives, a listening place to hear what He speaks into our very common days, making these sometimes frayed and tattered days, hallowed and holy, not because of anything we DO, but because *He* is here….

Who was the first blog you read online?
[Ann] I am not sure… but I think the thoughtful Cindy from Dominionfamily.com — we had been part of a small e-homeschooling support group, and someone passed on her blog address.

Can we see a photo of your desk where you blog?

[Ann] The little corner where I scratch it down. (I write on a Neo Alphasmart, then upload to the main PC.) Hanging on the wall is a quilt stitched by my Mama of continents and oceans–because His glorious globe and geography fascinates me.

And the far wall quilt was stitched by my Grandma, reminding me to live well and love long: our time on this earth is short and eternity is forever.

What is your favorite topic to blog about?
[Ann] I think more than what we teach our children, it matters most who we are. And for me, that is deeply unnerving. I fall so short. (and then to remember His torrent of daily gifts: I, even I, am loved!) It’s not about what books or curriculum we read and implement. But what words, actions, thoughts flow from the essence of who we are. For that is what we are *really* teaching. And that is what rivets me, what I blog about, what I spend a lot of time reflecting on: soul stuff. Core stuff.

What do you love most about the homeschooling lifestyle?
[Ann] Where two or three are gathered, there He is also. What I love most about the homeschooling lifestyle is that we are all together, in all our glorious mess, day in and day out. We are not time-torn or fragmented. We are gathered. There is no dichotomy between God and secular: we are making a one-piece life. We are real, transparent, and growing –sometimes painfully– with each other, season upon season, and God is in the center, bathing us sin-scraped ones with His Grace. That’s rich.

Thanks Ann! I enjoyed getting a little glimpse into your life and blog that might not have come about without direct questions. Your writing is so beautiful. Thank you for your golden contribution to the homeschool blogosphere. I hope you’ll continue blogging for many years to come. Be sure to check out Ann’s columns at Christian Women Online as well.Join us next Wednesday as we continue our series - learning about the inner workings of the HSBA winners’ blogs and more about their lives away from the computer desk.Love in Him,