Food, wine, laughter, reading, relaxation.
When friends OFFER to keep your kids for your anniversary, take them up on it!
We spent three days and two nights in the mountains on a lake. It was heaven.
Sometimes we get caught up in our homeschool world and forget about our partner in this life and why we love them so much.
Now that I'm "integrated" back into our normal life, I'd love to remember this vacation for a long time.
We took a chance to drive by our first home on the way to the mountains. We reminisced about previous anniversaries. Lots of time was spent reading, talking, hiking, and just being QUIET together.
How often do we get QUIET in a busy, homeschooling life?
There is nothing like connecting with your husband and being able to give him 100% of yourself.
Homeschooling moms have very little left for their husbands at the end of a day... we have very little left for OURSELVES at the end of the day. It is essential to spend time alone with your spouse.
Our relationship came first, after all -- why should it come last now?
The lake we were at was beautiful - this was a new area for us, so we enjoyed exploring. We stayed at a historic hotel/bed and breakfast. President Jimmy Carter once visited here and wanted to take the handcrafted wood furniture back to the White House with him. It is an original hotel from 1929, which has been fully restored. It also features a farm to table restaurant, that was out of this world.
We enjoyed a visit to a winery, which included a tasting and lunch in a quaint barn. Who knew that North Georgia houses an award winning vineyard?
I enjoyed taking pictures. From the resident cat at the hotel, to various food pictures - I had snapped quite a few during our time away. I don't know about you, but I don't make desserts like Chocolate Creme Brulee or Caramel Bread Pudding on a regular basis.
On our way home we stopped at the LEGO store (which is about an hour from where we live, so when I am close to it I GO!) and got ready for the co op class I will be teaching this fall. I must say, my husband and I had fun putting together 12 buckets for some very lucky children. It's not often Hal gets to take part in our co op classes!
Speaking of co-op classes, did you see yesterday's Homeschool Guest? She's the expert in co-ops!
I am thankful to have been blessed with this vacation.
I am thankful for my friends Cheryl and Lynn, who helped with the kids while we were away.
I am thankful my children spent time riding horses, swimming, and enjoying friends while we were away.
I am thankful for my family - spending time with my husband and a renewed appreciation for my children.
I am thankful prayers have been answered... a dear friend waiting through an open adoption finally has her precious baby boy at home! Our church may finally have a pastor. Things I've been praying about all summer are falling into place.
A favorite resource (which will help to guide me this year) was also discovered: Classical House of Learning correlates classical history and literature... giving book recommendations and lesson plans and schedules for studying individual books. This is a wonderful find for me!
I am thankful to have read The Distracted Person I Was and Still Am -- take a moment to read this post. It's very good and just about sums it up for me. Time for reflection has renewed my spirit and refueled my commitment to my husband and children. It has given me a sense of direction for our homeschool.
Now, I'm ready to tackle a new school year with energy and enthusiasm. I'm going to need a lot of that!
How has your week been? I hope you can join me for Collage Friday! Create a post with photo collages (I use Picmonkey to make mine.) Grab the Collage Friday button and use it in your post or sidebar. Sign the linky, and be sure to visit someone else on the list, too.
