Friday, October 31, 2025
Thursday, October 30, 2025
What I Read and Our Homeschool Read Alouds ll October 2025
What I Read:
Christian Heroes: Count Zinzendorf
by Janet and Geoff Benge
I love that these Christian Heroes books are introducing us to a variety of figures from history. Count Zinzendorf is one of those individuals whom I'd never heard about and was amazed by all he accomplished in his life. This title is probably my favorite of all I've read in the series.
Rapunzel and the Sea Witch by Kim Bussing
See my full review here.
Forgiving What You Can't Forget by Lysa Terkeurst
Forgiveness is so essential in our Christian walk. Without it, we tend to harbor hurt feelings, eventually leading to bitterness and personal roadblocks in moving forward. Terkeurst does a good job acknowledging that hurt feelings are real without allowing her readers to sit in them. I think my own frustration with the book is the reality of misperception. Sometimes, hurt feelings are caused by our own tainted view of a situation. Sometimes we make up stories in our heads, assuming the worst and not acknowledging that we might be misinterpreting the situation. I think that leaves more people stuck than we realize. And it destroys relationships that could have been easily salvaged with a little humility.
Rescue Story by Zach Williams
Wow! This book was an honest look at the singer/songwriter's life. Wrestling with alcohol and drug abuse for 10+ years, Williams finally finds hope and purpose in coming to the Lord. He shares his testimony of how the Lord saved his life, marriage, and family before he made it big in the music industry. What struck me most was his dedication to sharing his story as a way of saying, "Look what God did." Powerful, encouraging, and a true testimony of faith and prayer.
Kringle's Emporium by Jemma Hatt
A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry
Swift, a young wolf cub, is separated from his pack when they're suddenly attacked by rival wolves. Sending his mother and new cubs into the forest, he and the other males try to fend off the pale wolf pack. But when his father is killed, and everyone else is scattered, Swift finds himself on his own. He sets out to find a new home and a new pack. Over his incredible journey, Swift encounters challenges, wildfire, a treacherous roadway, friends, and foe. Geared toward middle grades, I really enjoyed this book. The author did a great job of telling the story through the wolf's eyes and describing the adventure in a relatable way. This would make a great addition to a unit study or as a family read-aloud. I look forward to reading other titles from this series.
Our Homeschool Read Alouds:
The Impossible Journey by Gloria Whelan
This second book in the Russian Saga series follows Katya and Misha's children. After their parents are exiled for speaking out against the new Russian government, Marya and Gorgei must travel to the Siberian frontier in hopes of reuniting their family. Against all odds, the two siblings set out, meeting friends and making enemies in their impossible journey.
Burying the Sun by Gloria Whelan
The third book in the Russian Saga series, Marya and Gorgei have grown up and are living with their mother in Leningrad. On the cusp of World War II, the family must find a way to survive the German invasion and ward off starvation.
What are you reading?
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Kringle's Emporium {Review}
When Laney and Ben stumble through the doors Kringle's Emporium, they have no idea the adventure that they're about to embark on. Helping Kringle find his magical stars in time for Christmas, as well as dodging bullies AND spies, these unlikely allies travel the globe and discover the true meaning of friendship.
A fun-filled seasonal adventure for kids and parents alike, Kringle's Emporium uncovers the true meaning of friendship and looking beyond the surface to find the extraordinary. This quick seasonal read invites conversation about family, believing in others, how to be a friend, bullying, and much more. Although I wish the story had been more developed, there was still a lot to love about this book. And the author leaves the story open for a potential sequel. A sweet story overall, and perfect for the Christmas season.
*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Homeschool Week in Review ll October 17-24, 2025
Ever want to take a peek into someone else's homeschool???
Me too!
I'm always curious how everyone else's homeschool runs, especially with teenagers. So I thought I'd take a minute to share with you all what a week looks like for us.
Starting us out on a Friday 'cause it was just too much fun to not include. We were up early (at least for homeschoolers) because our local junior college was putting on A Midsummer Night's Dream. Even though it has been a few years since we've studied that play, we couldn't pass it up. It's a fun story and a great one to start with if you're just beginning to read Shakespeare. We had a fun time, and the players even came out afterwards to answer questions.
That evening and Saturday, my senior and freshman attended a local youth conference. It was a little crazy getting them back and forth because of prior commitments, but we're already seeing the fruit from our sacrifices. They came back different kids for sure. They both loved the worship and felt like the Lord was really speaking to them over the weekend. I'm so glad we were able to do that for them.
Sunday was a welcome break after a couple of busy days. Church in the morning, and then a peaceful afternoon and evening. Our small group was cancelled this week, so we used it as an opportunity to catch up on a little homework, spend some time together, and reset for the week ahead.
Monday was the most normal day we had at home. We love Mondays 'cause they are a day to catch up before we roll into our Crazy Tuesday. It was nice enough to take some of our schoolwork out onto the patio and enjoy some sunshine. We even did our read-aloud outside. We're currently working our way through Burying the Sun by Gloria Whelan. It's part of a "new to us" series, and we are hooked.
Crazy Tuesday did come. We spent the morning completing as much bookwork as we could. After a quick lunch, it was off to a full afternoon of activities: Robotics class, Homeschool Choir, and Chamber Choir. Tuesdays are full as it's also the night my freshman has trampoline class. No matter what season we're in, it seems as though our busiest day of the week is always Tuesday. I've just come to roll with it.
Wednesday and Thursday were typical homeschool days with little excitement. Lots of book work, lots of reading. The weather has been really nice, so we've been going on lots of bike rides for P.E. And my freshman made muffins for us as well. My senior has dance class and Nutcracker rehearsals 6 days a week. She bounces between studios, and is definitely living her best life. Luckily, we're centrally located, so we can make that happen for her.
Friday Mornings, we've started cutting out our usual morning time to open up more time for bookwork. We try to get a little more done early in the day so we can attend our new homeschool high school group. This week was hosted by a family that lives off-grid, so after our meeting, the kids were busy checking out all the wildlife while the adults visited. It's been a nice change of pace for them to have this end-of-the-week group.
And then we rolled right back into Nutcracker rehearsals and church over the weekend. All in all, a pretty full week.
What do your homeschool weeks look like?
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