Welcome To My Story!

I'm Ashley - a wife & mom to 5 kiddos! I've been homeschooling since 2015 & I have loved almost every minute of it! Being REAL honest... I never planned to homeschool my kids. That was for weird introverts with no lives. God had a different plan for me, though, and I am SO grateful for it! P.S. I'm not a weird introvert with no life.

Ok... so maybe I'm a little weird but I'm DEFINITELY not an introvert & I do more "life" than I care to admit. I have a passion for learning, which I have come to love more and more as I walk out this journey with my kids. Creating an environment where learning doesn't feel like learning is probably one of my MOST favorite things!

To understand where I'm coming from, I should probably start with a little about myself.

When it comes to telling my story, I usually don't know where to begin. There are so many things in my life that have shaped me into the person I am today - and those things take quite some time to tell. I will probably unfold my full story over time, but for now, I just want to introduce myself & explain a little about the things that make me "ME"!

So... WHO am I?

First and foremost, I am a mother, a wife, and a Jesus-lover. These are the things that I try to base everything else on. Beyond that, I am a good friend, a life-long learner, loyal, and a free-spirit... maybe even a tad on the hippie side. I would describe myself as: loud, outspoken, blunt, giving, optimistic, fair, silly, quirky, bossy, emotional, encouraging, independent, and stubborn. I don't trust medical professionals, I give my opinion even when nobody asks for it, & I stand up for truth and justice against all odds.

My toxic trait is believing I can do anything... I mean ANYTHING... and then trying to do that thing. Sometimes it works out... sometimes it doesn't! But I just don't learn my lesson. I will continue to try the next thing that seems far fetched or impossible. Nothing seems out of reach... until it is! Ha! My husband says I have an "it'll buff out" attitude about most things in life... and he's not wrong.

Who I am now is definitely not who I USED to be. I am a constant work in progress & trying to be someone who is a good example of what it means to love others, no matter what. I'm not perfect. And I know that. But I choose to enjoy life, even when it's not so pretty, and try to push through to the next thing - whatever that may be.

My hope for this blog

I'm an open book and I tend to be an over-sharer. Hopefully in some of those moments, I will be able to offer some hope and encouragement to someone else. Life is hard - and heavy. But what if we make the big, BRAVE, decision to push through the "yuck" and enjoy all the moments that one day we will miss?

Those late nights with our toddlers where they just want to "hold you." Those exhausting times of "just one more mommy!" The frustration of trying to teach your child how to read when all they want to do is play spiderman & jump from couch to couch. Those moments are the ones that I'm looking back on and realizing that I should have taken just a little bit slower.

Maybe this blog is just for me. Maybe this is my own personal reminder to slow down. To learn together. To explore and play and just BE.

But just in case this is for you too... remember that God had prepared you for just a time as this. When it feels heavy and impossible. When its frustrating and you want to give up. Just breathe. Its ok to take a minute to yourself & walk away.

Then remember that God has equipped you for all the things He has called you to do. Take a step back and look at the beauty, enjoy the wonder, and rest in knowing that He's got it all figured out even when you don't.

YOU CAN DO THIS! And so can I.