When I made the decision to not travel to homeschool conventions, I found myself with a great deal more time at home. Excited about the opportunities before me, I set out to make the most of they time. Delightful spring weather abounded that year, and I decided to continue the monumental task of landscaping our yard.

When we first moved in, it took an entire summer to clear the brush and sixteen years of overgrowth. We toppled trees and learned how to use a bush hog. It was a long process, and spring and summer passed too quickly.

This particular spring, shovel in hand and with some teen boys to help, my husband and I began the work of transforming the cleared-out yard with beautiful flowers. We planted roses, hostas, monkey grass, and blue and pink hydrangeas. We began by clearing the flower bed of weeds, then dug up the ground to irrigate it with fresh and rich soil. Next, we dug holes and started planting. It was a long and sweaty process, but it transformed our home.

Each time I drive up to the house, I take a moment to enjoy our landscape. Each morning, my husband and I drink our coffee on the porch, looking out over the array of color and scenery. My landscaping project was a labor of love.

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

When I began Family Magazine nearly twelve years ago, my desire was to share my journey of motherhood, homeschooling, and faith in a labor of love to the homeschool community. My children were in elementary and middle school. (They are now adults with their own children!) I was learning and implementing a Charlotte Mason education and diving into living books. In my faith, I was discovering grace while overcoming the legalism I came out of.

Homeschooling back then was becoming mainstream. The old guard with the paradigms they pushed on new homeschoolers was beginning to wane, and abusive philosophies were being exposed for what they were.

Over the years, in this labor of love, my hope has been to encourage fellow moms in their journey while also bringing to light issues that have affected my homeschooling and often my own life. Sometimes this has even included – and continues to include – uncomfortable areas and sharing what I’ve learned from my own hard-fought experiences. But that’s the way it is with creating beauty. Sometimes it requires hard, difficult, and even painful work to achieve the goals.

Just as my yard was transformed by the beauty of color and hard work, I love sharing the journey with fellow homeschoolers who are being transformed by the beauty of God working in our lives. May your life be transformed and challenged as we walk this journey together.