Guest Post

Last week I was invited by a fellow special needs blogger mom to write up a guest post to be featured on her blog. Her daughter Bethany survived brain cancer when she was younger and you can read about her story here: Bethany's Diagnosis

You can also check out my post on Learning and Living With Our New Normal.

I had to summarize three years of "life" into a couple paragraphs and I think (other than one grammar error) I did alright. It wasn't easy to pull just the highlights of how we got to where we are today.

Thank you Sylvia for allowing me to be a featured poster on your blog!

Happy Birthday

To Homeschooling Mom of Four blog! On this day in 2007, I began a new venture of blogging. I had no idea where it would go or what it would do. I have written 526 posts so far with my busiest year being 2011 when I posted 130 times. This year might follow close since I'm already at 103 to date. Although I write about a wide variety of things, Sarah is my most common subject followed close behind by the other kids, Doug and homeschooling. I have 51 drafts sitting in a folder, some of which may or may not ever see a publication.

This blog was intended to be a place for me to share my thoughts, visions and dreams. Through it I have found a huge network of homeschooling families as well as amazing and supportive special needs parents. I know that not everyone will agree with what I say but we're all human and I'm okay with that. I do this for myself and if I can encourage someone else with it, then that's all the better.

Thank you for sharing and reading through this journey with me. Enjoy your Tuesday!

Friday's Five Quick Takes

• Yesterday, I got so much accomplished. I was determined to get all our bedding washed and dried before bedtime and I did! Every bed had fresh sheets and quilts by late afternoon and it sure felt nice to crawl into a clean smelling bed last night. 
• Sometimes in the midst of a discouraging week, Sarah pulls off something that totally amazes me. 

This is a song from the movie Camp Rock 2. The last time it was watched here on Netflix was in May. 

Last night out of the blue, she started singing this.

• I miss taking pictures with my good camera. That's kind of the down side of having a camera on my phone which is much easier and accessible. I think I'm going to make a greater effort and try to take more photos more often.
• Yesterday I received an encouraging email from a friend. I think it's neat how some things just fall into place, right when you need them.
• I wrote a blog post to be featured on someone else's blog. I relived the last five years with Sarah from the time she was born till now. It was somewhat refreshing to think back to certain moments and then finally put it all down in words. I'm hoping I didn't leave any thing out...

Published Again

For the second time, a blog post that I submitted to The SPD Blogger Network was published! I love that I am reaching out to others and even encouraging them. This is what I've wanted!

You can see it HERE!

Blog Train

I would like to first thank Lisa at An Ordinary Life for this blogger award.  It's exciting for me to know other people are reading my blog!

I have only just discovered her blog myself today.  However, after perusing it this evening it's one I will often visit I am sure.

The rules of this award are:

• Thank the person that nominated you with a link back to them.
• Tell everyone seven things about yourself.
• Pass this award on to 15 newly discovered blogs and let them know that they’ve received an award!

Seven things about myself:

1. I have been homeschooling my four kids for 7 years now.
2. I married my high school sweetheart in 1997.
3. I have lived in the same city for my entire life.
4. My youngest daughter has a {new} diagnosis of Cerebral Palsey
5. I love coffee.
6. I am a morning person.
7. I am a photographer... loving newborns, children and families!

My 15 (er... 13) personal choice award-winners (though they may not be newly-discovered):

1. Virtual Cup of Tea
2. Sojourner
3. Living in a House of All Boys
4. Sprouts and Wings
5. Stars Hollow
6. The Goertzen Girls... and Art
7. The Ford Five
8. The Olsen Chronicles
9. A Big Girl and a Baby Girl Too
10. Chickadee Lane
11. Visit the Porch 
12. Mamazee's Homeschool Gym
13. An Examined Life

Happy New Year to all my readers.  I hope this blog post leads you to new places that you'll visit.
Stephanie