Rhythms of Home ~ A School Morning. April 2020.

Wherever we've lived on the globe, I try my best to make it feel like home. Sometimes that happens quickly and other times it happens right before we move again (ah, military life). As I type, we've lived in this military housing for 10 months and there are still moments I wake up thinking I’m in a different place. But that's ok. After 13 moves, I trust our Heavenly Father to turn every house into a home. I also think that is why I cherish daily rhythms (not so much a schedule, but a flexible routine) so much. It's not about a place (location on the map), but a purpose for every day. Rhythms of home life refresh and ground me. They are a balm to my soul.

As we've sheltered-in-place the past 4weeks, the beautiful rhythms of home from early morning till about lunchtime have remained similar. In contrast, our afternoons, evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays have looked very different. My 5 social butterflies (and their parents) are missing all the activities, friends, church, travel adventures, and life beyond our walls. With that said though, I could not be prouder of my children's' attitudes and perspectives. I think my older ones agree that sending our Hero to war, living without daddy for months at a time (while he's thousands of miles away & in a combat zone), and saying good-bye to close friends and family (and places we've called home) all over the world have been much harder than staying home for a few weeks. As a family, we are choosing to rejoice in the days the Lord has made (even the hard, messy, "please forgive me for my frustration", days) be glad in them, and to find the tiny treasures hidden all around!

Breakfast and Bible stories. Prayer-time and devotions.

My brave Joshua's early morning bike rides around the circle in our neighborhood. He sure misses playing with his buddies.

My strong Levi is finishing up 6th grade, highlighting spelling words!

My creative Savannah with her chai tea latte, 11th-grade history books, music playing, and the outdoor breeze whistling through her hair. 

My very organized Alisa making sure she's prepared for her day, thoughtful & focused, working diligently to score high in every subject! 

This precious boy finishing up his Holy Week lapbook. He is not a fan of handwriting, but loves math and reading!

Entertaining this cutie during school days can be challenging (blog post coming on that topic). She wants to be involved every minute! Just look at the wonder in her eyes!

And then there's me. Mommy/Teacher. Cheerleader. Encourager. Trainer. Helper. Who else has gotten excited about Amazon delivering school supplies the past few weeks? It's the little things!

Family-school takes place over lunch (prayer requests, Bible, scripture memory, history, current events, etc.) and these days happens outside on our screened-in porch. Beautiful days and even more beautiful children. I love learning and growing together!

And, I accidentally dumped an entire tub of oatmeal on the pantry floor. Yah. It was exciting. Ahem. This picture is a reminder that on this earth there will always be messes amongst the beauty. Always tragedy amidst the blessings... another reason I'm grateful to know the One who is the giver of beauty and blessings. The One who turns messes into miracles.