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“The deeper our troubles the louder our thanks to God.”

— Charles Spurgeon

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Our summertime began on the first of July, following our official last day of school when our daily rhythm also ceased. We didn’t throw a pizza party, no certificates, no last day of school portraits, just one final assignment then closed the books to a sigh of relief. This year has been especially difficult for us to navigate as a family due to grieving circumstances; but respite from anxieties and healing from loss, I testify, can be gently walked through while growing a garden.

The days of this month seem to march along after a Fourth of tide pools during sunset, homemade vanilla cake, and watching fireworks illuminate the night sky across the bay as we celebrated America’s Independence from the hillsides of La Jolla. Commitments are being penciled into our fall calendar as I excitedly prepare our feast for the following year— sifting through curriculum that breathes familiarity and inspiration. A parent orientation scheduled next Thursday will likely sneak up on me, along with a road trip we’ve been hoping to take to celebrate our tenth anniversary; and while the days seem to fly, I have much intention to sow personal habits into my weekly repertoire before July escapes!

Less is more, even when choosing what we are dedicating our energy and time to. The girls have been keeping a weekly journal of their observations in the garden, finding their independence in the kitchen and leisure in outdoor activities. They’ve taken quite an obsession for Legos—both building and drawing. The older ones have resumed guitar and ukulele lessons with a family friend, and the younger ones -my wildflowers- are just being their vibrant and lively selves all around the clock with their infections laughter and silliness. My husband installed an arched trellis out of cattle fence and t-bars for the cucumbers, watermelon, and squash to climb, and together we tilled another garden bed in the ground to grow more vegetables and cut flowers. As for me, I’ve made it a goal to pursue this blog as my part-time creative gig and so far it’s bringing me a lot of joy and inspiration to even write this.

“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds are dead”

— james (hebrews 2:26)

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Leaning into this season looks a lot like carving more time with my family, displaying faith in action and serving one another in tangible ways that show evidence of love. It’s a hard season, but I’ve been assured… we’ll get through.

x jena

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“...in reclaiming childhood, we are reclaiming motherhood as well—trusting our instincts and doing what’s best for our children, rather than what society says is normal or expected.”

— Ainsley Arment, The Call of the Wild + Free

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Bienvenue! Welcome!

It’s been a desire of mine to launch a blog since I began homeschooling my oldest daughter as she was starting in Kindergarden. Evie is now more than halfway through 5th grade. It was around that time when a friend of mine told me of an Instagram profile she came across called Wild + Free (@wildandfree.co) and she was sure I’d be interested in them! After one glance, I immediately hit follow. I dreamed that a life like this was possible- and these mamas were living proof. Since then, the world of homeschooling has grown more captivating than ever. Behind the breathtaking images lies a community reclaiming the wonder of childhood, motherhood, fatherhood and the role of a home educator— a job not for the faint of heart.

My mother-in-law, Sherry, homeschooled her own children when it wasn’t such a popular thing to do. Her stories of driving cross-country with her young family, and educating her children about the history of America, gave me a vision to school outside of the classroom. These stories planted the seed. When I became pregnant with Evie, I felt a calling to homeschool her, despite feeling completely inadequate. And yet, here we are, 10 years later, with no regrets… only reasons to keep moving forward!

If you follow us on Instagram @providenceacademie, you may have already seen a glimpse into our life. My four darlings have made me a full-time mother— and homeschooling is my job. This year I have a 5th grader, two preschoolers (5 and 3), and a 7 month old! With multiples, we take it one day at a time… conquering one distraction at a time, one bad habit at a time. We’re taming tongues and taming tempers (mine included). In the midst of all the books and lessons, our desire is to foster curious minds, build their character, and raise our girls to be great women of faith!

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“The question is not, — how much does the youth know? when he has finished his education — but how much does he care? and about how many orders of things does he care? In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set? and, therefore, how full is the life he has before him?”

— Charlotte Mason, Home Education

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At last, a growing movement of parents choosing the road less-traveled and carving their own homeschooling path! Maybe a telling sign of parents reevaluating the educational system? Many of these parents include credentialed teachers who have chosen to step away from their careers to homeschool their own children— my 5yo daughter’s tutor being one of them. Astonishingly, as of mid-March, the entire country (along with many others) was forced into homeschooling, resulting in a universal appreciation from working parents toward teachers and home-educators. One of the most frequently asked question I’ve heard over the past month is, “How do you do it?” I hope to chip away at this question in future posts and unravel common misconceptions about homeschooling. I’ll be sharing challenges we face, rewards we reap, and how we make it all work in our lovely little schoolroom of girls!

Without further ado, welcome to The Report!

x Jena