NMCC Field Trip | Washington, Ga.

I don’t know that I’ve made an official announcement but, we are homeschooling! Last school year we started our homeschool journey and now we are headed into year two. It’s seriously been everything our family has needed. The Lord is just so good that way! Many prayers, reading lots of books about homeschooling and listening to advice from MANY homeschool families lead us here. We are all so grateful for this incredible life change! We needed it!

Time with each other was our main focus. Then we started adding in the curriculum. Then we found our CO-OP! I will share more on this part of our journey later but for now. . .check out this incredible, history filled field trip we went on this week with our babes!

Washington, Georgia is where we found ourselves this week with about 100 other homeschool families from our CO-OP. We first toured the Robert Toombs House. There we discovered more about his life and his significance in Georgia’s rich history.

Let’s start with Robert Toombs house! I went around touching every part of the house! I know that sounds so weird. I want to absorb the history. His home started off as a fairly normal sized home and as his wealth grew, Toombs added on! In one of the photos below, you will see what his house was before the very large addition to the front. He created an entirely new front. The plants around the property are from all over Europe. As he would travel he would bring back clippings from other stately properties and grow them in his own yard. His yard was originally over 100 acres, now it’s just three acres. As homes and churches were built in the city, the land to his property was sold.

Several of the furnishings in the home are originals that belonged to Toombs. It was fascinating seeing the details and craftsmanship each piece has. The newel post to the staircase, the stunning china cabinet under the staircase with original wavy glass, his personal collection of books. . .unreal to get to stand in that history.

We had the sweetest tour guides that lead us through his home and told us about his life. They showed us the first “laptop”! His desk, it’s just his desk but what was so cool about his desk is that is folded up into a chest. He would take off the legs and lock the front of his desk and take it with him to all of his meetings. Robert Toombs was an attorney and became heavily involved in politics. Later he became a Senator and then the Secretary of State. He opposed war between the north and the south.

After our incredible tour of Toombs home, we walked down the street to the Washington Museum where we met our next tour guide and we learned more about our US History.

Once we were finished with our guided tours our family traveled down the road into town where we found the first free library, Mary Willis Library! It was the pretties library I’ve ever seen in my life! Filled with loads of old books - OLD books! Like, spines falling off the edges old! Sky high oak books shelves, Tiffany stained glass windows. . .I wish every library was this magical! I even found a book that I used to enjoy when I was little when I stayed at my Memaw and Papaw’s house, A Field Guide to the Birds. I may have teared up a little when I found it! I wasn’t even looking for it. I took the photo of RyAnne reaching for a book and as I glanced down the row of books - there it was!!!

Olivia's Baptism | Church at the Grove

What a fabulous way to end our week at the beach - coming home to baptize our sweet Olivia Reagan! About two weeks before we left for vacation, Olivia asked when she could be baptized!

While sitting on the beach we worked on writing out her testimony that would be read just before her baptism. This is what she told me. . .

August 19, 2023

“Hi, my name is Olivia Robbins. I have been attending Church at the Grove since I was 4 years old. When I was 5 years old we went to Summer Jam. I learned a lot about God and who He is. I realized God loves me so much. I want to show people this!

At homeschool we talk about affirmations. I am protected. I am fearless. I am blessed. I am joyful. Knowing this has helped me because I am afraid of storms. I know that God is with me. He’s always been with me protecting me and my family. Storms are defiantly bigger than me but the Lord is bigger than the storm. I know I am protected.

There are many people that have helped me learn about Jesus. I am thankful for my Momma who has helped me learn about Jesus and the Bible. My friends and all my teachers at church have helped me as well. I want all of you to know who Jesus is and to be thankful that you have Him because He has done some really great things in your life.

I accept God as my Father, Jesus as my Savior and the Holy Spirit for my direction. I am thankful for my friends and family for being there for me supporting me through my journey.”

Thank you Father for answering our prayers! Please continue to work in our Olivia’s life. Let her hear your voice and see your goodness and let Your joy radiate from her into others to advance your Kingdom! In Jesus Name! Amen!

St. George Island, Florida | August 2023

Starting school while on vacation? Yes we did! When Trey came to me with the opportunity to take a last minute, one week long trip, to our favorite place, initially I said, “No way!” It was the week our kids were starting homeschool and CO-OP with our group. I didn’t want them to miss out on that. Then I remembered one of the reasons we decided to homeschool was to give our children hands-on experiences and travel when we wanted to and not based on a schedule given to us. So, that changed my mind! So thankful I remembered our “why”!!

The morning before we left, I set out all the kids new curriculum, manipulatives and games for the big reveal! They were pretty excited to see all they would get to learn this year. Then we packed what we needed for our first week of lessons and hauled it to the beach with us! There Olivia started fourth grade, Rocco started first grade and RyAnne started eighth grade.

Some fun things. . .we visited Apalachicola, ate at our fave restaurant on the island, The Blue Parrot, watched many sunrises and more sunsets, caught crabs, hung out in the very still waters, taught Rocco how to cook eggs, watched the dolphins play every day and near the end of this post you will see that Rocco decided to give photography a try! He didn’t quite nail the settings but his composition is on point!

MichaelAnn's Newborn Session | Social Circle, Ga.

Isn’t she so perfect, with the cutest little noggin! I just love her profile.

I’ve known Liz, MichaelAnn and Ella’s mom, for about two years now from church and our weekly bible studies over those years and all of the events we do together. I remember, before Ella started school, she would always come to bible study in the mornings with her mom. As soon as they walked through the door, Ella would belt out in her sweet, tiny but big voice, “Hello! I’m here!!” No matter what we were all doing and no matter how invested we were in conversation with one another, we all would turn to Ella and give that sweet baby the warm welcome she commanded from our massive study group. She is so very precious! And, such a sweet big sister, too!

I asked Liz how they came up with MK’s unique name. Michael is her husband, Austin and his dad’s middle name, Ann is Liz’s middle name and Kelli is Liz’s dad’s name. It’s a beautiful mixture of their loved one’s names.

That last photo! Oh, MK is the snuggliest baby girl! While I was rocking her to sleep, Liz snagged that photo of me loving on MK. Thank you Liz! I am so grateful to get to capture moments like these for my close friends!

The Father's Arms Are Open Wide | Church at the Grove

What a morning! Today we celebrated our friend’s Jacqui and Jay’s son’s baptism. Nathan’s older brother, Nick, read the most touching letter he wrote to him. He proudly proclaimed that his brother, Nathan, wasn’t an ordinary kid. That he was going to change the world with his faith in the Lord!

As my relationships have grown deeper with my family at church, it’s becoming harder to photograph life events like this one! They mean more. I get to fight in prayer alongside my family. Do lots of life with my family. SEE prayers get answered with my family! The emotions are a lot higher while holding a camera up to my face and trying to focus. Oh goodness! lol Thankfully all the images are in focus!

I am so thankful, SO thankful, that God invited me in and has continued to challenge me to get closer, rub elbows a little harder, get to know my people on a deeper level and dig in to the nitty gritty hard times and celebrate the joys with my people. Y’all it’s hard! Not everyone lives the way I do and I don’t live the way they do. We have our differences and we choose to love each other anyway. We have to choose to keep showing up. I feel bad for those that don’t have this. I was once that person and know how hard that is. I also know how hard it is to keep showing up. It won’t get easier but it makes life better! Nathan, our pastor, quoted an African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” And, farther we have gone together!

The invitation is this: Show up and do life with your church.

The Challenge is to keep showing up and love on them!

Our pastor, Nathan, preached about the story of Cain and Abel. Cain was jealous when the Lord found favor in his brother for his offering. This tipped the scale for Cain and he killed Abel while they were out working their fields. When the Lord came to Cain and asked where his brother was, Cain replied, “Who am I? My brother’s keeper?” In Christian community, YES! I am responsible for my brothers and sisters in Christ! It is my responsibility to encourage my siblings to love others and hold them accountable to God’s covenant. Nathan went on to quote Hebrews. . .

“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

— Hebrews 3:12-13

Holy Spirit, lead us! Forgive me Lord when I have failed to be my brothers and sisters keeper. Let me be bold for You and serve You well! In Jesus Name. Amen.