Show of hands: Who here loves Dolly Parton?
Me? I love Dolly. She's an absolute icon and my kids know many of her songs by heart. My youngest can often be found singing "9 to 5"as she colors at the dining room table.
But there's one song that hits me square in the heart every time I hear it: Wildflowers Don't Care Where They Grow. Boy oh boy, do I feel that in my mama heart.
That's how I view my girls-as wildflowers growing up strong, resilient, and beautiful despite various elements throw at them. They just seem to thrive and grow no matter where we are.
We uprooted our life in Wisconsin in 2018 and moved back East to my husband's hometown in Northeast PA. We left behind our life we spent 8 years building from the ground up, packed up 2 kids and 2 dogs, and set sail on a brand new adventure. We spent our first year splitting our time between living in our camper and living with family. All the while, we continued to homeschool. It was a year of great freedom and great stress as we worked to plant our roots in new soil. We bought an old local farmhouse and fully renovated it on the inside (see above: great stress). All the while, building a new community and forging new friendships.
2 years later and we are still getting used to our new life, but we've never stopped thriving for a second. That's the great thing about homeschooling-it doesn't matter if you're crammed in a tiny travel trailer or exploring vast state parks-learning knows no bounds.
I'm starting this site up as a way to provide wisdom, resources, and comforting words with other families who are new to their homeschooling journey; or just struggling in a difficult season. I want to build a village where we can lift each other up and hold hands in solidarity.
Parenting is hard. Homeschooling is hard. But, it's a whole lot easier when you feel like you don't have to go it alone. Welcome, Wildflower.