Proposals, and planning, and Weddings, OH MY!

We have the privilege of marrying off another daughter. Emily got engaged to a wonderful young man by the name of Wiley. 

They are a perfect match! Not only are we gaining an amazing son in law, he also comes with a lovely family. #blessed 

We can’t wait to marry them in a little chapel in the country. It’s going to be perfect. 

❤️ Wiley and Emily ❤️

An Open Letter to DJ

Dear DJ,

 

I knew this day was coming, but why am I so shocked now that it is here? How can you be 18?!? WOW! The addition of a brother to our family made us so much more venturesome! We knew from the very beginning you would need a partner in crime, so we wasted no time in getting you a brother to grow up with.

 

The story of your birth is a perfect illustration of who you are- out of the box on your own time table, no parameters, alongside friends, and full of adventure. You see, our neighbors, the Snyders, were also expecting right around the same time. Stephanie and I would go on walks while pregnant with you and Nathan. On the evening of the 28^th, I started to have labor pains. (Note- I was due in August). My doctor wanted me to come in and get checked out because I was a high risk pregnancy. Sweet Stephanie took me up to the hospital. We both walked in and the staff was just shocked to see the two of us- big and pregnant- thinking they had two ladies in labor. Haha! Needless to say, you came that evening. Stephanie gave birth to Nathan the next morning.

 

I’ve loved being your mother. You have taught me so much- especially in the realm of trusting God! Ha! Your willingness to try new things and take risks stretches me! The rewards of such a mentality are exponential! I love how you are so inquisitive. When you were a toddler, you would ask me, "What does that do?" alllllllll  the time! By the time you were 3, you were fixing all your toys. Haha! I sincerely love the way you love God and you love family. You are faithful, Dylan. We can always count on you! You can fix just about anything- and for that- I am so grateful! Your work ethic just blows me away. I know you will go on to be a successful electrician because you go hard and you are not a quitter!

 

 

Now you are an official adult! CONGRATS! You now have a new chapter to write. The canvas is blank, ready to be colored by your God given gifts and talents. I have no doubt that the decisions you make here in the years to come will advance you for your future life.  Your skillset and wisdom will carry you far. With much prayer and pondering, I have decided to make you a list of 18 WORDS OF WISDOM that you can take with you in the years to come.

 

1. Let God be your everything!

2. Thank Him for the breath He has given you and use it to encourage and help others.

3. Cherish your family and do not be afraid to be the leader of your family.

4. Take care of your body.

5. Work hard at what you love doing.

6. Always have financial wisdom! Always! Bring in help if you need it.

7. Friendship is about quality, not quantity. I know you know this!

8. Know what you want- keep your goals and focus in front of you.

9. Accept and embrace change. This is what life is all about.

10. Learn from your mistakes!

11. Always be learning and gaining knowledge about this world and yourself.

12. Treat others the way you want to be treated and stand up for the weak.

13. Don’t worry too much! It’s a waste of time!

14. Don’t settle for any girl- find one who will push you and be your sidekick.

15. Nothing good happens past midnight!

16. Be proactive and take the time to make wise choices and well thought out decisions.

17. Be okay with being different. J

18. No matter how old, how grown, how successful, know your parents are always there for you. 

 

Happy 18^th birthday, Dylan James! I love you so very much and I am so very proud of you.

XOXOXO,

Momma

SUMMMERRRRRRRRRRRRRR

The cake is baked!

 Our Brittini has worked SO HARD to complete her bachelors at UNT. 

We are so proud of our girl!!!!!!!!!!

She is now moving on to her MASTERS! The cake is baked- all you have to do now is ICE IT!!!!!! Come on girl, show us what you are made of!!

Another one graduates.

 Cue the song, "Another one bites the dust", except there is no dust biting. Its more like - "Another one is kicking up the dust". There is no settling of anything around here, we have so much movement and action. 

DJ graduated on May 6, 2023. 

Checkout his senior slideshow here. 

What an honor to be able to home educate DJ and see him wrap up his academic career from home. 

He will go on to finish his Apprenticeship as an electrician, then move to Journeymen, then on to MASTER electrician. No doubt, his future is BRIGHT!!! 

Building Strong Minds, Body, and Character through Cycling

 Gosh, I could not be more GRATEFUL for this organization called NICA. Our boys have grown and gained so much through our local league, Heart of Texas Jr, which is such an incredible team from the riders to the coaches. 

Joel and I were both coaches this last year and it was so rewarding. We both actually got awards this year, that was fun. 

This was the last year our boys raced together on the same team. 

At DJ's very last race, it just so happened that both boys were on the trail at the same time. I got a video. It was priceless!

Taylor's 16th bday!

This boy is now 16!! SO grateful for all the family and friends that came out to celebrate him. 

Merry Christmas 2022!!

We have SO MUCH to be grateful for this Christmas. We don't take God's gifts for granted! Here is a little about our family, starting with our kiddos. First, we have only two more left at home! How in the world? Dylan will be graduating this year. It has been a JOY to see him turn into a handsome, joyous, faithful young man. He plans to be an electrician after schooling and certifications. He is currently working on his apprenticeship. In his spare time (other than school and work), he likes to hang with friends, ride his mountain bike, and play his guitar.

Taylor is a freshman this year and working on his driver’s license. He has been saving for the perfect car- a convertible mustang. We will see! He has also enjoyed working when not doing school. He held his first summer job and did great with all the tasks and tools. Along with DJ, he will be mountain biking again on the Heart of Texas Jr. Cycling team. In his off time, you will find him gaming, disc-golfing, or hanging with friends. 

Emily and Kayla are still rooming together, but that will come to an end this summer as Emily plans to move off on new adventures. They have been together almost 3 ½ years! Kayla is trying her hand at homemade pottery with BLACK OAK and she also nannies two of the same boys since their birth. She enjoys time with good friends, and you’ll find her hiking/walking with her weenie dog, Mabel.

Emily has remained steadfast at Texas Aero while back in school after graduating from McLennan Community College. Most of her time lately has been with her beau- Wiley. He is a dear! We love him! They are making serious future plans together after he graduates from college as a robotic engineer. STAY TUNED! ;)

Troy and Brittini celebrate their 7th year of marriage this December! WOWSAS! They have been working hard to get Brittini through college. Short term pain- long term gain!! This May, she will graduate with a bachelors in psychology and working towards her masters in counseling. Lani is enjoying 1st grade while Tony has fully adjusted to kindergarten. Their school is just precious and allows them to learn multiple languages. Its amazing!

Papa J and Momma T really do cherish time with those grands and with our entire family. Joel has taken up a position with his uncle Walt working on new construction. They have some exciting projects ahead. Tressa is still home educating and working from home with Classical Conversations. She will be undergoing some serious dental procedures in the near future. Prayers appreciated! Both Joel and Tressa lead as coaches on the cycling league and serve a section leaders at their church. They just celebrated 25 years of marriage and had a great getaway celebrating. We look forward to the future and more adventures together!

So much to say, so little time. We will stop there. Please send us a note and let us know how you and yours are doing. We would love to hear from you!

Please know that there is nothing greater in this world than the love of God! May this message of this Christmas season bring you HOPE and PEACE. 

If you have never watched the Nativity Story by the Chosen, we would like to gift you a 24-hour rental on Vimeo. 

Please go here and fill out this form and we will get it to you! 

Ride or Race

Ride or Race

Written by Tressa Strickland

Dedicated to Don Strickland

In a ride versus a race,

what’s the difference in spinning the pedals?

To enjoy the peaceful pace

Or to ride hard for the medal.

Both motives have their own reason

You see, there is a time and a season

For all things to be as good as done

Only determined by one’s cohesion.

 

But considering life is a great mystery

A puzzle to never be completely solved.

Completion will come in the Great Beyond.

Until then, some pieces can be sorted out.

 

Speed should not be the only way of assessment.

Busy, hustling, striving, and haste.

These all make for a lot of waste.

Instead, allow beauty and truth to offer assessment.

Knowledge, conversation, love, nature, and you.

These all make for a place of appreciated value.

 

Quality over quantity.

The bigness can be pondered

And littleness to be wondered.

Nothing is off limits.

Joy, sadness, mountains, and valleys.

What a glory it is to search it out!

 

Ride or race

May it offer a reward so great

Because life is a vapor

And must be lived with so much grace.

 

25 Years of Marriage

We celebrated our 25th Anniversary!

There is so much to be grateful for. See our top 25 photos throughout our time together.

Act of Faith

 It truly takes an ’act of faith’ to go up this trail on a bike. I have been pushing myself to do hard things. This is just the beginning.

Musings of a Jeep Owner

 

Musings of a new Jeep owner.

1. When you buy a Jeep, you join a community. And I tell you what, I found my people! We all have this special connection while on the road and it’s magical. We park together, help eachother, and even wave at eachother.

2. #duckduckjeep is another cool Jeep community thing and we just got our first ducky surprise! Now I need to go buy some rubber duckys to pass out!! I always wondered why Jeeps had ducks on their dashboard!!

3. Jeeps are much more fun naked, meaning- with all sides off! I prefer the doors ON as I realize I like structure and security. The boys take them off any chance I let them.

4. I thank the forethought of Shakey Matthew Strickland, the original owner, as he got an amazing easy on and off top. This way, we can enjoy the full windy Jeep experience.

5. This experience is only possible with a hat. I’m grateful for two creative friends that made me a special Jeep hat for my bday. I wear the heck out of both.

6. It’s much more fun driving people around now. My first passenger was my mama and it was awesome. The grand babies and even my weenie dog LOVE rides in it as well. The nice thing about a smaller jeep is you cant bus around a whole bunch of people. Haha

7. While off-roading is fun, it’s really not my jam. I find it risky and unnerving! I prefer PRE-K off-roading.

8. Jeeps don’t make for great long distance rides. It’s doable though (ask DJ).

9. Jeeps do make for great beach rides. We had a blast on South Padre Island.

10. I finally feel like I found a car that matches my personality! This thing seems to enjoy life along with me. I love that!

Golden Hour

 I cannot think of anything more beautiful to behold than that of a sunset. 

Tips for the Home Educator

We are week 3 into our academic year and I'm delighted to say that we have found our groove. It wasn't as painful as years past. I haven't threatened to quit like I've done years before. I didn't even notice how smooth sailing things have been until I started to see my Facebook memories pop up. Evidently, I like to post about our academic beginnings this time of year. 😁The post I found most humorous was my NOW HIRING ad in 2017. 

Please don't be jealous of this year's smooth start. I have students who wish it were still summer. I also have some students who drag out their work. I've also lost my cool, the house has been trashed on numerous occasions, and we've had takeout multiple times instead of my planned meal. Despite all this, I do have to say- it gets easier each year. I say it gets easier each year for a few reasons. 

First, our systems we have developed over time allow for stability and success. 

Second, as our kids get older, they start to own their academic endeavors- no more spoon feeding! 

Third, I am more tenured as a home educator. Praise God. I know more than I did ten years ago. 

So in effort to save a less tenured home educator some time and trouble, I offer my systems and successes. Before I do, I want to reiterate one more time- it has taken me a DECADE to come to this place of peace. I have two students left at home- a junior and 8th grader. We have three students already graduated out of our home. Unless God does something drastic, we will also graduate these two boys!

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL HOMESCHOOL

Teacher Work Day: I propose a mandate that each homeschooling family must release their teacher to some time away. This key time can start off with a sabbatical, then move into focused time of prayer and plotting for the upcoming academic season. I can attest- more proactive I am, then less reactive I will have to be. My sabbath/planning time was usually at my parents about 1 1/2 hours away. My family survived without me and was better for it when I had a plan for success! The Lord was always faithful to offer me insight into the new academic year. Matthew 7:7

Schedule: Home educators need a time to devote to home education. I've had family, friends, and work contend for my daytime. I learned real quick I had to say NO to alot in order to really be able to educate these kids. Block out your schedule. This is a copy of our last year's schedule. I will admit, I am an Enneagram 8w7, I am a Myers Briggs ESTJ. If you understand these things, you will know that administration and execution are my top giftings, but I have learned the hard way that if I don't order my days, the days will order me.... Ephesians 5:15-17 Here is a guide to block scheduling your home. 

Daily Checklists/Planners: Once a blocks of time have been established, students need to know what is required of them and have some kind of checklist to navigate their daily workload. My students as young as kindergarten had simple checklists. They had received the vision for them that year, they knew their goals and objectives, and now they could play their part in being successful. This gave them an opportunity to own their daily duties and relieved me of micromanaging. My 8th and 11th grader can now unpack their weekly workload into a planner. 

Page 1 of my son's planner for this week. 

Delegate: Momma aka teacher can't do it all. There is a philosophy around our home- those who do not work, do not eat. This was a famous Jamestown idea, but it originated from the Bible - 2 Thessalonians 3:10. Everyone in this house has a tidy zone- dad included. I have sectioned off our home and assigned that section to a family member. They are the steward of that space. Each day, everyone tidies their zone before or sometimes after dinner. Every Saturday, everyone deep cleans that space. My kiddos had zones from a very early age. It was sad when the older kiddos would move off to college- I had to rezone the house and we all had more to clean! LOL Here is a guide to zoning your home. 

Appreciation: To be truly honest, it's just not easy to home educate! This isn't for the faint of heart. Homeschool parents suffer wage loss along with school cost increases, and they now have to function in two roles- doubling their performance at home. On top of that, some parents still need to bring in income. (I actually work multiple part time jobs outside my job as home educator) And then on top of that- a home educator has to actually impart knowledge to a complex little human with a will. Friends! This is a God given right and privilege! And this is a God guided task, even if it might seem impossible! We know that with God, all things are possible. Matthew 19:26 We must appreciate this position He has put us in and acknowledge that we cannot do it alone. Here is a Serenity Prayer for the home educator:

"Lord, grant _______ SERENITY to appreciate this calling as home educator, COURAGE to challenge the students to do their best, and WISDOM to help them become all the You created them to be. AMEN!"

Community: Lastly but not leastly, home education is just so much richer with fellow comrades. Nothing is sweeter than having someone else in the trenches experiencing the same trials and triumphs. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it perfectly in his book, Life Together. He said that we are called as the body of Jesus to mutually bear each others burdens faithfully, prayerfully, and practically as Jesus did for us. I can say with 100% certainty that this type of communal living mentioned in this book with increase the odds of homeschooling success. TOGETHER, we are BETTER.

  My son's 8th grade buddies at the beach before the school year started.

I will end with one of my favorite quotes, which I have stapled to my wall above my teacher desk. It reads, "an investment in KNOWLEDGE will always pay the greatest interest." This quote by Benjamin Franklin reminds me of my daily investment into my family's future. There is no greater role than home educator. 

-Tressa

P.S. I'd also like to tell you how HELPFUL home education is when you do it with Classical Conversations. I am not getting paid to say that- but if you want to why- go here.

P.S.S. I'd also like to tell you about how LIBERATING its been to have my kiddos buy their own groceries each week. (I stock the staples and provide dinners while they cover breakfast, lunch, and snacks) Go here to learn more. 

P.S.S.S. I'd also like to spend a ton of time telling you about how a life with the Lord is a life with HOPE. If you'd like to learn more about Jesus, email me here. 

Homeschooling with Classical Conversations

People are baffled when they learn that there is actually a company devoted to helping families home educate. Why, yes! Classical Conversations offers everything you need to homeschool with success! I can say this with full certainty as I have graduated two students through the programs. 

This summer, I had the blessed opportunity to travel through Central Texas and speak to families about the fundamentals of Classical Conversations. 

My serious face as I discuss diagramming

Because I spent so much time on preparing for this presentation, I decided to share these thoughts here in a post for safekeeping in hopes that it would benefit others. 

FUNDAMENTALS of CC

CHRISTIAN

"To know God and to make him known." This is the greatest mission of Classical Conversations.  God is the unifying principle of all we do. It starts with the leadership, our CEO prays for lost and corporate leads with biblical values. The business practices reflect virtue and our relational principles are founded in scripture. I've seen people healed, hearts mended, and Christ modeled. I've also seen an outpouring of love and service, along with gifts being edified to build up the body. Most of all, I have seen a contention for Truth with a capital t. 

CLASSICAL

Classical education is a method that uses tools like the trivium to help us learn in layers. This is a natural, restful, and doable way to educate. Not only that, the curriculum offers such richness and depth. Our students have so many opportunities to sharpen their leadership skills before graduation. It's truly a gift. See our curriculum layout here in our catalog.

Truth is required to inculcate wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.  Wrestling with Truth promotes blessing and virtue for the whole community.  So, virtue and truth is an integral part of classical educational pursuits.

Classical education celebrates the integration of all knowledge. We find God in our science studies while we play with math in music, or explore language in literature. We see art in history, and writing in debating, None of these subjects are mutually exclusive of eachother and its mesmerizing. Our students walk away with a holistic view on all subject matter.

COMMUNITY

I bet that if you put in your zip code here, you will find a nearby Classical Conversations community. I recently administrated the booth at a convention in Austin. I was blown away by all the CC families from all over the nation who visited our booth. I would walk the halls of the vendors and see that there was one thing that made us stand out from the rest--- we offer local community! There are testimonies after testimonies of doing school with a CC community. We are also international! I was just talking with a counterpart in Australia, leading a program for Classical Conversations. 

KRAFTY KIN

 Here is to something new! Our kinfolk, aka family, will keep this booth stocked with goodies in hopes of a profit. We will see!

A year later...

 The last post was in November of 2019 and it is January of 2021. I am really not sure how I skipped a year in posting. 2020 was a year!!! Just like most, we struggled with the pandemic and the government imposed sanctions. Thankfully, our lifestyle didn't alter drastically and we stayed close and connected with those whom mattered. 

Here is a 2020 highlight. 

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