Homeschooling High School Is Worth It!

Y’all.  Homeschooling high school is so much better than you could ever imagine.

I just graduated my first who will go on to follow her equine passions in college this fall and I can tell you unequivocally that homeschooling was worth it.  Every minute – the good, bad and ugly – was worth it.  Notice I didn’t say every minute was blissful or easy, but I am so very glad we made the journey to the end.

Not only do we have great memories of doing life together, we’ve also had awesome opportunities to grow together in Christ, in learning, in trials and in triumphs.

As I prepare for the 10th grade year with my second child, I already see some of the frustrations that might come our way – like battling upper level math dragons and helping him see the benefit of buckling down in foreign language studies.  I know there will be struggles, but I also know that working through those struggles together will make us stronger.  I know that homeschooling through high school means my son will have a much better chance to rise above the status quo of teenagers these days.  I know that in his “rhetoric stage” mind, we still have much work to do to build worldviews and prepare him for his Kingdom work and I’m so thankful for that time.

During these years of amazing opportunity, I’ll keep blogging about our adventures to encourage you (and me) that we CAN do it!

Since this page will automatically update when any new high school post is written, you might like to pin it for quick reference.  Blessings on your journey!

Homeschooling High School: A Quick Reference to Our Journey Westward Articles

How To Teach High School History with Literature Easily

I love using living books in our homeschool. If you've been around here any time at all, you know that living literature is a key tool I use across all ...
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What’s Growing in Your Homeschool? Bacteria Science Experiments

Ah, fall. Beautiful weather, fun festivals, football...and the beginning of "sick season." It's the perfect time of year to teach middle and high school students about germs through some cool ...
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How To Easily Plan Monthly Homeschool Field Trips

For years, we've taken at least one homeschool field trip each month of the school year. They have created some of our best memories and always almost supply us with ...
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How To Make Real-World Gifted Homeschooling a Reality

Book smarts are important, but they aren't the only things that matter for gifted learners. It's incredibly important to make common sense connections through real-world gifted homeschooling, too. One of ...
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Boyschooling Homeschool Curriculum for 5th and 12th Grades (2017-18)

I have another senior. How is that possible? It's really, indescribably true when you hear that time flies and your kids will be grown in the blink of an eye ...
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Living Literature Booklists

If you asked me to name a few things that have made THE most impact in our homeschool over the years, one of the answers I would give without hesitation ...
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How to Teach Out-of-the-Box Homeschool High School Chemistry

We veered off the "typical homeschool path" this year to teach out-of-the-box homeschool high school chemistry instead. This isn't the first time we've chosen a different path for our son, who ...
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Using Picture Books to Teach Expository Writing

Why would anyone use picture books to teach expository writing? Because picture books are written by master authors who can teach us clearly through their examples. Not to mention, it ...
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Your Favorite Posts from 2016

As I sat down to plan what to write about this coming year here at Our Journey Westward, I took a peek to see what your favorite posts of 2016 ...
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12 “All Boy” Gifts Your Son Will Love

Do you have a rough and tumble son? Me, too. Two of them, in fact. It's always been hard on this momma to watch them "do what boys do" without ...
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Using Picture Books to Teach Text Structure

It's time for another post in my series about using picture books to teach writing to middle and high school students!  Today's topic is using picture books to teach text ...
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A Cemetery Scavenger Hunt Makes a Great History Lesson

Eeeewww!  A cemetery scavenger hunt?  Are you serious?  Yes!  Believe it or not, this is a REALLY cool activity because cemeteries are chock-full of history! We've visited several cemeteries over the ...
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2016-17 Homeschool Curriculum and Schedule for 4th and 11th Grades

Well, these children of mine keep getting older and I find myself with a sophomore in college, a high school junior and a 4th grader.  My homeschool became a boy ...
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How To Teach High School Dissection

Do you need to know how to teach high school dissection?  I did! When my oldest daughter took biology, we were blessed with a wonderful co-op teacher who specialized in ...
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When Your Plan for High School Science Isn’t Working

Homeschooling works.  It just doesn't always look the same from one child to the next.  Sometimes even the best intended plans fail and adjustments need to be made.  Our latest ...
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7 Tips for Starting a Nature Club

Whether you currently enjoy nature study time with your children or not, being part of a nature club is a great motivator and provides hours of fun learning time! What ...
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Brain Training Activities for Auditory Attention

Does your child seem to have, um, selective hearing?  You tell him (or her) to do this or that and you're very lucky if one little smidgen of it gets done? ...
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Our Student-Led High School Equine Course

My college freshman is rocking her equine science studies.  I think one reason she's been so successful is the time I allowed her to study horses during high school science ...
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Brain Training Activities for Visual Attention and Visual Processing

Brain training activities are good for everyone because they build neuron connections.  Who couldn't use a few extra neuron connections, right? I've gone into some depth about the what, why ...
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How To Teach High School Economics

Economics.  It's about earning and spending money.  It's how businesses grow.  It's using resources to satisfy needs and wants.  It's taxes and interest rates and credit cards and savings accounts ...
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Using Picture Books to Teach Voice in Writing

Voice.  It's in every good piece of writing, but it's a tad elusive when it comes to defining and teaching. Writing that connects with readers has voice.  Writing that makes ...
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Brain Training with Dyslexia Games

You know how near and dear brain training is to my heart, right?  It's been such a game-changer in our homeschool that I take it very seriously.  We do some ...
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Why the Jotham’s Journey Series is NOT to be Missed

What do you get when you mix historical fiction with lots of adventure then add daily devotionals for Advent?  The Jotham's Journey series of books!  These books are simply NOT ...
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High School Science for the Horse Lover

My daughter's first college mid-terms are upon her and I'm happy to report that she is both loving equine studies and doing splendidly!  You might remember she's been my "horse ...
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Using Picture Books to Teach Writing Styles

I {heart} picture books for so many reasons.  One giant reason is their ability to teach so many in depth concepts in such non-intimidating ways that students often don't see ...
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Using Picture Books To Teach Biography Writing

Living literature isn't just for reading - it's also great for teaching writing styles!  Serious writing lessons don't start in our homeschool until middle and high school, but believe it ...
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Brain Training: FUN Ways to Build Stronger and Faster Brains

At the IAHE Conference (Indiana Association of Home Educators), I taught four workshops. While they were all well-attended and well-received, one of the sessions sparked an emotional reaction like none ...
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Planning Homeschool Bible Time

We homeschool for many reasons, but one of them is more important than all of the others combined.  It's our desire to pass on a bold Christian faith that finds ...
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Homeschooling High School Is Worth It!

Y'all.  Homeschooling high school is so much better than you could ever imagine. I just graduated my first who will go on to follow her equine passions in college this ...
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Guitar Lessons With or Without a Teacher

I can teach music theory.  I can teach voice.  I can teach at least a little piano.  I cannot teach guitar.  And, when you can't find a steady guitar teacher, ...
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Picture Books to Teach Literary Techniques

I've been sharing a little series of posts about how to use living literature to teach writing - specifically, narratives and persuasive pieces.  In this post, I'm focusing less on ...
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Picture Books That Demonstrate Persuasive Writing

In my last post about teaching narrative writing, I mentioned how the subject of writing tends to be a thorn in the side of many homeschoolers.  It doesn't have to ...
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Homeschooling a Horse Lover

My little horse lover is all grown up.  This year she will graduate our homeschool and head off to college where she will major in equine science. Before her passion ...
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Picture Books That Demonstrate Narrative Writing

If there's one subject that seems to befuddle homeschoolers more than any other, it's writing.  I hear it during homeschool consultations and casually talking among homeschool friends, and I see ...
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Chronological American History in High School

What do you do with a high school student who has been through two cycles of American history and thinks a third cycle would just be boring and unfruitful?  Well, ...
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Ultimate Guide to Living Math Activities

(This post contains affiliate links and links to my curriculum website.) I've been touting the benefits of living math for quite some time now.  Why?  Because living math makes sense ...
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100 Educational Games for Homeschooling

During my workshops about creative homeschooling and living math, I often talk about incorporating games into the school schedule. If your family has an established game night, you probably already ...
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Standard Deviants Accelerate: High School Lessons Online

(I received a complimentary subscription to Standard Deviants Accelerate and was compensated for my time preparing this review.  As always, all opinions are strictly my own.) My 9th grader is ...
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Organizing the Unorganized Learner

(This post contains affiliate links.) The Unorganized Learner Do you have an unorganized learner?  Here are just a few hints that you might: Pencils (or any necessary school supply for ...
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Amamos Español! Homeschool with Mango Languages

(I received a subscription to Mango Languages for free and was compensated for my time spent writing this review.  As always, my opinions are strictly my own.) Homeschool with Mango ...
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Student Planner: Homeschooling with A Plan in Place

(I received a free student planner from A Plan in Place and compensation for this post.  As always, I only present my honest opinion about anything I post.) Homeschool Organization: ...
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High School Homeschool Curriculum: Top Picks

Ah…high school.  Why do I love homeschooling high school so much?  Mostly because my teens don't need my constant attention and instruction anymore!  Ha! While I'm not kidding about the ...
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Sweet Blessings: A Handicrafting Service Project

(This post contains links to my products.) Blessed to be a blessing Serving others is important to our family.  We've looked for unique opportunities from the time my children were ...
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Do Homeschoolers Ever REALLY Vacation?

I cannot even begin to tell you what a wonderful vacation our family was blessed to take in early October.  Indian Rocks Beach, Florida-  just south of Clearwater - on ...
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Algebra Help for the Hopeless Homeschooler

(This post contains affiliate links and links to my business website, Shining Dawn Books.) Do you need algebra help?  I did, too. You mean the writer of Loving Living Math ...
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10 Living Books for Christian Teen Boys

(This post contains affiliate links.) Teen boys.  Future leaders.  Future husbands.  Future fathers.  Hard workers.  Capable shiners of Light. Those descriptions can put a lot of pressure on the parents ...
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10 Living Books for Christian Teen Girls

(This post contains affiliate links.) Raising Christian teens isn't so hard when you have a little help.  The Bible, a supportive church and great living books for Christan teen girls ...
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Growing Hearts

(This post contains affiliate links.) Growing Hearts and Minds James 3:13-17 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in ...
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Homeschooling High School: Student Led Curriculum

My Mahayla is a junior now.  (Where does the time go?)  Being homeschooled with a Charlotte Mason style education her whole school career has not only taught her loads and ...
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Online Writing Course: Rock Star Essay

(I received this course for free in exchange for an honest review, and I was compensated for my time.  This post contains affiliate links.) Don't Be Afraid of High School ...
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High School Modern History Course

(This post contains affiliate links.) Modern History For us, modern history goes from 1860 to the present.  That's a lot of territory with a lot of happenings to cover in ...
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Our American Lit Selections

(This post contains affiliate links.) High School American Lit I love meeting the particular needs and interests of my children in our homeschool studies.  Once my children reach high school, ...
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Philosophy Adventure Review

(I received a preview copy of Philosophy Adventure: Pre-Socratics in exchange for my honest review.) Christian Philosophy: Isn't That An Oxymoron? For most of us who studied philosophy in high ...
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Homeschooling High School Science

(This post contains affiliate links and links to my business, Shining Dawn Books.) Is Homeschooling High School Science Intimidating? Yes, it can be.  I've found so many wonderful resources to ...
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My Favorite Logic Resources

Is it really important to add logic studies in your homeschool from PK-High School?  Yes! Our children need to know how to think.  With the ability to think, almost any ...
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Homeschool Service Projects

I've written about the importance of adding service projects to your homeschool before, but I want to reiterate how BIG making time to help others can be in the life ...
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Economics in the Homeschool

Sadly, the formal study of economics is left out of most of the curricula I've run across in my 11+ years of homeschooling.  An understanding of economics is EXTREMELY important ...
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Project-Based Learning

In my last post, I focused on how I prepare unit studies in our homeschool.  I wrote very briefly about using projects at the end of the unit for evaluation.  ...
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Central KY Field Trips for Homeschoolers

If you live in Central Kentucky, you are blessed when it comes to homeschool field trips right outside your door! Besides the oodles of places you can visit right around ...
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Play Dough Geometry

Target Age Range: 5th-9th Skills Covered: lines, line segments, rays, angles, intersections, congruent shapes, vertices, faces I love Pinterest!  On my living math board, I recently pinned a post with ...
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Jim Hodges {G.A. Henty History Audio Books} Giveaway

In our Charlotte Mason homeschool, we LOVE living literature.  So much so, that our "to read" lists are always way longer than what we can actually read.  In order to ...
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Nature Walk Clipboards

(This post contains affiliate links and links to my business website, Shining Dawn Books.) I'm in love. While school supply shopping at Walmart the other day, I ran across some ...
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Weekly Lesson Notebooks

(This post contains affiliate links.) Better lesson organization is one of my main goals for the upcoming school year.  Having a high school student, middle school student and a kindergartener, ...
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Co-op Class Ideas for Older Students

Many homeschool moms who teach co-op classes develop their own curriculum.  Me, too, for the most part.  However, I've found it a little more difficult to design a thorough, engaging ...
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Bean Classification

(This post contains affiliate links.) Bean Classification Remember the candy classification post from a couple months ago?  My logic classes at co-op did a similar activity with 15-bean soup mix ...
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Teaching the Value of Purity – Day 9

Welcome to Day 9 of my Heart of the Matter 10 Days of... series on teaching values in your homeschool.  Today I'm writing about one of my favorite topics - ...
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Co-op Logic and Critical Thinking Class

At co-op this year, I have the privilege of teaching two logic and critical thinking classes - one for high school and one for middle school.  We're having a great ...
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Renaissance Festival

I've wanted to attend the Ohio Renaissance Festival for years.  Since this is our last medieval history cycle with Mahayla (boo hoo), visiting the festival was now or never.  What ...
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In-Depth Nature Study for a High School Student

Nature study doesn't have to stop once high school rolls around! In fact, we're enjoying it with more depth than we ever have before.  Simply think of nature study as ...
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Lichen vs. Moss

(This post contains links to my business website, Shining Dawn Books.) Lichen vs. Moss: What's the Difference? Through the course of our nature clubs and writing the NaturExplorers studies, the ...
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Practical Life Skills and Nature Study

*Although this post is about home vegetable gardening, you'll notice some of the pictures are from a field day class my children and I took from the University of Kentucky ...
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Nature Study at the Creation Museum

I've posted before about studying nature at the Creation Museum in Northern KY. Earlier this fall, my children and I had the pleasure of visiting the Creation Museum again, and ...
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Cleopatra Exhibit

Every once in a while, blogging has nice perks.  As a blogger in the Greater Cincinnati area, my children and I were invited to tour the traveling exhibit, Cleopatra: The ...
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National Missionary Convention

Another field trip bites the dust.  More than a simple field trip, though, this one was life changing!   The National Missionary Convention was held this past weekend in Lexington, and ...
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Favorite Games for Homeschooling

(This post contains affiliate links and links to my business website, Shining Dawn Books.) Games for Homeschooling? During my workshops about creative homeschooling and living math, I often talk about ...
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Ancient Civilizations and the Bible Unit 1

We are absolutely LOVING Ancient Civilizations and the Bible by Diana Waring!  There is SO much to choose from for every single learning style.  We're only skimming the surface of ...
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KY State Fair

We love the State Fair!  This year was our first time being more than spectators and we had a busy, but exciting blast.  The big kids showed goats two nights ...
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Vacation Highlights Part 6 – Charlottesville, VA

Our last night of hotel life in Virginia led us to Charlottesville, home to Monticello - Thomas Jefferson's homestead.  We got into town late and were led by our hotel ...
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Vacation Highlights Part 5 – Yorktown, VA

As with every single aspect of our vacation, we were completely impressed with the quality and child-friendliness of the Yorktown Victory Center.  Hands-on exhibits, actors, camps, films and indoor walk-through ...
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Vacation Highlights Part 4 – Jamestown, VA

Hang in there, I only have six parts in this series.  On our whirlwind tour of Virginia, we visited Jamestown and Yorktown in the same day.  In order to share ...
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Vacation Highlights Part 3 – Colonial Williamsburg

One entire day of our vacation was spent in Colonial Williamsburg.  This is a WONDERFUL walk-through town of real and replica buildings that house in-costume craftsmen who are working their ...
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Vacation Highlights Part 2 – Norfolk, VA

Norfolk, Virginia houses the largest US Naval Base in the world - and it's huge!  Just about everything in Norfolk seems to revolve around the navy including shipyard after shipyard ...
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Vacation Highlights Part 1 – VA Beach

We took a MUCH needed and long awaited vacation to Virginia last week - and it was SO much fun!  We soaked up a lot in seven days, so I'm ...
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Paddle Boats – Inexpensive Summer Fun

Summer is the perfect time for nature study trips that might be difficult to fit into the regular school schedule.  Things like all day hikes at a nature preserve, days ...
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National Underground Railroad Museum

Tucked away in downtown Maysville, KY, overlooking the Ohio River is the National Underground Railroad Museum.  My children had the pleasure of touring the museum located in the Bierbower House, ...
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The Soup Kitchen

This is Tony, my music minister from the church where I grew up.  Tony has always been very active in serving others in the name of Christ.  For the past ...
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Cincinnati Museum Center

I had mentioned in my WWII post about the Cincinnati Museum Center.  Besides the Cincinnati History Museum, this historical building - Union Terminal - houses the Duke Energy Children's Museum ...
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Service at the Food Pantry

We're very blessed to go to a church that participates in the local food pantry mission.  Once every three months, our church is on duty and asks for volunteers to ...
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JIF Peanut Butter Tour

Jif Peanut Butter Tour Our homeschool group went on a wonderful field trip today to the JIF Peanut Butter Factory in Lexington, KY.  It's a tough tour to book, so ...
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A Thanksgiving Getaway

My 87-year-old Granny isn't well.  She lives in Alabama with my aunt and uncle who are doing a wonderful job caring for her.  We were so blessed to be able ...
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Cumberland Falls

We took a mini-trip to Cumberland Falls in Southern KY not too long ago.  It was such a beautiful afternoon!  The waterfall is majestic, the rock samples are outstanding, the ...
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Frankfort Field Trips

In case you don't know, Frankfort is the capital of Kentucky.  It's also where I grew up and where my family still lives.  There is a wealth of field trip ...
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A Tree House!

It's been in the works for about 6 months (and actually still needs a roof), but the big kids officially have a tree house!!  It's very rustic - which I ...
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Cincinnati Art Museum Field Trip

Our homeschool group visited the Cincinnati Art Museum last week.  What a wonderful trip!!  We knew we'd see art and hoped we find art by a famous artist or two, ...
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Newport Aquarium

Did you know the Newport Aquarium offers two free children's admissions per adult in January and February each year?  I didn't until recently.  We've been wanting to go forever, but ...
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Equine Hospital Field Trip

We live in Central KY - what's often called the "Horse Capital of the World".  We're surrounded by beautiful horse farms and have the priviledge of living near the Kentucky Horse Park.  With ...
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Battle at Perryville Reenactment

Saturday was the 146th commemoration of the Battle at Perryville, a Civil War skirmish.  With our history cycle focusing on Early American History this year, we couldn't pass up this fun-filled ...
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Field Trip Fun

For those of you who know Melissa from blogging, consider yourselves blessed.  But, if you're lucky enough to know her in person, how much more blessed you are!  It was such a ...
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Shakertown

Have you ever visited Shakertown?  It's such a lovely place to visit in Central KY.  This weekend, we were treated to our first ever overnight stay in one of the ...
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The Louisville Zoo

Wanna see what we did for a field trip this week?  I love the zoo! Here are two pictures of most of our gang - my children, my sister and ...
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