BACKGROUND ABOUT ME

Focused on Education

As long as I can remember, I have been interested in, some might say slightly obsessed, with education. 

As a young girl, I remember coercing my younger siblings into playing school or church.  

In high school, my friends and I would daydream about living on a ranch together, each teaching the subjects we were most interested in to each other's kids.  It was a "dream" that my heart longed for.

As a young adult, I went through a Louisa May Alcott phase, reading every book of hers I could get my hands on.  When I got to "Little Men," my inspiration caught fire!  As she described the school she started in her home at Plumfield, I wanted that life for my children.  

I went on to study Special Education at BYU until I developed a chronic illness, which redirected my path away from formal education.  I was too ill to continue at the university, moved home, found my Handsome Rob, and started our family soon after.  

Blending education and family

As I began having children, I found the home education vision stuck with me.  The chronic illness I developed as a young adult has stuck around until the present, and I have always had to be intentional about where my energy went.  Rob and I decided that I would be the primary caregiver and not work outside of the home.  We were able to live comfortably on his income alone.  

But I still had so much creative mental energy for education that needed a place to go, so I poured it into my children, no matter where they were formally being educated.  

As a home educator

I officially began my home education journey in 2022.  You can read more about our journey here.  

I poured myself into this journey, in an attempt not to ruin my children's lives.  I researched everything I could get my hands on, attended conferences, and discussed it with family and friends.  I just soaked it all up! 

I always hoped I would be able to give back to the supportive community I had found, but I felt I wouldn't have the time, energy, or wisdom to offer anyone until I was more seasoned.   I attended, started up, and taught at homeschool groups large and small. I opened up my home for learning opportunities to others in the community, but I always felt like I wanted to do more.  And then one day, COVID hit.

COVID

About six months after moving our family across the country, the COVID Pandemic hit.  Having a chronic autoimmune disease, this caused me anxiety regarding my health, but I was at peace with how the shutdowns would affect my kids.  

The biggest adjustment we had to make was not attending a couple of outside classes and activities my kids were involved in, but the core of their education remained untouched by the chaos that others around us were feeling.  

I had friends in my neighborhood in a panic.  All of a sudden, they were faced with decisions they had never encountered before.  Should they keep their child in school, have them do their schoolwork at home online, or should they pull their child out and homeschool them?   

These were decisions I had been making for years.  

I could feel the panic in our community and the nation, and the peace I felt was a stark contrast.  I wanted to help!

The garden

One of the projects I started as the world shut down and time opened up was to plant a garden.  We had made several attempts in different states without much success.   

Caring for a garden was therapeutic for me.  I would spend time each day watering, pruning, weeding, and gathering vegetables.  As I worked, my mind started to make connections, until one day I recognized the correlation that gardening has with educating our children as parents.  

I turned these ideas into a Zoom presentation I could share with those around me who were struggling with what to do for their kids.  NOURISH was born!

Where I'm at now

Today, I am about to graduate my third child from public school.  My youngest will start high school next year and is attending public school.  In four short years, I will be in a new season of life.  I will continue to NOURISH my family and pursue my education, no matter my age.  

During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, friends in my neighborhood were in a panic as schools were either turning to online learning or felt like unsafe and unstable learning environments.  All of a sudden, parents were faced with decisions they had never encountered before--Should they keep their child in school, have them do their schoolwork at home online, or homeschool them?   

We had moved across the country six months before the pandemic hit.  Having a chronic autoimmune disease caused me anxiety regarding my health, but I was at peace with how the shutdowns would affect my kids because we had been homeschooling for many years.  The biggest adjustment we had to make was not attending a couple of outside classes and activities my kids were involved in, but the core of their education remained untouched by the chaos that others around us were feeling.  

These were decisions I had faced for many years, and I had a strategy for making them that brought me peace.  

The panic I felt in our community and the nation versus the peace I felt regarding the education and well-being of my children was in stark contrast to each other.  I wanted to share the peace I felt and help others make these decisions for their families based on mindful intentionality rather than fear.  I wondered, how could I take what I've learned from years of home education and share it in a way that would empower parents rather than overwhelm them?

The garden

One of the projects I began during the shutdowns was planting a garden.  During a time of great anxiety in the world, caring for a garden was therapeutic for me.  As I watered, pruned, weeded, and gathered vegetables, my mind made connections to gardening and nurturing children.  

I turned these ideas into a Zoom presentation I could share with those around me who were struggling with these decisions.  NOURISH was born!

This website is full of my thoughts, stories, and experiences.  I would love this to be a two-way conversation.  Please share your with me!  

I am an ordinary woman, wife, and mother.  On the journey to finding myself, I've had expreiences placed in my path thtat have refined me and taught me these truths.  I am a spokesperson sharing these lessons while I walk the same road as you, trying to figure it all out.