I’m seeing many fall lovers anxiously pull out their fall decorations. I love fall. We got married in the fall! But goodness, this Midwest girl wants to hang on to summer as long as I can! So instead of seeing all things fall on this post, you’ll see how we are hanging on to all things sunny and warm before we step into my favorite season, fall.
In addition to owning a business, we also homeschool. We have unofficially started the school year, because our kids ASKED to start school! If that doesn’t make a mama’s heart smile, I don’t know what would. So I obliged and we have slowly started incorporating school into our day. Our official start date will be after Labor Day weekend. Here is our 4th grader working hard on vocabulary words.
No matter how you are spending your last few weeks of summer, we hope you are all staying healthy and well. Soon, we will be ready to welcome fall! Let me savor these fleeting moments of summer. 🙂
Our world is under different circumstances with the closings of schools and businesses due to the Corona Virus. If you find yourself suddenly quarantined at home with your kiddos and have no clue what to do, keep reading. My hope is to provide you some resources from a work from home, homeschooling mama. Our kids ages are 8, 6, 4, 2 and a newborn. Here are some easy, cheap or free activities that my kids truly enjoy. I’m hoping they add some sanity to your new homeschooling life as well. It really is a privilege to be at home with your kids!
The thing about homeschooling your kids, is you are simply passing along the information you know, to your kids.
I don’t want to overwhelm you with suggestions so hopefully this gets you started in a good direction. These are all REAL suggestions our kids enjoy. I hope it helps you as you make the most of this extra time together! No, it’s not always easy. However, it’s always worth it and your kids will never forget this extra time with you.
From the business owning, homeschooling family that thinks YOU CAN do this!
It seems my Christmas card list of those dear to us grows every year, I decided to try something a little different and write our Christmas letter here! We hope this ‘letter’ finds you in good spirits and continuing thankfulness all throughout the year.
Do any of you come up with a word to refer back to throughout the year? I knew this year would be a year of healing and slow progress, so the word I decided to use was ‘simplicity’. I do think you’ll find how simplicity was woven throughout our year, and I’m more than ok with that because I know, just as a seed germinates, more was happening than meets the eye.
Our kids are growing and shaping into people with their own interests and it’s so fun to watch. Collectively they enjoy art, music, sports and family vacations. We are pushing through the school year with home education and finding a rhythm for accomplishing all that needs to get done and when to rest. A few highlights for school this year are: music lessons, math (they all seem to get the love for math from their daddy) and they also won a trophy (for most original business idea, two years in a row now) at the business fair they participate in. It’s been fun to let them explore their entreprenueral interests.
Meeting the Husker baseball players and dreaming of football!
The business sign the kids made.
At the business fair.
Winning their second trophy for Most Original Business Idea.
Elias pitched for his team this year.
They wanted to have a lemonade stand ALL summer!
Phillips Tile & Stone LLC continues to grow and spread. We are thankful to have such amazing clients that help by sharing this company name through word of mouth. Our love for our city of Omaha grows every year, too. This really is the land of opportunity. We’ve come across some great mentors this year that have encouraged us in different areas and we’ve hired a few phenomenally skilled workers. Business owning is an adventure, we thank God for this opportunity.
So very thankful. 9 years! Phillips Tile & Stone LLC. We create beautiful spaces you love.
We continue to enjoy spending our time serving at our local church. I think I’ve heard all of our kids say at different times how they enjoy going to church. We hope their desire to learn and love God grows with them!
Our family vacations this year were mainly camping at Nebraska State Parks. We did make it up to Minnesota to visit my (Michelle’s) brother and his family, our time spent on the beautiful lakes in Minnesota are always a highlight of our summers. In our 10 years of marriage, trips that include just the two of us are very few and far between. So when a sweet friend gifted us a hotel stay we gladly set off on a long weekend together…sans kids and had a great time! We also celebrated our 10 year anniversary! Every milestone deserves to be celebrated, and we did celebrate but rather with our word ‘simplicity’ in mind. Guess what- it was memorable and enjoyable thus proving that a little creativity in planning for activities is the way to go!
Our getaway to KC
Platte River State Park
10 year anniversary
Minnesota beaches
the girl cousins
some of the boy cousins…
Our most exciting news of 2019 was announcing my pregnancy. This came as a bit of a surprise and we are so excited at the thought of having our very own rainbow baby. Our miscarriage last November was hard. Loss is hard. But even in the middle of grief and saddness, we saw God working and His finger print was all throughout that journey. Lord willing this babe will join our family in March of 2020.
This year we’ve walked with friends and family that have experienced grief of the greatest levels. We’ve learned, on a deeper level, what it means to be content. We’ve seen prayer requests come answered and all these circumstances have strengthened our faith. Life is not always smooth sailing but we known we can rely on an unchanging God. We are so thankful for His faithfulness! We are grateful for the HOPE our great God brings even when life isn’t as you had pictured.
We hope, this Christmas, that you’ll find JOY in an unwavering God. Thank you for being our client and our friend. Serving your home or business with design and construction services truly brings us great satisfaction! Have a very Merry Christmas and a beautiful New Year! We look forward to serving you and yours in 2020.
Trevor & Michelle Phillips plus the kiddos
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7
Some of you may know that we choose to homeschool our 4 children. I asked them today if there was anything they would like to share on our business blog. Here is what they want you to know.
The resistance never quits.
God loves you very much.
Animals are great.
Have a great day at work.
God made the whole world.
Never give up.
Eat healthy food.
Exercise every day.
Vengeance is mine says the Lord.
God bless you.
Watch out for monsters.
There you have it. From the mouths of kids. 11 important things they want you to know. 🙂
