Sunday, March 2, 2014

A Busy Season


I started this blog two years ago and I was faithful to post three times a week, without fail, for over a year and a half. Until this last fall.

As I sat down and contemplated why my blog has fallen to the bottom of my priority list, I've realized it was pushed there because I added one more thing to my already busy schedule: homeschooling.

We have two daughters (ages 9 and 7) and twin boys who will be 4 at the end of this month. I was homeschooled when I was younger, and it was always my dream to homeschool our children. After the boys were born (when our oldest was in Kindergarten), I realized I wouldn't be able to homeschool at that time. We put our oldest in a private school, followed by our second daughter last year.

I still wanted to homeschool, and I found a great curriculum that started in 3rd grade, so we decided to keep our children in their private school until they enter 3rd grade, and then we'd start homeschooling. This year our oldest entered 3rd grade.

It's been a great experience and I'm very happy we made the decision. Our second daughter will remain in the private school next year for 2nd grade, and then she'll start homeschooling in 3rd grade, as well. The year she starts homeschooling our boys will enter Kindergarten at the private school.

This has worked well for our family--but it's required me to sacrifice in other areas, including this blog.

I will keep blogging when I can, but it's not at the top of my priority list for this season in my life. I am writing a new novel set in 1927, and when I'm not homeschooling, I am researching or writing. Thankfully my hubby's work is seasonal, so he's home during the winter and that allows me to still write.

I hope to have my first draft of my new story finished by the beginning of April. I'll work on edits and revisions for the month of April and hopefully send it off to my agent by the beginning of May. At that time (if this winter ever ends), my hubby will be going back to work, my daughter will be finishing up her first year of homeschool, and I will take the summer off from writing. I'm hoping to rekindle my blog at that time and get back to my blogging schedule.

Thank you for being a faithful reader! As my schedule allows, I'll be back with fun posts. I have some friends who are releasing books this spring and I hope to host them here and offer some great giveaways. I'll also post periodically about my story's progress. (I am having so much fun writing this book!)

Enjoy these fleeting days of winter! :)

Your turn: Is this a busy season of life for you? What have you had to give up to follow a dream?

4 comments:

  1. Hehe, yes, this is a busy season of life for me. Honestly, I'm so far behind at the moment that yesterday when the opportunity to ditch town came up, I was all, "Um, why not? Let's just get MORE behind!" LOL! But it's all good...stuff will get done.

    Love your blog, Gabe, and I'll be a faithful reader whenever you've got posts up. But sounds like you've done some prioritizing and that's important. :)

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  2. So nice to read this, Gabrielle. My blog is one of the things I've had to cut back on in this time of my life, too. When there's only so much time for writing, I find myself researching and writing!

    Glad to hear your homeschooling is going well. I'm considering it myself in the fall, but I'm a bit intimidated. :0

    Good luck with your writing!

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  3. Amen to prioritizing. I'm so with you. I went down to blogging once a week because of how busy I am. I am taking a break from teaching online (which means less money earned this year) so I can draft my book revisions! We all have to sacrifice for the dreams we have...nothing comes super easy. But I think they're worth it!

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  4. God bless you for all you are doing for your family! A person just can't do it all. I'm still learning to say no, even to things I would dearly love to do. It's been a hard season in some ways, but I know God is at work! Enjoy your kids - the time is so precious. :-)

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