Last year was a difficult year for finding/having a community in our homeschool. I realize how important it is to have other people gathered around you as you walk the homeschooling path and have been making significant efforts to gather others around me. Working with Ali to create a homeschool retreat last March was impactful and helped me through a rough "are we doing the right thing?" patch. There is a group of women who I have been wanting to gather with but have been staying on the edges of that community for a while. They meet on the same night that I have my presidency meeting and even though every month I hope to be able to go, my other responsibilities take precedence. They also just started meeting with the children for activities one Friday a month, which they only decided to do once I had successfully convinced the SPARK coop to move to Friday mornings. Even though I am on the edges of this community, I have a deep desire to join with them and when they decided to hold a retreat before school started, I knew I really, really, wanted to attend.
The group is called a Mothers of Influence group, or MOI.
Mothers of Influence (MOI) are women who come together to “be centered in God and recognize that He’s the source of influence as we refine the art of mothering, the art of relationships, the art of “home”-making, the art of gentleness, the art of unity, the art of civility, the art of kindness, and the art of love. Each of these is a creative expression of heaven’s light flowing through us.” (Mothers of Influence Guidebook, p. 1)
This retreat was centered on creating a joy-filled home. It was just what I needed to feel rejuvenated and begin our upcoming school year. Gathering with these ladies helped to inspire and uplift me and I am so grateful I was able to attend and begin/continue the community building process with this incredible group of women. 
The day was structured with different topics that we discussed or learned about every half/hour or so.
The Joy of connecting with God
The Joy of MOI
The Joy of Nourishment
Creating a joy-filled life
The Joy of creating
The Joy of giving and receiving
The Joy of reading
The Joy of socializing
The Joy of homeschool
The Joy of play
The Joy of favorite things
The Joy of relaxing
David was out of town, so Matthew was kind enough to babysit my kids for me. David was supposed to pick them up at 6, but he missed his flight back from Minneapolis and didn't end up getting there until about 9 (I finished at 10). Even with the additional worry about asking Matthew to watch my kids for so long, the day was worth it. It was a day filled with connections, inspiration, and personal revelation. I feel confident that as I start this homeschool year I will be better prepared to teach and love and guide my children in creating a well-rounded life - full of mind and heart learning. And that is what I want for my children. A life where their minds and hearts, their bodies and spirits, are fed and cared for and can work together to create a happy, capable life.
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