Shantel's February

A few glimpses into my February: 

This meme. 

When you've officially run out of excuses: "Will likely be a little late because of who I am as a person." There is more truth to this than I wish there was. I justify sometimes by saying that really I'm a maximizer and if I can squeeze in XYZ before I go then that's better than getting there and waiting around. But a little voice in the back of my head reminds me of the time someone told me that people who are late value their time more than other peoples and when they use their time selfishly it makes them late. Darn. I am actively trying to be better at this, but also - I can only give so many excuses before I just have to admit that I might be a little late no matter what. 

Some books that I've been reading. I made a new friend (@readintorebecca) through some Ward Conference visits that we did for Stake Primary and she's been supplying me with fun new books to read. I have been doing 99% of any book reading via audiobooks - so it's been fun to get some books back in my hands. 

I've been expanding and deepending my friend community and have attended some really nice things. Early morning temple visits on the first Friday of each month (Cara and Bethany). A "Bunco Birthday Party" for a sweet friend, Dani. Plus lots of Marco Polos, meaningful conversations during field trips or coop pickup times, and opportunities to rub shoulders with some really amazing people. 

I also was able to attend our Stake Women Conference and enjoyed the morning thoroughly. It's always so neat to be able to join as sisters in the gospel to strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ and be reminded that we are in this together to strengthen, love, and lift each other. This class was taught by one of my sweet Primary Presidents, Tenille. I'm grateful for my stake calling that has given me such sweet friendships with so many amazing women. 

Homeschool Retreat Planning 

These pictures make me laugh because it's incredible that this chaos turned into such an amazing weekend! Last year Ali and I planned a homeschool retreat together and this year we wanted to do it again. It was planned for February 15-17 and even though it looks a little chaotic, Ali kept us well prepared and on track. I think we make a really good team and I am overwhelmingly grateful for her friendship. Here are some of the details of the prepwork:

Homeschool Retreat 2024

The retreat itself was smooth and amazing. Once again, Kate Naylor blessed my life immensely by offering to drive her truck. I had been insisting that I could drive my van, but having her drive was a huge blessing because it snowed much of the way and I wouldn't have felt nearly as confident as she did in her 4x4 truck. Due to some issues with our Airbnb getting canceled (twice!) we ended up hosting the retreat in Garden City (Bear Lake) and we loved it! 

We had a lovely weekend of workshops, outdoor activities, personal homeschool time, and good food. It was amazing to see the organizational chaos turn into such a delightful weekend. I'm grateful to be surrounded by so many women who love and work and care for their families so diligently. Homeschooling takes courage and it's a blessing to have a community of people who are brave enough to choose this homeschooling path and will help support and encourage each other along the way. 

I taught a workshop on "The Power of Fun in Homeschool" which I really loved prepping for and talking about. We painted one night, went on a snow bike ride one day, and spent the rest of the time learning and working together and during personal time. 

Community is important to me and I've loved seeing my community grow and strengthen in so many areas. This month has been wonderful as I've connected with others and been able to accomplish a lot. 

 This month has also been hard with the recent loss of Sue, who means so much to me. The grief has impacted me in significant ways and it's been harder to do a lot of my normal things to my normal levels. I've been so sad. I've had a hard time balancing things that usually are easier for me to handle. I cry at the merest mention of anything emotional (which if you know me, seems like it isn't much different- but I'm talking sobbing, not just tearing up). I have also felt peace, hope, and happiness - and it's been an interesting thing to watch the happiness and goodness walk hand in hand with the sorrow and slowness. 

MOI Retreat - Shantel Homeschool

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.