an open letter to julie bogart

Hi Julie!

My name is Mandy Houle and I'm homeschooling my 3 kiddos (9,7,6) in Colorado Springs, CO.  I watched my first "Julie video" about a month ago while I was making dinner and instantly I was hooked to your voice of wisdom.  

check out that smile! i think horses are good for the soul.

I lead a small group of homeschooling mothers and have been subjecting them to small snip-its of your periscopes or facebook lives every time we meet.  They lovingly refer to you as "Mandy's Homegirl.".  

I'm attending the Vail Valley Homeschool retreat this coming weekend (Sarah Mackenzie is speaking and I'm thrilled to get to meet her!) and was asked to write out a couple of paragraphs.  One highlighting my biggest struggle in homeschooling this year and one focusing on my greatest win. 

After I completed this small assignment, I read over my paragraphs again and realized anew the impact that your work has had on me, my inner voice and my homeschool and thought "I really ought to let her know." 

So here is the paragraph(s) I wrote and with it, you have my deepest thanks.

this was our last lease day of the fall.  and it was freezing!

My biggest win in my 5th year of homeschooling is the wave of confidence that is crashing over me.  When my oldest was in kindergarten, homeschooling was magical.  I continually had pinch myself moments. Were we actually doing this?!? I loved that we were spending our days home together immersed in projects, reading all hours and basically structuring our play around books.  

Her 2nd and 3rd grade years came and waves of doubt would crash over me, leaving me coughing and sputtering as I struggled to catch my breath. I'm not really capable of this.  We aren't doing enough. If we skip math lessons to head to the zoo homeschooling will FALL APART. 

This year. I've immersed myself in Julie Bogart's online world, listening to everything I can and sitting under her experienced wisdom. Somehow the Holy Spirit is using her thoughts and ideas to take truths that have been rattling around inside my head and root them and settle them in my heart.  I'm taking deep breaths again.  I'm surveying the land.  I'm letting life and inspiration lead us instead of fear and certainly not math curriculum.

We've picked bushels of apples at an orchard and spent a day with friends turning our harvest into pies and butter and sauce.  We've spent days at a barn mucking stalls and riding horses.  Math is there for us at home when life and inspiration aren't taking us somewhere, well, better.

Your encouragement and wisdom have given me the courage to stop waiting.  To homeschool the way I desire right now. This day. This moment.  I'm incredibly grateful. 

With love from Colorado,

Mandy Houle