raising rileys

exhausted yet fulfilled

By about 1:30 today I was feeling pretty exhausted. As I mentioned in my previous post, I have been working on a lot of things trying to get caught up and doing my best to put my full energy and heart into our homeschool (along with all the other regular life stuff). I think we're doing pretty well, but boy, it's no small effort! That's why at around 1:30 I was scooting the boys out the door so they could play a while and run around in the backyard while I could sit down and take a break for a few minutes!

pumpkin patch & catching up

Yesterday we made it to our local pumpkin patch. It was so fun. Last week we felt quite couped up because everyone was sick, so it felt great to get out and enjoy some October sunshine!

Life I Love, MotherhoodElizabeth RileyOctober 5, 2016Comment

alaska part ii

Here are more Alaska pictures. I have so many that I could not fit them all into one post! We had so many adventures there. My sweet mother-in-law is an angel and took the boys so Jeremiah and I could spend time out. It was a blast! We did a ton of exploring. Some moments cannot be adequately captured with a camera--so these pictures may not do justice to the experience. But they are fun to look back on and remember!

Life I LoveElizabeth RileySeptember 29, 2016alaska, familyComment

alaska part i

I fell in love with Alaska during our trip there in August. I've been there a couple of times; Jeremiah proposed to me there on his family's land overlooking the bay. And then we went up there the following winter when I was expecting Matthew. For the record, winter there is an amazing experience. The sky is the bluest blue. The snow is pristine, and the air is clear and salty with the wonderful refreshment the ocean brings. I enjoyed both times so very much. But this time was different.

Life I LoveElizabeth RileySeptember 28, 2016family, alaska, dreams, videoComment

believe in good things to come

2016 has been filled with unexpected things for our family. Some so incredibly good! And some hard things too. I hope wherever you are, whatever your circumstance, you know you can trust God always. Nothing is to hard or too complex for Him. With Him we can have hope. A dear friend shared this video with me, and I wanted to share it with you. Love to each of you no matter what you're going through. xo

Life I LoveElizabeth RileySeptember 11, 2016Comment

on humility & time management

It’s Monday, and the school year is fast approaching. I am excited for it! Last school year when Matthew was four, I viewed it as my ‘preparation year’ for homeschooling. The year I’d take to develop the self-discipline to homeschool and to figure out how to weave it into our family’s busy life and to try out some different teaching techniques. It was a wonderful year and agreat learning experience for me. I feel so drawn to homeschool for our children, for our family—but along with many other moms, I’ve asked myself, “but how?? How can I find the time in my already busy life to do this?” Here are a couple of things that are helping me. I hope that maybe they are helpful you too.