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Our Family's Journey Through
Life, Lyme, & Homeschooling
"Above all, love each other deeply..." 1 Peter 4:8
Hi, folks!
This is our tribe. We're a little nuts, but we love each other dearly. Come what may, we are TEAM HOOKER (yep, the jokes are aplenty).
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Like most families, we strive to support each other (read: keep each other alive and relatively sane), and we do our best to "love others deeply" (1 Peter 4:8)... this can be HARD, folks, but we try. Jesus is the bedrock of our faith, and His love is the bedrock of our family. Given the fact that we're a hot mess on our good days, we're 100% dependent on His amazing grace each and every day.
We live in Colorado now, but "home" is the South. Being southerners and all, we treasure sweet tea, front porches, family reunions (i.e., large gatherings with loads of cousins & casseroles), mason jars, and lightnin' bugs. Of course, now that we're in Colorado, we don't see many lightnin' bugs (nor really any bugs, for that matter). We DO see mountains though. And skies that stretch for days. And we have to agree with John Muir, who said:
Yep, we're finding this to be true. A single trek through the Rockies offers a feast of adventure, wonder, and wisdom. (Makes sense that our Creator would speak volumes through His creation, right?) Mr. Muir also said:
I (Meredith) know that's about the most random and least earth-shattering quote on the web, but it resonates with me. You see, our family moved all the way out to Colorado so that our boys could get well. So that I could get well. So that everyone could LIVE WELL as we battle the challenges of Lyme disease. (Side note: We actually have 4 tick-borne diseases, but it's easier to say "Lyme disease" than to list all of the parasitic and bacterial infections in our bodies.) While I certainly wouldn't say we're cured (maybe someday!), I do believe the mountains have afforded us a quality of life that couldn't be had in the south. (Side note #2: Doctors aren't entirely sure why their patients' health tends to improve in certain climates, but they do know that MANY patients report such experiences. And they do know that drier air is easier on the heart and joints, so that's at least part of the reason for our family's improvement.) Anyhow, I can WALK now, y'all. My energetic boys (more like high-octane conquerers) can RUN and PLAY 'til the sun kisses the mountains goodnight each evening. This is amazing, friends!
We created this blog for the same reason most folks "go public." We want to share our shenanigans with our friends and families who are spread far and wide, and we also want to create a "digital scrapbook" to preserve our family's memories. And, whenever possible, we'd like to share any tidbits of info which might be helpful to those facing Lyme disease and/or those embarking on the homeschool journey. May God use our mish-mash of words to bless those who are looking for a glimmer of hope.
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Life really can be AN AWESOME ADVENTURE.
Meet our Family
(posted for the few non-relatives who stumble upon this page)
NAME: Bear Man; Boo Bear
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LOVES: Star Wars, lightsabers, sticks, bugs (ick!), drawing, painting, music (he never forgets a lyric!), dancing, gift-giving, and rock climbing
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PERSONALITY: bright, sensitive, cautious, thoughtful, artistic, kind, and exceedingly generous (basically a carbon copy of his awesome pops)
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WHEN HE GROWS UP, HE WANTS TO BE: an author AND an illustrator, or possibly the director of the next Star Wars movie (because we know that franchise will keep churning out flicks for the next several decades!), or maybe a toy designer ;-)
NAME: J-Man, J-Bird, Doodlebug
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LOVES: karate, roller coasters, lightning, skiing, animals, zip lines (the higher/faster, the better!), ropes courses (preferably the ones that extend over ridiculously steep mountain gorges), mountain climbing, and acting
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PERSONALITY: energetic, highly social, goofy, adventurous, competitive, kind, loyal, and a bit of a thrill-seeker (kinda like his mama in the thrill-seeking department)
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WHEN HE GROWS UP, HE WANTS TO BE: an actor or an architect, or maybe a "professional roller coaster tester," or maybe a storm chaser
NAME: Baby Girl, Sweet Pea, Bubbles
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LOVES: oodles of milk, cozy blankets, long naps, big brothers, and colorful lights
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PERSONALITY: calm, cuddly, even-tempered, "chatty" (as vocal as a baby can be, at least), gentle-spirited, and sweeter than apple pie! Truly, she is the BEST BABY, and we can't get enough cuddles, squeezes, kisses, and giggles from her. She's a WONDERFUL, JOYFUL addition to our family, and we're all smitten with this precious girl!
NAME: Super Dad, Pops
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LOVES: Jesus, his family, college football (go Vols!), bizarre foods, skiing (especially with his boys), reading (C.S. Lewis, James Michener, Charles Spurgeon, and many, many others), attending big-league baseball games, exploring historical sites within big cities, dating his wife (and protecting her from all types of fierce invaders, especially those 8-legged menaces), and listening to a wide variety of music (including Foo Fighters, Imagine Dragons, and The Afters)
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PERSONALITY: brilliant (obviously his wife is typing this), patient, kind, humble, cautious (read: wise), thoughtful, witty, charming, playful, silly, level-headed, and exceptionally good at demonstrating servant leadership (emphasis on servant AND leadership)
NAME: Mama Bear
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LOVES: Jesus, her boys (all 3 of them!), her precious baby girl, her entire family in GA (miss y'all!), Ellie Holcomb, comfy clothes (including hats!), pumpkin-flavored coffee, Amazon Prime's 2-day shipping (hallelujah!!!), blogging, reading (Francine Rivers, Jodi Picoult, Anthony Doerr, Sally Clarkson, and many others), chatting with her sister and cousins and friends, supporting fellow lyme fighters, and attempting to follow the "Brave Learner" approach to homeschooling (love Julie Bogart!)
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PERSONALITY: slightly nuts ("overboard" is her nickname), big-picture planner, deep-thinker, animated, hopeful, keenly aware of her millions of flaws/mistakes (clinging to God's grace!), strong-willed, and enormously grateful for the people, blessings, and miracles of each new day!