Wow!
And just like that, it’s September!
I CANNOT believe this summer is done-zo!
It was a great one.
I know I’ve been pretty quiet on my end. So much has been going on and I haven’t had much time to update you guys. But I wanted to give a quick run down of the past 8 weeks since my last blog post.
Here’s the top 10 highlights from the midway point to the end of our summer.
Why not? It is Labor Day after all…the official end of summer, right? So here we go!
10.) My latest project hit the Amazon Best-seller list multiple weeks in a row! Like this was a total dream y’all! I have always wanted to earn a cool ranking and quite honestly secretly envied that orange flag that pops up next to #1 new releases and best-sellers on Amazon. I never envisioned that would happen as quickly as it did when I published my forgiveness journal…especially since the crazy backstory involves the whirlwind decision to actually publish it THAT week! That’s a story for another day. All I can say is God gets ALL the glory! He did that! If you’d like to support me, my book is available exclusively through Amazon. You can use this link to grab your copy! I’d love for you to support me and to spread the word!
9.) I moved another step closer in my overall vision for the Able to Teach Homeschool Collective’s community component. We are now an online community on Facebook! Woo whoo! Part of my mission for Able to Teach is to be a gathering of collected minds. The goal has always been to be a down-to-earth space that empowers families who desire to homeschool. Our Facebook community is a place you can get the encouragement you need, curriculum suggestions/reviews, and the community you desire. I hope you’ll join us!
8.) My small publishing imprint is now an LLC, making it officially-official!!! Stories for Us is the place under which all my publishing pursuits will be housed. Stories for Us exists to share stories from the truth of God’s word for the dignity of the people He has created. I talk more about my vision for this in a blog post on my author website here.
7.) My kids were away from me for a total of 20 days this summer! The big girls were with their Nana for 10 days in Ga. and then all four of my kiddos were with Nana again at the end of August. She took them to the Poconos for much needed fun in the sun, while the hubby and I got to sneak away to Punta Cana!!
6.) The virtual STEAM camp I hosted at the beginning of August through Able to Teach was a HIT! There was a total for 15 campers throughout the week. We studied the science of food, the science of cosmetics, the science of sound, how to be science detectives, and the science of football. The campers participated in an interactive lesson taught by yours truly, did hands-on projects and experiments, and met experts in the STEM fields. Each camper received a complimentary book related to our studies. I plan to do more of these in the future. I’ll be sure to keep you posted when that happens. 😉
5.) I did my second in-person author event since the pandemic shut the world down! It was a hit and also a bit of a bust all in one! lol What I mean is, I made lots of connections, I sold some books, but the turn-out of the event was pretty low. Even still, I had a really good time and met some cool people. I’ll be at Art in the Park, an art festival hosted by Elmwood Park Zoo in Morristown, PA, this coming weekend (9/11 from 2-6pm EST) if you’d like to check it out!
4.) I created a logo for Stories for Us! Woo whoo! I’m slowly working on streamlining my branding for the publishing aspect of my life. Getting a logo down was half the battle. Now that I’ve nailed it down, I feel like I can begin moving forward with making things look more uniform. Stay tuned!
3.) Noelle is starting middle school tomorrow! This is her second go round with not being homeschooled. If you remembered, I blogged about this when she was in 5th grade. It was definitely a HUGE struggle for me and I experienced deep sadness but I was grateful for God’s grace over her as she entered the brick and mortar world of schooling for the very first time. We have prepared her well. I am no longer in the place I was when I penned that post, thank God! lol However, that experience was unfortunately cut short for her by the start of the pandemic. Last school year, she was homeschooled again, but this year, she’ll be entering our township’s middle school as she goes into 7th grade! She’s beyond excited! I’m excited for her but also super sad as my baby is no longer a baby anymore. My momma heart is super sad y’all. But I’m so confident she’s going to rock it out. I’m just really proud of the young woman she is growing into.
2.) About that Punta Cana trip…….lemme tell you! Sis got her groove ALL the way back! lol This trip was something that I didn’t know I needed until I was there. At one point, I told Curtis that the best part of it was that I felt like a human being again. What I mean is, I’m always so used to solving problems, breaking up disagreements, getting people food, being called upon and needed (all things I love but at times need a break from). While we were there, I eventually got to the point that I had somewhat forgotten I was a mom due to being so incredibly relaxed. I don’t know the last time I experienced that! I needed to step away, rest my heart and mind and get recharged. Punta Cana owes me nothing!
1.) BIG CHANGES ARE COMING!!!
I felt the need to emphasize that. In the coming weeks (and possible month) I’ll be changing platforms!!!
I’m currently in the process of changing from WordPress to Weebly. I’m basically blowing up this blog to move to that platform for a number of reasons. The main one being my blogging needs have changed over the years since this blog began in 2016!! I will be sure to keep you informed as things aren’t fully solidified yet. But trust me, I’m excited (and quite honestly a little nervous) for the change. But all change can create some angst. For those of you who have been rocking with me, I hope you’ll continue to do so! My hope is through that platform the many moving parts that go on behind the scenes for me as a person, wife, momma, and now business owner will be a lot smoother.
BONUS: I’m also in the process of finalizing the details for the 2021/2022 Able to Teach Homeschool Collective Co-op. We are entering year 2 and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Things will be a tad scaled down as I work with the team I’m currently building to roll out our fully functioning in-person co-op next school year (2022/2023). More details to come!
Thanks for reading and I hope you’ve all had a happy and healthy end to your summer as well. Let me know in the comments how summer went for you. I’d be happy to hear and wish you well as you enter this new school year!
Blessings,
Courtney
