Welcome to Tapestry of Grace & a Look Inside This Crazy Thing I Call Life

Hello everyone! I am sitting here in western North Carolina enjoying the bright blue skies, the puffy white clouds, & the cooling breeze. I tell you this because yesterday was nothing like this. This is taken from my Facebook status...

"I know many people suffered from the storms that tore not only through North Carolina, but all across the country. I was getting ready to walk out the door headed to town when it started pouring rain. I looked out the back door & I have NEVER seen that much debris flying through the air (except on TV). The sky was filled with limbs, leaves & stuff. We watched several trees snap just over the hill & it looked like the others (very tall skinny trees) were almost touching the ground. These are the same trees that blocked Austin Traphill Rd & our firemen spent all night & part of the morning cutting out of the road. As we went to the front door for a different view, pieces of tin from our building sailed by. The door was almost impossible to open due to the wind. My father in law saw "something" & heard it - call it a small twister, whirling dervish, whatever - spinning over our house. It all happened too fast for me to have processed the fear that probably should have come. I was just in awe at the power. After driving around surveying the path & the damage, I am thankful for those trees down on Austin Traphill Rd. I believe they put up enough block to save my house. My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones & suffered more damage than we did. Trees can be replaced, lives cannot."

Now, that I have told you the where, let my tell you the who & why.

My name is Tracie. I am just a county girl with big dreams for the future. I have been married for almost 14 years to my best friend. He is a pastor, EMT, & firefighter. We have 3 (for now - maybe I can talk him into the 4th) of the most beautiful kids in the history of the world. I'm just a little biased. Austin is 11 and entering the 6th grade. He loves football, dirt bikes, & hunting. Makenzie is 7 and entering 2nd grade. She plays soccer, cheer leads, & has the most tender heart I have ever seen (except towards her older brother). Logan is 2. He is loving, mischievous & gets into everything. My family is starting our 4th year on this homeschool journey. It hasn't been easy, but the harvest will be worth it!

We started out in a co-op, but learned very quickly that wasn't for us. Now don't get me wrong, I loved the people, but I didn't like the demands of "their" schedule. One of the joys of homeschool is setting your own pace. It wasn't a waste of time, we made good friends, learned many lessons in a short amount of time, and stumbled onto Tapestry of Grace.

In our short time homeschooling, I have tried, tossed, tried again, hated, loved, & settled into several different curriculum. There are SO MANY to choose from!! Tapestry has been one of the constants. Now while many people use Tapestry of Grace in many different ways, we only use the history & geography. Occasionally, we throw in the art projects. I also use it very loosely. I don't buy every single book that they recommend  I would LOVE to, but we don't have the finances or the room. I do still buy more than I need to, I'm sure! If I can't find a book from their list, I gladly substitute something from the library. I am also an avid Story of the World user. We have the CDs & my kids LOVE them! Hey, it makes my job easier too.

I wanted to homeschool my kids from day 1. I worked at a local credit union and had good hours, but as my  son got closer to Kindergarten, I started to panic. My 2 oldest have always been in day care, so that wasn't the issue. I fast forwarded many years & saw me leaving work, fixing supper, doing homework, baths, & bed. I imagined missing many extracurricular events & never having time for fun. It probably didn't help that I realized day care was raising my daughter. I only saw her 2 hours a day (she went to bed early).

My husband thought I was NUTS! No way did he want his kids to be unsocialized & unaccepted. (He laughs at that now! We are so involved, its crazy at times!)

I started praying desperately! James 5:16 "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

Two weeks before my son started kindergarten, I accepted a position with the same school system. God is so good!

Long story short.......My husband announced his call to preach. His attitude toward home school changed. I left my job (Another long story you can read here, but PLEASE don't judge me. God is using my failure to encourage others so I am ok with people knowing. Please start at the beginning of August 2010 so you may understand a little more.) and we brought my 2nd grader home in order to teach him & his siblings the way we wanted to.

I use blogging as part therapy, part diary, part proof, & part ministry. You never know when I'm going to have an epiphany or find something that completely ticks me off. I've never been good at holding my tongue, have been known to eat my foot repeatedly, & will cry at the drop of a hat. If you want to join me in this life that I affectionately refer to as The Insane Asylum, feel free to check out my personal blog at G.R.A.C.E., follow it on Facebook, & drop by my home business.