Bodacious Bloggers is having a summer blog hop! May’s prompt was to take us on a tour of where you live – check that out here! This month’s prompt is to recap highlights from the last decade of your life.
Bloggers! We’d love to have you join our blog hop (it goes until August).
Just click here to join our blogging group.
The last ten years have been a mix of awesomeness, heartbreak, joy, and sadness. There were several moments and experiences that stand out and I’m happy to share them with you here.
At the very beginning of this past decade, we were a year into an amazing unschooling journey. We had adopted three children two years earlier (they were 5, 8 and 11), removed them from school the following year and plunged head first into unschooling. My youngest was six years old at the time and loved learning so we filled our weeks with interesting museums and science centers, craft projects, team sports like soccer and basketball, movies, video games, visits to our local library, hosting pool parties at our home, Girl Scouts, horseback riding, field trips with fellow homeschoolers and day trips to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.
Here are some photos from our first couple of years unschooling. The top right photo shows all my kids and the other photos are just of my youngest who I’ve been homeschooling the longest.
About a year later I started blogging as a way to share our adoption and unschooling journey and to also connect with other mothers who either adopted their children or were homeschooling. I have met some amazing people along the way and blogging has expanded my world tremendously.
In 2007, I experienced the most heartbreaking sorrow that I have ever felt when my mother crossed over. My mother was my best friend, my guiding light and the best mother anyone could want. I’ve written about her here.
In 2009, I decided to create a local homeschool group. I had been unschooling my children for a few years at that point and although we had found other homeschooling families to network and connect with, there wasn’t a group that we felt at home with. The few that we did find eventually disbanded as people moved in different directions. My group is still active today and I’m so grateful to the amazing families who have joined and helped it grow.
The next few years were a roller coaster ride. At the top of the ride was traveling back home to NYC for three weeks during Christmas, starting and growing a local business, and watching our youngest daughter Jacqueline come into her own as a person. Then, there’s the part of the roller coaster where your heart is in your throat and you want to scream. We were dealing with enormous stress from our older two children, first our oldest son and then our middle daughter. They handled their early childhood trauma in destructive ways, but as they each reached young adulthood it became unbearable and our entire family suffered consequences from their actions.
In 2013, a little ball of cuteness joined our family at a time we needed him the most. Our 15-year-old poodles Mini and TJ, rescued three kittens (they were about 10 days old) from something that attacked them in our backyard. They scared off whatever it was, and Mini picked up one and brought him to our back door. He was the only one of the three that was unharmed. My husband rushed them to our vet but sadly one passed away on the way there. Another one needed immediate surgery and our vet ended up keeping her. We took the one Mini saved and named him Mini-Me after his rescuer.
2013 brought a milestone for my family when we had our ten-year adoption anniversary. When we adopted our three children, we wanted to give them the love, stability and safety that all children should feel from the moment they’re born. We also wanted to be realistic about parenting older children who experienced early childhood abuse and trauma so we sought out therapists, mental health professionals and support groups for guidance on how best to help them. I could write a million posts about those ten years and I plan on writing a book about our experience in 2016/2017 so keep an eye out for it.
In November of 2014, we put our girl TJ to rest after a battle with heart disease. Mini and TJ were sisters, from the same litter and TJ was my mother’s dog so losing her was especially hard on me. I honored her in a blog post the day she crossed over.
In 2014 my husband & I celebrated 20 years of marriage with a get-away to the Hard Rock Hotel + Casino in Tampa and had a great time!
A few months later my baby turned 16 and we hosted a Sweet 16 party for her. One of the most rewarding parts of being a mother has been watching Jacqueline go from an adorable little girl to an amazing teenager. I’m so lucky to be her mother.
On Christmas Day 2014 our first grandchild entered the world. We’ve were able to spend some time with Pinky (my husband nicknamed her that) until she was about four months old. My older daughter (she’s my middle one) is not able to have a healthy and peaceful relationship with us and prevents us from being in our granddaughter’s life at this time. It is my hope that as Pinky gets older and has a voice of her own, we can have a relationship with her. During the time we got to spend with her, she knew she was loved by her Opa, Mom Mom and Auntie Jacqueline.
In 2015 my baby Mini turned 16 and we gave her a sweet 16 party with doggie ice cream and our two cats as her guests. Mini has been my constant companion for the last 16 years and we give her lots of love and attention in her senior years.
Thank you for taking this retrospective journey with me. When the blog hop post for this month is published, I’ll share the link so you can visit the other bloggers.
Wow, Joanne, a lot can happen in 10 years, can’t it? Your story made me happy and sad, at the same time. I am sorry for your losses, but rejoice with you for all the good times, as well. I have watched a close friend walk through a similar adoption story with 4 of her children. It has been a hard road, but thankfully all but one relationship has been restored. I hope the same for you — sooner, rather than later.
It is amazing when we look back the joys and sorrows we have endured in 10 years. Sounds like you have had an amazing journey. Sending prayers to help you through your next 10 years.
It was interesting to read about your life over the past ten years. It is always a thrill for me to read about the real lives of writers around me.
A full decade of love and loss. I am sorry that your mother is no longer with you here on earth but Im sure you feel here often!
I know a few people who were adopted and it is such a beautiful thing. I sometimes wish I could expand my home with foster children.
What a great post, Joanne! I loved learning about you and your fascinating life! You are one busy lady!
10 years ago in was i High school ( the simplier times ) no bills no fuss just all about good grades! Joanne , your outfit in this post is perfect. Everything you are wearing then is back in style now 🙂 I loooved those shades
That’s my mother, not me. 😉
I really liked learning more about you, Joanne. You are such an advocate for so many and a leader.
20 years of marriage!!! You look too good for that, my friend!! I did not know about your 3 adopted children and your unschooling/homeschooling accomplishments! Way to go, Mama! Totally awesome.
I had no idea you unschool! I love the idea but know my patience limitations and don’t think I could successfully.
While all my older kids are biologically mine, my husband adopted them at an early age. The early trauma my daughter went thru caused our family some really trying times. I so feel you there! she had a baby very early which my husband and I have been raising for 8 years now since he’s 6 months old. Isn’t it funny how life takes us to places we’d never imagine being when we were young?
Thanks for sharing your life!
It is always great to look back on the past years and see all that you have accomplished . I love that you adopted and then unschooled your children. What beautiful memories and lessons you have taught your kids. So sorry to hear about your mom. I know you are a beautiful reflection of your mom.
Your an awesome woman. Love hearing your story.
What an incredible 10 years. thank you for sharing your life with us.
Thank you for sharing such a personal and heartfelt recap on the past decade. Sending good thoughts your way so that you can work it out with your oldest and see that cute little grandbaby. You have a beautiful family!
Thanks so much – I appreciate the good thoughts.
(she’s the middle one – my oldest is my son. I edited my post to make that a little clearer ).
I have heard so many success stories about unschooling. I wish you all a wonderful final year.
Thank you!
How awesome! Sounds like your decade was full and fabulous. I love unschooling I wish that’s the approach I had taken when I took my kids out of public school for the last year.
Unschooling has been awesome for my family!
Wow, what a decade! I can see why you want to write a book! I think it will turn into a trilogy! When my son was born (unexpectedly) with Down syndrome, what really helped me THE MOST was reading memoirs by parents of Down syndrome children. Oh, and your post inspired me to write a decade post as my son nears his 11th birthday this fall!
I can’t wait to read your post Lisa!
20 years! Good for you and congrats – so glad to see people still making it work:)
Thank you. 🙂
Oh my….Joanne… way to put your heart on your sleeve! You’ve been a busy woman! I have great admiration for you and your husband for taking in kids who so desperately needed your love. I can tell you, we went through a number of years where our oldest son (my stepson) was quite estranged from us. However, that has now changed… he has a wife and baby and we get to be part of their lives. I will be praying for this for you as well with your oldest. I know it is a heartbreaker… but now that she is a mother herself, she may gain some new perspective!
Cheers to the next decade and the memories you will make!
Thanks for the encouragement Brandy. I’m glad to hear things are better with your step-son!
I love that you refer to it as unschooling 🙂 My kids go to public school because I honestly don’t know if I could handle the responsibility of homeschooling. I know it takes so much hard to work, but it’s such a great gift to give to your kids.
Hi Robin! Unschooling is actually a form of homeschooling that uses more natural learning methods rather than curriculum-based lessons.