I’ve been a little scarce around here because we have been having family fun, going on road trips, and getting ready for school! I miss the writing, but I wouldn’t trade it for all the memories we’ve been making together!

Today is our first day of school and I couldn’t be more excited! Having a summer break allows all of us to get recharged for another school year, and by the time August rolls around, we are ALL ready to go.

This week, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite things about back-to-school time, including our curriculum choices for the year, supplemental books we are loving, the best meal-planning tool ever {with a coupon code AND giveaway!!!}, and much more!

For now, I just have to share our first day of school pictures. How can they be this big?!

Let the school year begin!

Now how about week 3 of The Love Dare for Parents?!

This week was pretty powerful, with topics from fear of God to protecting our children to respecting authority. I found a lot of things to pray hard about this week. It was challenging and oh so good.

But my favorite day came on Saturday. We had gone up for a surprise visit to my parents’ for my mom’s birthday and I thought maybe I would get to visit a friend who was in town for a conference while we were there. Saturday morning came and I really wanted to go see her, but the family was all together and headed for some outdoor adventures. The decision was hard, but easy, if you know what I mean. I texted my sweet friend, hoping to see each other some time soon, and headed out with the family.

We had the BEST day together, trying all sorts of new things, from BB guns to canoeing, and I cherished every single moment.

I didn’t get to read the Love Dare until later in the day and it just happened to be “Love Takes Time.” I knew God had a special hand in making that day – and that time together – happen and lining it up with that love dare before I even knew it.

Has there been a certain Love Dare that came on just the “right day” for you?