This blog is my attempt to document our busy but BLESSED lives raising and educating our children for His glory. A child of God, wife to one, and mom to 6 fabulous kids. We are in our 16th year of homeschooling using a Classical ~ Literature based approach.

Come along for the good, the bad & the ugly.



Thursday, February 27, 2020

Christian Apologetics Course from Pilgrim's Rock ~ a TOS review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Every once in a while we are given the opportunity to review a product that I am not fully convinced we need and then I am totally blown away. Today I want to share with you one of these products that I didn’t know that I needed but I am so glad I have it! If you are studying Christian Apologetics or beginning to plan what you will be using next school year with your high schooler, you want to make sure you check out The Unbreakable Faith Course from Pilgrim’s Rock, LLC.


The Unbreakable Faith Course is written by Craig Biehl to strengthen your faith through clear presentation of the infinite excellence of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Pilgrim’s Rock mission is to “Build strong faith, comfort, and joy in Christ by teaching the infinite excellence of God and the Gospel, the reasonableness of faith, and the irrationality of unbelief”. Through sound theological resources, Pilgrim’s Rock seeks to equip Christian students and parents with knowledge necessary to defend the faith.

Just look at the world around us and you can see we are in a spiritual battle. All you need to do is turn on the tv or listen to the radio and you can see firsthand the battle that evil is waging. Our job as Christian parents is to instill in our children the Biblical truths that they can carry on to the next generation. To equip them in a strong faith that will carry them through life’s trials and tribulations, especially when they leave the nest and head off to University.


The Unbreakable Faith course is written to students 15 years and older. When this review first was offered I imagined that my 17 year old would use it independently. However, things changed in her schedule to make this impossible this year (she will take this course her Senior year of High School instead so that she is ready for University life) so I stepped in to be the student. And let me tell you I am so glad I did! This course is amazing and I have grown so much in the last six weeks. Let me tell you a little more about it.


For a typical High School Student this course will provide one credit when completed. The majority of the self-paced, 36 week course is found online, however, there are two “textbooks” required for the course as well. These are available as PDF eBooks or Physical copies. We received physical copies.


A detailed syllabus is included and it breaks down everything from weekly assignments, quizzes, and tests. I love this, because you know exactly what needs to be done and when. My favorite part of the course has to be the video portion. Altogether there are 38 videos for the course. Every morning I been reading my portion of the book and then watching the corresponding video. These video’s are short, roughly 10-15 minutes, but are jam-packed with beautiful images and audio.


So far I have progressed through the first textbook, The Box, and completed the first quiz. The quiz is timed and is multiple choice and true/false type of questions. Feedback is given once the quiz is completed and then you are able to move on to the next section. Right now I am on chapter two of God the Reason. The format of the course is similar to a college course and will definitely cause you to think and process what you believe. The author even has scheduled office hours, which are live video chats, where you can meet and ask any questions you have. Being the introvert that I am, I did not take advantage of these but I am glad that the option is there.


Completing the first section of this Course has helped me grow more confident in my ability to talk with unbelievers. By no means am I fully ready to engage with a professed atheist or unbeliever, but I am not as intimidated since taking this course and learning how to defend what I believe. Overall, I am pleased with each part of this course and recommend you checking it out if you are looking for an Apologetics course. But don’t just take my word for it, thirty-four of my CrewMates have also reviewed this course. Check out their thoughts by clicking the banner below.

The Unbreakable Faith Course {Pilgrim's Rock, LLC Reviews}
 Format ~ online course with two textbooks 
 Price ~ $37.00 for 1 year of access 
 Ages ~ 15 years and up


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Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Wordless Wednesday


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Tuesday, February 25, 2020

The Ultimate Homeschool Geography Curriculum from Let's Go Geography ~ a TOS review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.


Both time and money are a limiting factor in our world travel adventures. So you can bet I was thrilled to find out we had the chance to review Let's Go Geography, Year 2 curriculum!


McKenzie, my 4th grader, and I have been having so much fun Let's Go Geography Year 2 a weekly homeschool geography curriculum from Let's Go Geography. The curriculum was created by Carol Henderson who wanted to make learning about the world we live in fun. We both love that this curriculum is so hands-on and includes a weekly craft too!


For this review, we received two calendar years worth of access to Let’s Go Geography, Year 2. Countries to be studied in Year 2 include Mexico, Brazil, Ireland, France, Russia, Japan and a three-week study of selected US regions and well as a continent review. Since this geography curriculum offers so many different engaging activities from crafts to videos I think that it is great fit for all learning types.


With a subscription to Let’s Go Geography you and your family can take a three-year trip around the world exploring one country at a time. Through reading, watching engaging videos, listening to music of the region, and hands-on crafts your child will be fully immersed in learning all about the country you are studying.

Getting started is as easy as signing up for an account and picking how long you are wanting to travel, either a year or semester. This detailed curriculum is geared towards children in Kindergarten through 4th grade and includes roughly 35 pages of weekly geography fun! Yearlong travel includes 32 weeks of lesson plans for just $27.99.


Each PDF lesson includes six sections that let you explore each country through mapping exercises, learning about the flag and music as well as exploring areas through video clips. Simply download the file and save it to your computer for easy learning. There is also a weekly craft that ties in with the country you are studying.



If you like hands-on then this curriculum has that for you! Don’t worry about spending lots of money on craft supplies. Many of the crafts use household supplies like paper towel tubes, muffin cup liners, and plastic cups. Art material like crayons, paint, glue, and tape that you already have on hand at home are also needed. If crafts aren’t your thing, there are also simple coloring pages that can be done instead.




A list of any printable needed is included for each lesson as well as any documents needed for your passport and travel binder. My favorite part is that a list of library books is included. The call number for each book is supplied so you can easily search for them at your local library. For older students, Carol also recommends DK's Geography of the World for an atlas for older kids. The attention to detail in this atlas rivals the detail found in the Let's Go Geography curriculum. McKenzie is always eager to learn more through reading with this atlas. 





We went full steam ahead once we received access and have completed 4 weeks of the curriculum studying The Continents, Brazil, Mexico, and France. However, you if find you need to take it at a slower pace just schedule the activities over a longer period of time. Typically, I would try to incorporate our geography studies with our history studies. But this year and next we are studying American History so its been fun exploring the countries that McKenzie is interested in. I simply ask her each Friday to pick a country and then I gather any supplies and books I need for the following week’s lessons.


I love that each country’s PDF file stars off with a bright, vivid cover that makes you want to dive in to know more. McKenzie and my son, Micah who is 5, have enjoyed the video clips as well. McKenzie especially enjoyed the crafts. I love that they are simple enough with thorough directions that she can complete the crafts on her own.




McKenzie is excited about Geography and learning about our world. Let’s Go Geography makes studying geography fun and exciting and we highly recommend you checking it out! If you are looking for a comprehensive hands-on homeschool geography curriculum definitely put Let’s Go Geography at the top of your list!


But don’t just take our word for it, forty-eight of my fellow CrewMates used this curriculum with their families. Be sure to click the banner below and check out their thoughts as well.

Geography for Kids - Year 2 {Let's Go Geography Reviews}
 Format ~ online, PDF lesson files 
 Price ~ $27.99 for 2 years of access 
 Ages ~ K-4th graders


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© 2008 - 2020 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author. 

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Wordless Wednesday ~ First snow




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Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Wordless Wednesday ~ 3rd place Lions




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Wednesday, February 5, 2020




© 2008 - 2020 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.