Hello, my name is Chloe, how are you?

WhooHooo!  I have finally arrived fully in cyberspace and have my own blog!  Just in case anyone is reading this newly-created blog, please allow me to introduce myself:

I am a thirty-something (and on the younger edge of that), happily married, homeschooling, harp-playing mama to three bright and very lively kidlets.  I have long brown hair–very long, because I am both cheap and lazy.  I do not like to pay for haircuts too often, and long hair is so easy to take care of–either twirl it up and pin or clip with curls hanging down, or pop in a barrette and let it be loose and flowing.  Either way, I normally spend about five minutes, max, on getting my hair ready for the day.

I am married to Jeff, the techie end of our family, who is a kind and loving husband and a really fun Daddy, as well as a hugely talented videographer.  He has the corniest sense of humor ever, and keeps us all rolling.

My babies are getting big:  My lovely daughter, Jilli, is now ten and developing so many wonderful interests of her own.  My son Evan is eight, brilliant, passionate, and musically gifted.  My six-year-old, Joshie, is a "mini-me" of his father, down to the dimples (although he has my brown eyes), and is the one who keeps me hopping the most.  We have been a homeschooling family from the start, and although there are challenges and I often feel like a failure, we would never choose any other road.  I love starting my day with hugs and kisses and cuddles, and letting things happen slowly and gently each morning.  I love all of the interesting things I get to do with the kidlets, and how privileged I am to watch them as their minds unfold and learn new things.

I often tell people "I love my children more than my harp, but I love my harp more than my dog!"  I am so blessed to have a simply beautiful Dusty Strings Crescendo 32 harp.  When I began to play harp while pregnant with my Joshie, I never expected it to become such a huge part of things; I just wanted music in my life again.  However, this has gone past just something I do to a part of who I am.  I love my harp devotedly and often neglect housework to practice new music.  I cried for a half hour when a string broke (but that was a really bad day overall–there were other things going on, the string breaking was just the icing on the cake), and tend to have Harp Separation Anxiety when gone from my harp too long.

I also teach a few children’s music classes in our town–I love teaching in a classroom situation, and forming relationships with groups of wonderful, bright, active young minds.  I am so happy when I get a group of children listening intently to a Mozart sonata or twirling around with scarves!

Over and under and within and through it all, I know that our Lord is with me, molding our days and guiding me as to which direction we need to go.  (whether or not I listen often remains to be seen)  I have lately begun studying the Hebrew Roots of our faith, and that has served to help me see even more how great, how mighty, how purposeful my Father is.  The children and I are going through the Grapevine Studies Old Testament Overview this year, and my vision of the Lord has certainly expanded.

So there we go, Chloe In A Nutshell.  I am so looking forward to having this blog to jot about our homeschooling journeys, the nuttiness of life, the goodness of the Lord, and how much I love my harp!  (sure to be a repeated theme–ask my mother, I am a little obsessive.)  Please, introduce yourself in the comments section, I would love to see who has stopped by!