September 12, 2013 – I was walking into class at APSU (Austin Peay State University) when I noticed a blue butterfly directly in my path. I gently approached the beautifully adorned insect, concerned it would fly off if startled, and used my camera phone to take its photo. I felt such peace as I stood there, less than a foot away from the butterfly, admiring its gorgeous colors. After about 5 minutes, I continued to class, where I posted my butterfly picture to Facebook during a short break. The day was no different than any other day. I finished my READ MORE
Owning Our Mistakes
Today, my son learned a valuable lesson about admitting his mistakes when they happen, rather than covering them up. It was dinner time, and my family had just sat down to eat. I glanced toward our kitchen ceiling and noticed two prominent water marks. Realizing it was coming from our upstairs bathroom, I brought it to my husband’s attention, and we both hurried up the stairs. After using a towel to absorb the water under our sink and making sure we had no pipe issues, we started investigating possible causes for the leak. I thought of another time when water READ MORE
Happy 23rd Anniversary!
Today, my husband, Chris, and I are celebrating our 23rd wedding anniversary. We met at the beginning of my sophomore and Chris’ senior year in high school. He was an attractive and lanky JROTC (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) drill team leader with an abundance of hormones and a sweet smile. I was a cute, confused, and equally hormonal new student at our high school. It took a couple months for him to notice me, although I was smitten with him the first time I saw him. We started going steady and got pregnant with our first child a few READ MORE
Calling Out Greatness
I am not a football fan, but several years ago I agreed to watch a movie called Facing the Giants (Provident Films). It is the story of a football coach and his team’s transformation after finding faith in God. (SPOILER ALERT- If you want to see the movie and haven’t yet, I am getting ready to spoil one of the film’s best scenes, so you might want to watch it before reading this post). My favorite scene in the film is when Coach Grant Taylor, played by Alex Kendrick, challenges the football team’s lead player, Brock, to perform a 50-yard READ MORE
Welcome to the New School Year
It is back-to-school time for the Keepes household. For 4 years, our students have participated in a virtual-school program, Connections Learning, through our local school system. It is an online program designed for students who want the benefits of homeschool learning and public school curriculum combined. Similar to public school, each student is assigned teachers, coursework, and testing. They are given a schedule to follow and receive grades for all completed work. They are assigned to a local school within our school district, so they are permitted to participate in school related activities. They can even receive remedial tutoring at READ MORE