Hey!
You’ve clicked through to this page to learn more about me (Kelly Huckaby) and about our homeschooling journey. I know this to be true, because I do the same thing. If I’m going to read a blog or consider buying a product from someone, I want to know more about the person behind the brand.
So, let me tell you…
Our homeschooling adventure began when our oldest son was just four years old. At the time, I wouldn’t have called it “homeschooling” exactly—it was more of a loosely structured day filled with intentional play, learning activities, and lots of flexibility. We had two little boys and a third on the way, and I was simply trying to create some rhythm and organization in our day.
After our third son was born, a cousin introduced me to the concept of homeschooling. She had recently started teaching her own children at home, and something about it sparked a desire in me to learn more. I had trained as a child care worker and loved teaching my children about colors, numbers, shapes, and the world around them.
I dove headfirst into research mode. Before we even officially began “homeschooling,” I joined a local homeschool group and made it my mission to soak up everything I could. I asked the veteran moms all the questions:
- What curriculum do you use?
- How do you teach with a baby on your hip?
- When do you get the laundry done?
- What does your day look like?
(Keep in mind, this was before Google made everything instantly accessible.) I called curriculum companies one by one, asked for catalogs and samples, read through materials, and weighed all my options. Back then, many of the choices leaned toward a “school-at-home” model with desks and rigid schedules that mimicked public school. I knew in my heart that wasn’t how I wanted to teach my children. My boys were active, hands-on, curious learners who needed the freedom to move, build, dig, and discover.
The Unit Study Approach
I eventually found The Weaver Curriculum, a unit-study-style curriculum that supported my vision and allowed us to weave subjects together, focus on big-picture ideas, and even center our learning around biblical truth and character. That was the moment I knew we had found our way—not just to a curriculum, but to a lifestyle of learning that matched our values and rhythm as a family.
I was a fairly new Christian at the time, and knew this curriculum offered me a way to grow in faith right alongside my children. Over the years, our days were filled with Scripture, science, history, nature walks, hands-on projects, and heart-to-heart conversations. We tailored every year to meet our kids where they were—academically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Expanding Our Horizons
High school brought new opportunities. We blended in co-op classes, dual enrollment, tech school electives like computer programming, automotive tech, and even childcare. We also added classes such as art, accounting, and music to our days. Our homeschool was never rigid, but it was rich. We had the freedom to pause everything and travel with Dad when we wanted. During those trips, we spent a lot of time exploring local parks and hiking trails with a nature journal in hand instead of textbooks.
Homeschooling also gave us the opportunity to teach life lessons: caring for aging grandparents, attending weddings out of state, caring for younger siblings and helping around the house when either Mom or Dad was hospitalized, were all learning opportunities.
Looking back, I’ve never regretted the decision to homeschool. Sure, I had moments when I wondered what life might’ve looked like had we chosen a different path. But now, with my kids grown and pursuing their own callings, I can confidently say—this was the right path. God knew exactly what He was doing when He introduced us to homeschooling.
Closing the Circle
When our first graduated, I cried tears of joy and awe. Look what the Lord has done! When our youngest graduated, I cried even harder—because that day, I graduated too. Our homeschool journey had come full circle.
Today, my children are thoughtful, capable adults. I’ve been blessed to become a “Military Mom” (twice!), a “Grammy” (five times so far!), and a “Traveler” since they’re now scattered across the country and overseas. They are thriving in every sense of the word—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Though I’m now officially “retired” from homeschooling, I still have shelves full of resources and a heart full of passion for helping other homeschool families. I may have passed the teaching baton, but I will always be here to share encouragement, insight, and support with anyone who’s just getting started—or needs a little reminder that they can do this.
They’re all grown up!
My Favs
Fav Book of the Bible
James
(verse 2:19 was the first verse that leapt off the page and into my heart)
Fav Show to stream
Grey’s Anatomy
(currently working through season 2 and loving it)
Fav (good) obsession
Jigsaw Puzzles
(the ultimate ‘organizing’ past time!)
Fav thing to collect
Pens
(there is always one within reach: on my desk, by my chair, in my purse)
Writing is something that many people in my family enjoy. This red Underwood typewriter belonged to my grandfather, and I inherited it after he passed away. While I haven’t used it much, I am completely in love with what it represents: a way to share ideas, thoughts, feelings, and emotions. My tool of choice these days is a gel pen and journal when I’m at home, or my iPad (with a Magic Keyboard) when I’m out and about.
Homeschooling gave me many chances to write: lesson plans, overviews of field trips, journaling my thoughts and feelings … okay, that last one is something I still do today. Encouraging my children to write (mostly by hand, but I would take typed as well) was an important part of my teaching. This will always be an important part of communication. Yes, we have audio and video now, but the written word will be with us forever. (Because even audio and video include transcripts and captions – we cannot get away from the written word!)
I hope this site inspires you to encourage your children to write more. I hope it inspires you to write more! Someday, someone will want to know you better and all that will be left is your writing. If you need some prompts to get you started, you’re in the right place!
