Yes, it has been eight years since my very first Forever Home post in February of 2007. We had just moved into our little house in the country. Levi had just turned five. Luke was two. Leif was six months old.
Have we really come that far?
Some of you have been around for close to eight years. Many of you were here almost five years ago when I announced my pregnancy, and you have watched Lola grow up these past four years.
Thank you.
I say that sincerely.
I started this blog as a journal of our lives and our homeschooling, but it has become much more than that to me. It is community, and friendships, and encouragement. It is a place to share my writing and my photography as I grow and learn. It is a place for me to share my story.
Thank you for being my witness.
Nothing says Mt. Hope Chronicles celebration like an Amazon gift certificate giveaway, no?
So let’s do that, shall we?
I’m giving away a $50 Amazon gift certificate. Comment on this blog post for one entry, and visit the Mt. Hope Chronicles Facebook page for a second entry. Click on the Rafflecopter below to confirm your entries. The giveaway ends at midnight on February 23rd.
Giveaway is now closed!
While we’re waiting a week to find out the giveaway winner, let’s take a stroll down memory lane. I started my blog in 2007 with the basic Blogger header and just the title of my blog. [It’s a good thing blogging itself was a novel thing at the time, because the header was boring.]
By 2008, I’d gotten so tech savvy (ha!) that I was able to add the personalized header at the beginning of this post.
My photography took off that year and in 2009 I created this header:
It was time for something fresh in the spring of 2010:
Lola appeared in the header in November of 2010:
Spring 2011 (a favorite!):
December 2011:
Fall 2012 (another favorite!):
Fall 2013:
Fall 2014:
71 comments:
Happy 8th blogversary!
I've only found you recently, but enjoy what you have to share.
So very exciting! 8 years- love the blog-banner memory lane!
I'm a long-time reader (pre-Lola!) and look forward to your photography and writing and links with anticipation.
Miss Heidi, I think you and your posts are just generally as wonderful as how it feels to actually sit down in the afternoon with a cup of tea and a quiet house! Having said so though, I admit a soft spot for your book posts and your posts on the daily reality of homeschooling for you.
Happy Anniversary, Heidi!! I so enjoy visiting your delightful corner of the internetiverse.
Hello! I'm a relatively new reader, maybe 6 months? I live in Surrey BC and we are homeschoolers as well. I love your homeschool posts, but also just the general life, parenting, and kids posts, too. I am a huge reader and love the book posts as well. :) Happy Anniversary!
Sarah M
Congrats on 8 years! My favorite posts are when you share what your boys have been reading/your book recommendations. We zoom through books too, so I hoard recommendations. Thanks!
I love reading your blog! Years ago your blog introduced me to Classical Homeschooling, and when it came time for school, that's the path we headed down with our boys. Thank you!
I think I've been reading since 2009 then looking at these (gorgeous!) banners… I can't remember what year you emailed me but I'm forever grateful that you did. Happy Anniversary to all the beauty you give to others this way, Heidi. You are such a gift!
I found you early on, and have enjoyed watching your children grow, as well as gleaning great ideas on homeschooling.
Happy 8th!!! Thank you for giving and sharing all that you do :)
I love your blog! A huge source of encouragement and inspiration! Thank you and congrats on 8 years!
Happy Blogiversary Heidi! I think I am one of the ones that has been here since *almost* the beginning and I have no plans of ever stopping either. One of my favorite, most resourceful, enthusiasm-inducing stops on this here www. Keep up the great work!
I love all the resources you suggest and have gleaned so much good stuff in our own learning journey. Thanks for all you do!
Congratulations on the anniversary! I appreciate the resources and book lists. It is fun to see the headers and acknowledge the journey.
happy anniversary! thank you for opening your life experiences to us.
Congratulations on eight years! I'm a new reader (just in the past few months) and I've loved reading your book recommendations. Keep them coming please! :)
Happy 8 Years! I think I have been reading for six or seven years. It is the photos, boys, and books that brings me back. I have three boys too.
I have read your blog for 6 years, where does the time go, and I have received so many wonderful books to read and articles for consideration. Thank you, thank you!!
Happy Anniversary! I enjoy your recommended reading lists.
Happy 8th Blogaversary! I enjoy your real life homeschooling adventures.
I enjoy your blog and your beautiful photography.
Congratulations! I have been inspired by your journey for the past 4 years! I can't imagine our homeschooling journey without your wonderful recommendations! Thank you!
That means I've been following you for about 6 years. Wow!
Eight years is a long time, isn't it?!
I'm new here in the past several months, but I've been so blessed by your posts on education. I particularly liked your posts on Book Detectives. I also like your commonplace entries from the various books you're reading. Thanks for sharing!
Cannot believe it is eight years already... huge congratulations. You must be one of the first blogs that I ever read... and I a still reading away!!!
I love to read your posts about Classical Conversations and the book lists. Thanks for sharing!
I've been here for about 5 years now. You are so real and that's why I love reading your blog so much. My son will be entering challenge soon, so I have been enjoying those posts.
I love this blog. I think my internet reading is kicked up a notch thanks to all your links, too. :)
Hello!I am new here, but looking around I really enjoy the Reading Child series. My son adores reading and your posts gave me a few ideas of books to start him on!
I'm fairly new to this blog - introduced by Sarah at the Read Aloud Revival. I am crazy for children's literature, so I think this is a good place for me! :-)
This is such a lovely and encouraging blog! Thank you!
I really like your whole blog hard to pick a favorite thing.
I look forward to your posts! Your wisdom, sense of humor, common interests... I appreciate all that you share!
I can't pick a favorite post topic. I just can't decide. I enjoy your photographs and glimpses of your home and of course your homeschooling. Thanks for sharing.
I've loved reading over the past few years! Such a happy little corner to see living, lovely.
Happy 8 years . Not sure how long I have been reading but years for sure. Years of being blessed...
i particularly like posts about education, books and your always excellent links.
Congratulations on 8 years. I wish I could remember how I came across your blog. Seems like it must have been CC related... I look forward to every post, but your book reviews are always my favorites. Blessings.
Happy anniversary! I only found your blog a few months ago through the Read Aloud Revival podcast, but I so enjoy your book recommendations!
I also found your blog via Read Aloud Revival Podcast and am fairly new to it.
Always love hearing about real life and seeing your pics :) Love ya! ~Connie (in Tualatin)
Eight years? Congratulations! I don't even remember how I stumbled upon your blog, but I've been reading since almost the beginning. What I like most, I think, is the variety. While I love reading about your homeschooling adventures, I also enjoy reading about your family in general, your joys and your struggles, seeing glimpses of your world. You have a voice that comes through as authentic and easily relatable.
Happy anniversary! I've been reading since 2008, and I've enjoyed watching your family grow up (with the addition of Lola!). I particularly like all your literature-related posts and also the posts with links to other thought-provoking articles. I always smile when I see you've posted something new.
Thank you for sharing your family, your life and your amazing booklists! You have been a blessing to our family!
I love you! And your blog :) I don't know you in person, obviously, but my friend and I always say that if we had the opportunity to have anyone in the world to dinner (you know that impromptu speech question: anyone past, present, or future to dinner?) we'd pick you! We'd love to just pick your vast, brilliant brain! I think I've been reading here for 6 or 7 years, maybe longer, and I also have three boys similar ages, plus two girls, so I feel like we're the same person ... except that you think a lot more than I do ...! Anyway, thank you for your wonderful blog!
My favorite thing about your blog is when you share resources and links.
I love many, many things about your blog! We are going through similar struggles and celebrations on this journey of homeschooling and motherhood; you just get to it 3 hours later than I do. ;)
i think i've been following you since about 6 months after you started. my, how things change, and yet you have gotten better with time (and age?) :)
you are LOVED and appreciated, heidi.
God bless in the (hopefully) many years to come!
jodi-pa
Happy Anniversary! I've been following for about 6 years and have learned some great things to do and explore here in our lovely valley!
Happy Anniversary! I follow you primarily because of CC and because I also have the three boys and so I appreciate seeing how families with kids slightly older are filling their days. Overall, I find the CC and homeschooling posts, including book reviews, most useful. Thank you for all you do!
wow! Congratulations. I enjoy your blog and read and sometimes reread your struggles and joys with homeschooling. I have 14, 11 & 3 year olds that I am homeschooling. We started in a private classical school then a year of CC foundations/essentials. Spent this year at home on our own. Next year we head into Challenge A & B. Thank you for sharing your resources and thoughts. I have enjoyed your insight into the Challenge program with an adolescent boy! I have had a tough couple years dealing with my 14yr old son. Please continue with your booklists and "how we do school" posts. Thanks.
I like you book recommendations.
Hello! I can't say I have a favorite topic, but I really enjoy the realness of your posts.
Your blog is one of the first that I go to for book recommendations :)
Wendi S.
Happy Blog-iversary.
I am new to your blog but have already been inspired!
I've been reading for years and love the blog! I especially enjoy the roundups featuring good stuff from all over, your book lists, family life stuff, homeschooling, etc!
I am just beginning my homeschool adventure and your blog has already been so helpful. Thanks!
I've said this over and over, but your blog is my favorite for sure! I remember all these headers but the first one. I remember you announcing you we're having Lola, and thought what a sweet family with 3 big brothers to a little sister. 2 weeks ago our family became 3 big brothers with a baby sister and man, we are in love! I just love your blog and you reading and curriculum lists are fantastic! Thanks for all you do.
I love your roundups!
Happy 8 years Heidi! I have read your lovely blog since almost the start. I have used many of your resources/ideas and was first introduced to CC by you! You even gave me advice on my home(not to paint the brick) a few years back! Thank you, thank you for sharing your journey as I have loved following along! Tracie
Happy Anniversary, I always loved your "Mama Said There'd Be Days Like These" post- it's so relate-able
I absolutely LOVE all of your book recommendations! And I just love the whole "feel" of your blog. It's warm and cozy and feels like a true friend:)
Congrats on 8 years. The book recommendations (for all ages and yourself) continue to be my favorite. Definitely have added to my amazon wish list more than once after visiting. : )
First in Victoria magazine and then here for so many years. . . close to the beginning I think but I know you were writing before I was.
I'm so grateful to have gotten to know you better.
Wow, I remember the 2008 header, but I think it might have been the next year or so that I started reading regularly. I think I found you through TWTM forums. You've been such a blessing to me on my homeschool journey!
I've been a devoted reader since 2009. One of my favorite things to do is curl up and binge read your archives. I'll read all of your Christmas posts in one sitting, or perhaps all of your Project Heidi/home posts... It's like an odd but delightful mixture of catching up on your favorite reality show and a 3 hour phone call with an old friend. Thank you for all the years of inspiration, encouragement, and wisdom. You have been a mentor to me in our homeschool journey from the beginning. I look forward to many more years of lovely at MHC.
Oh, Heidi, I am so very thankful for all I have gleaned here. I think maybe I've been a loyal reader for 7 of your eight years. Thank you! And happy 8th year!
Heidi, I have enjoyed watching your little ones grow up! You have a beautiful family. Congratulations on the 8 years!
8 years has flow by in blog land!! ;)
I love to read your blog, see your photography and pick up tips along the way to use in my life. blessings to you and yours!
Happy 8th, my friend! Yours was one of the first I ever read, and it's still on my daily list! Grateful to know you as a real friend, thanks to blogging.
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