Bonne Année! A Brief Update & Top Posts from 2019

January 04, 2020 by Michele Cherie in Contentment, Education

Bonne année! I hope you're feeling hopeful about 2020 and the beginning of a new decade. I mentioned to my oldest child that she'll be twenty years old and likely halfway through college when the next decade arrives. "Where?” She asked. I responded that perhaps she’ll be at my alma mater, Westmont College, in Santa Barbara (California). She replied that she doesn't want to live that far away. My husband and I found this amusing since she professes that she wants to live in France someday. Apparently France is more familiar to her than California, the state neighboring us here in Oregon.

For our family, the past year has been busier than ever, to the point that I took a six-month break from writing— long enough, perhaps, for many of you to forget that you signed up to receive blog updates by email. Merci de votre patience. There is always much I want to share with you—family experiences we loved in France (that you can experience as well), our bilingual family progress, our experience having an au pair for a year (such a blessing!), many book recommendations, and encouragement for intentional family living.

Streamlining my Hopes for this Year: What I'm Loving

February 02, 2019 by Michele Cherie in Contentment, Education, Home Management

Bonjour mes amis,

How did the month of January go for you? Are you still feeling hopeful about 2019? There are a few simple things that have given me a burst of optimism about this year and the future, so I'd like to share what I've found:

My 5 favorite reads of 2016

December 20, 2016 by Michele Cherie in Education, Contentment

2016 was a year of homebuilding, homeschooling, and hosting, but reading a good book is always time well spent. Here are my favorite reads from this past year:

My Focus for 2016: Less Fun, More Joy

January 19, 2016 by Michele Cherie in Contentment, Home Management, Reflections on Parenting

January is more than half over but I'm still planning and gaining momentum for the year ahead. I'm grateful for the awe-inspiring blessings God provided for my family in 2015--a baby boy, an extended stay in France, and a plot of land (here in Oregon) on which we plan to build a home. That said, 2016 will be a work-heavy year for me as we get deeper into homeschooling, homebuilding, and parenting. Knowing this, my focus this year is self-discipline. That doesn't sound very appealing, does it? None of us like putting ourselves in painful situations or depriving ourselves of fun experiences, but that's not quite what I mean. Instead, I plan to focus on these two points in 2016:

Predictions, Patience, and Peace in 2015

January 07, 2015 by Michele Cherie in Contentment, Parenting Books, Reflections on Parenting

I'm predicting some changes for our family in 2015--good changes, but startlingly big. There's the little one who's due date is today. (Whenever you're ready, little one, we'd love to meet you!). There's a summer-long stay in France that may extend into autumn if I stay a few weeks longer with our children. And once we're all home, we may begin building a house if God opens the door to some land that we'd like to purchase. All of these changes hold so much hope! Just knowing that they are possible reminds me that we are extravagantly blessed beyond anything we deserve.

C'est le Weekend: Links for the New Year

January 02, 2015 by Michele Cherie in Weekend Links

It's been months since I last shared some weekend links, mostly because I avoid posting content unless I think you'll find it relevant or insightful, and I just hadn't come across many good articles online. But with the New Year, there's a lot of fresh, motivational content out there--content about recipes, parenting, humor, and bilingualism, so read on!