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Just Me & a few struggles

Psalm 37 verse 4

My blog is filled with practical ideas for homeschooling.  Free printables, loads of toddler teaching ideas, even glimpses into our daily homeschool life.

Occasionally I get personal, like when I was struggling with a difficult pregnancy, or when my husband was diagnosed with cancer.  The personal side of me isn’t shared often, and I am praying about changing that.  I am seeking the will of God for His direction and asking for wisdom in how to share more of ME with YOU.  I began to feel called to do more of this many months ago, I have just been praying about it.  I still don’t have an entirely clear direction and have no idea if this will be one post or a regular thing.  Depends where God leads me.  For now, He has led me here, today.

I hope to offer you more of a glimpse into who I am ~ the wife, the mom, the Christian, the inner city missionary, the friend, the girl.  I receive many emails from readers asking for this, wanting to know more of the woman behind the teaching blog.  I desire to bring this to you as God leads.

I thought I would begin by sharing a simple top ten list. The top 10 areas I struggle most with. 

Sometimes knowing a person’s areas of struggle can give you the clearest window into their heart.  My struggles are my biggest prayers, my most passionate pleas to the Lord.  I pray daily for most of these things and many of them I am desperately seeking to change.


In no particular order, here are my struggles and a bit of my heart behind each one.

  • losing it ~ I often lose it.  For me losing it can mean raising my voice, losing my cool, all out yelling, or just bottled up frustration that doesn’t come out in the best way.  I struggle with self control in this area and unfortunately my precious children suffer because of my sinful nature.  I pray THE MOST about this one. {Awesome book I have read and need to read over and over again: Good and Angry}
  • exercise ~ For this season of life, I just can’t fit it in.  I was never a fanatic but usually much more regular with it.  For now I am at peace with it being a very low exercise period in life, but I don’t like that and I would really love to tone up.  I need sleep and when I tried to fit it in and sacrificed sleep-I was a miserable mess.  It just wasn’t worth it. 
  • being a better friend ~ I am not a natural friend to many.  I take a long time to get close to someone and then I only tend to have a few really close friendships.  I get overwhelmed easily and I feel bad about my tendencies to only focus on the few friends rather than the many that I do have.  I know I can’t do it all, but my heart is burdened for the many friends I don’t talk to enough.
  • being a hermit ~ I am a homebody and for many reasons this is a good thing {e.g., homeschooling}.  But, I tend to hide out if possible and miss social events due to anxiety.  I would much rather be in my own home than anywhere else.
  • hospitality ~  Surprisingly, I struggle in the are of hospitality.  You’d think it would be a gift since I love being in my own home so much! I DO enjoy having people over, being a wonderful hostess just isn’t natural for me, I really have to work at it!
  • checking out ~ When I get overwhelmed with life I just check out.  Mostly mentally, I can lose myself in a cleaning project or something else just to get away from my actual life.  My kids suffer from my tendencies to do this.  I have learned to fight this for the most part, but it is still an ongoing struggle.
  • anxiety ~  This is a biggie for me, which I am sure comes as no surprise after reading a few of the above items.  My anxiety is triggered by a few things, unfortunately most of them coming from my own children.  Noise, feeling smothered {either literally or in proximity}, clutter/messes, and many things happening at once {phone rings, doorbell dings, child cries, siblings fight}.  Most of this is simply daily life with 3 homeschooled children.  It is a constant battle for me.  My anxiety often causes me to check out and lose it , as mentioned above!
  • personal Bible reading ~  I pray constantly, but sitting to read my Bible, alone is my current struggle.  We read the Bible daily together as a family, I read to the kids, and I read as I teach Sunday School and Children’s Church.  BUT, on my own Bible reading doesn’t always happen.  Recently I chose a simple reading plan in my YOU version Bible on my iPad and have followed it almost everyday.  Hopefully it will stick.
  • email, phone calls, mail ~ I struggle majorly with these areas of communication.  I am always behind on answering emails, phone calls, and writing any needed snail mail. Since my blog began to grow and I gained a blog email inbox in addition to that growth, the problem has only become more difficult.  I know there is only one me and I cannot answer every email or call, but I often forget the ones that I NEED to answer-like from my mom. I harbor much guilt in this area also, I hate leaving anyone hanging.
  • cooking, baking ~ My husband is the dinner cook, which works well for our family.  That part isn’t a struggle ~ it is a blessing!  Where I struggle is more in the area of doing fun cooking with my kids and for my family.  Making cookies, baking bread, making muffins, etc.  I desperately wish this was a natural gift of mine, but it is not.  I still pray for God to drop this gift in my lap.

There you have it, the top 10 struggles for me at the moment.  I trust God when He says that if I delight in HIM, He will give me the desires of my heart {link goes to the song we love}.  I pray that I will continue to delight more in Him, that the desires of my heart will be His.

    Do you struggle in any of the same ways I listed above? 
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Carisa Hinson
The gymnastics season comes to an end and he’s t The gymnastics season comes to an end and he’s taking home the 🥈 silver medal on pommel horse again! 

It’s been a fun week of competition and time with friends. Thankful for this time together in Arizona and excited for the new season already! 

#krashthegymnast
He is 16!!!!! 🎉🥳🎉 We are busy with so m He is 16!!!!! 🎉🥳🎉 

We are busy with so much right now, most importantly final prep to leave for nationals in Arizona tomorrow! This past weekend he was presented with an award from his coach(with him in this pic) - Athlete of the Year, which is really special. He heads to nationals tomorrow in good shape, feeling confident! 

@kyler_hinson I am so proud of you for so many reasons! Seeing you fight so hard through continual pain the past few years has shown such a strength of character, determination, dedication, and perseverance. I love the man you are becoming and am so thankful to be your mom. 

We have a fun week ahead of us and I’m so excited to be by your side. ❤️
He’s 20 today. Lives on his own, with an AMAZING He’s 20 today. Lives on his own, with an AMAZING job, managing adult-ing beautifully, constantly making me smile when I think of his perseverance, determination, commitment, and ambition. I can’t put into words how proud I am of this man of mine. My son, my baby.

Happy birthday @paxtoroni ❤️ I pray you know how loved you are.
In case you missed their intro in my stories, I’ In case you missed their intro in my stories, I’d like you to meet the new fluffy trio! Named by my daughter and her friend after characters in the show Gravity Falls. 

Mabel (calico, girl)
Dipper (white/gray, boy)
Soos (tabby, boy)

They are so adorable and came at the perfect time to bring healing after we lost Bruno. ❤️

My guess is about 5-6 weeks old, and they will probably be in foster for about a month, the smallest weighing 1 pound, 3 ounces. 

The look like little dust bunnies flopping around the room, they are so round and fluffy! 

#gravityfallsfosterkittens #fosterkittens #fosterkittens4thehinsons #fosterkittensofinstagram #fosterkittenlove #kittenfostering #kittenfostermom #kittenfoster #fosterkittenlove @animalscmpd
Our youngest child is 13. I’m not sure how that Our youngest child is 13. I’m not sure how that happened. We celebrated Lili today with our best friends from Philadelphia here to visit for the weekend! She opened her presents from us, and loved on our new fluffy foster kittens. Her wish was to foster a fluffy set of kittens and that wish came true yesterday!

So thankful for this awesome kid of mine. She is such a blessing to me and inspires me continually. She is strong, compassionate, brave, unique, artistically talented beyond belief, and I just love being her mom.
8 weeks old today!!! We are in the final countdown 8 weeks old today!!! We are in the final countdown of our time together! 

Bruno and Camilo are both snuggle bugs and love to curl up on laps, or up by my chin. They both love to play hard and they still love momma’s milkies (especially Bruno). Camilo is a round plump potato weighing 1 lb, 13 ounces. Bruno is a bit skinnier (1 lb, 9.5 ounces) because he’s been having some tummy issues but he’s doing better. They won’t leave me until both are 2 lbs and 100% healthy. I’m assuming a little over a week from now. 

#encantofosterkittens #fosterkittens #fosterkittens4thehinsons #fosterkittensofinstagram #fosterkittenlove #kittenfostering #kittenfostermom #kittenfoster #fosterkittenlove
These sweet boys are 7 weeks old today. They are S These sweet boys are 7 weeks old today. They are SO sweet and often run to cuddle like this when I come to visit them. I am soaking up our last weeks together (probably 2 more), I love them so much!
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#encantofosterkittens #fosterkittens #fosterkittens4thehinsons #fosterkittensofinstagram #fosterkittenlove #kittenfostering #kittenfostermom #kittenfoster #fosterkittenlove
My husband and I went away for the weekend to a cu My husband and I went away for the weekend to a cute little cabin we found on Airbnb and it had SUPER friendly ducks. 🦆 

These ducks brought me so much joy. As I looked back through our photos, the final photo is reflective of me in one of my happy places. I see pure joy on my face and I love the photo. Not because I want my own ducks, but because I truly love animals and being around them makes me smile. This is reflective in my fostering adventure also, it is truly one of my favorite aspects of my life right now.

So thankful for this short time away to do nothing. Well, nothing except hang out with my best friend and some awesome ducks. ❤️
The season has flown by! He is the NC State Champi The season has flown by! He is the NC State Champion on pommel horse! We head to regionals in a few weeks!

He also had a season high on rings (historically a tough event for him) and placed 3rd! That was fun to watch! 

Thankful for grandparents who were able to be there and teammates that have been there since they were babies many years ago. 🥰

#krashthegymnast
I can’t even find proper words to share how much I can’t even find proper words to share how much their 3 week birthday means to me. I am finally relaxed and just enjoying these precious boys, rather than constantly worrying. The changes in the past few days are adorable - walking all around, playing, purring, rolling over for belly rubs, climbing on my lap when I’m near!  I just LOVE them! 

#fosterkittens #fosterkittens4thehinsons #fosterkittensofinstagram #fosterkittenlove #kittenfostering #kittenfostermom #kittenfoster #fosterkittenlove #encantofosterkittens
Another meet complete! I wasn’t at this one, my Another meet complete! I wasn’t at this one, my wonderful friend (teammate’s mom) took him to Orlando for me since I couldn’t leave the kittens (who are absolutely perfect, praise God!).

He had a solid meet, had fun with his team (who won 1st), and brought home some new medals. 

A few weeks off and then it’s time for the state championship meet! #krashthegymnast
This is Camilo. He sticks his tongue out a LOT. It This is Camilo. He sticks his tongue out a LOT. It is VERY cute. 

Bruno and Camilo are 2.5 weeks old and thriving. We are so thankful for them. I’m still not 100% relaxed from my worry, but a lot better. They are gaining weight, playing, and nursing well. Thankfully they seem very different from their sisters. We are sad the girls aren’t here growing alongside of them but we have healed a lot in the past few days. These two boys and their amazing momma are a huge part of the healing.

#fosterkittens #fosterkittens4thehinsons #fosterkittensofinstagram #fosterkittenlove #kittenfostering #kittenfostermom #kittenfoster #fosterkittenlove #encantofosterkittens
Oh Fern. So elegant, so fluffy, so fabulous. Swipe Oh Fern. So elegant, so fluffy, so fabulous. Swipe to see her *other* look. 😆 I love this girl so much and her sweet snuggles have been very healing to me this past week. #fabulousfluffyfern
So sad I missed his meet but so proud of him and h So sad I missed his meet but so proud of him and his team! He competed yesterday as a part of the state elite team and they won 1st place team! His home gym team is in the top photo and they all had a great meet which is wonderful! He brought home 2nd All Around, and 1st on floor and pommel. He’s still improving his routines this season, heads to Florida to compete again next weekend!
#krashthegymnast
My sweet tiny Dolores is gone. She was the one I w My sweet tiny Dolores is gone. She was the one I was most worried about from the very beginning because she was the runt and gained so slowly. She fought hard and was with us for 13 days.
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I held her in my hands as she slipped away last night around 1 am. Crying tears over her and keeping her warm and held as she left us. I thought I had accepted that we would lose her too. The entire day I just knew. When she was finally gone I just screamed. My husband and son were away at a gymnastics meet, and my daughter spent the night at my moms to get away from the constant worry here. I’m so glad Lili left. I’m glad everyone was gone so I could just scream in the middle of the night. I just never thought this would be what I’m posting about. Let alone three posts in a row. 
.
Whatever took Isabela, Luisa, and Dolores was probably all the same. There’s nothing I could have done. Dolores got every single life saving support throughout her last day and when I went in to tube feed her at 1am, I just knew. Instead of feeding her, I wrapped her in the warm blanket and just held her as she passed. It wasn’t time for trying all of the things to save her, it was time to let her rest. 💕 
.
This photo was taken earlier yesterday when she was still with us. 
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#fosterkittens #fosterkittens4thehinsons #fosterkittensofinstagram #fosterkittenlove #kittenfostering #kittenfostermom #kittenfoster #fosterkittenlove #encantofosterkittens
This girl. I love her. We shared one of the sweete This girl. I love her. We shared one of the sweetest and saddest moments of my fostering journey when her baby Luisa died. I can finally share the story without sobbing as I think about it.
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I had taken Luisa and Dolores to the vet for fluids, and for the vet to show me how to give fluids at home. Everything seemed fine at the vet, we commented on how much better Luisa seemed. She wasn’t out of the woods by any means, but her nose was slightly clearer and her weight was good. Honestly in that moment I was more worried about Dolores, who is the runt, and wasn’t nursing well. 
.
It was heavy traffic time so my drive home was 45 minutes. I checked on them while driving several times, placing my hands in the carrier to feel them. During the last 15 minutes of my drive, the traffic was heavier and I was in the interstate so I focused on driving. I was at peace the all was well. I didn’t put my hand in the carrier.
.
I came inside and my daughter and mom were in the kitten room awaiting the news, which I said was good. Gosh how I wish I would have checked them in the carrier before this. Hindsight. 😞 I pulled them out and that’s the moment we saw Luisa was gone. I so wish my daughter didn’t have to see that moment, it was awful for her. I was just so angry. I knew Luisa’s passing was possible, even likely, but in the moment I was just so mad because she seemed to be doing better.
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Lili left the room and Mirabel was pacing around and very agitated. I was holding Luisa in my hands and I bent down so Mirabel could see her. Mirabel immediately began licking her baby and I just sobbed as I held Luisa and watched momma say goodbye. It was a moment I will never forget, one I wish never had to happen.
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After this, Mirabel was calm and attended to her other babies. She just needed to say goodbye.
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I am hopeful for the final 3, while also knowing anything can happen. ❤️ I have all of the resources now, I know how to tube feed, I know how to give fluids, and have direct contact with the shelter vet who is amazing and answers my texts within minutes. We are fighting for them together.
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#encantofosterkittens #fosterkittens4thehinsons
I don’t have many words. It’s taken me hours t I don’t have many words. It’s taken me hours to even come here to type this. We lost Luisa today. We knew it was likely, but still devastating. Especially a day after losing Isabela. I’m focusing on being there for Lili who has taken this one hard because she was with me when we discovered that Luisa had died. It was awful.
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I may explain more later. I just don’t have the emotional energy to share more right now. Pray for our hearts and our ability to move forward with hope rather than fear with the remaining 3 kittens.
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This photo was taken when Luisa was still with us. ❤️
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#fosterkittens4thehinsons #encantofosterkittens
The post I hate to write. Also the post I wasn’t The post I hate to write. Also the post I wasn’t even remotely prepared to share. I was expecting for Luisa to possibly not make it. But when I went in to tube feed Luisa earlier today I found sweet Isabela, the calico, had passed away.
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I spent about an hour hysterical because of the shock. I was prepared for complications with the birth, prepared for the sick kitten to possibly not make it, prepared for other kittens to possibly get sick. I was not prepared for a kitten that seemed perfectly healthy to die. I knew and now know even more that it happens a lot and it was most likely congenital. She got to live her short life in a warm, safe home and passed away snuggled with her momma. We don’t know why she died only that there was most likely nothing we could have done differently.
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The last photo we have of her was this one taken yesterday. Lili was snuggling her and we remarked how “calm” she was, now knowing she was probably heading downhill and we never knew. 
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I know she was loved by so many from afar, she was certainly loved here. I pray the other 4 make it and will do everything possible to care for them. 💕
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#fosterkittens4thehinsons #encantofosterkittens
In case you’ve missed my stories recently, this In case you’ve missed my stories recently, this is Luisa and she is sick with really bad congestion. It’s been touch and go the past couple of days and I’ve been tube feeding her since she can’t/won’t nurse due to severe congestion. She is slowly regaining strength and I’m cautiously hopeful. I’m so thankful for the help I get from the vet at the shelter I foster for, she came in last night to teach me how to tube feed so we could give this baby the absolute best shot to make it. She was the first born and was the biggest before getting sick, I’m hopeful she will be back to her strong self soon. 
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The kittens are 9 days old and the other 4 are doing fine. We even saw some eyeballs today (visit stories to see)!
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#fosterkittens #fosterkittens4thehinsons #fosterkittensofinstagram #fosterkittenlove #kittenfostering #kittenfostermom #kittenfoster #fosterkittenlove #encantofosterkittens
If you’ve missed my stories be sure to go back i If you’ve missed my stories be sure to go back in the “Encanto” highlight to see more of these babies!
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They are 2 days old, and I was able to figure out their sex today! (although I could be wrong, we have backup names to change to if I am wrong, thankfully the kittens could care less!)
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Introducing the Encanto kittens…
Luisa - light gray tabby
Isabela - dilute calico
Dolores - white/gray
Bruno - darker gray
Camilo - gray
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They are all gaining weight and eating well. Momma Mirabel is absolutely perfect!
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#encantofosterkittens #fosterkittens #fosterkittens4thehinsons #fosterkittensofinstagram #fosterkittenlove #kittenfostering #kittenfostermom #kittenfoster #fosterkittenlove
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