August 2, 2017 · 11:11 am

In The Reign of Terror From Heirloom Audio Productions: My Review

Our family has been very blessed to have had the opportunity of reviewing each new release from Heirloom Audio Productions that has come out during our time with the Homeschool Review Crew.

This time around, we have been given the wonderful opportunity to listen to and review Heirloom Audio’s newest production, In the Reign of Terror, which takes place during the French Revolution.

Prior to this, We have, during my time on the Homeschool Review Crew been very fortunate to review the following: The Dragon and The Raven, With Lee In Virginia, In Freedom’s Cause: The  Real Story of Wallace and Bruce, Under Drake’s Flag, Beric the Briton, and The Cat of Bubastes.

I think that one of the things my family and I enjoy most about the Heirloom Audio Productions is that they are not simply audio books, they are actual theater! It is as if we are listening to a movie, and we very quickly become enthralled with what is happening. As I had said in one of my earlier reviews, I can remember my dad telling me about when he was a child, that they listened to exciting programs on the radio.They didn’t have television, of course. He said even my grandma used to listen to her “stories” on the radio, way before they became a staple on network television, lol!

In the Reign of Terror is, as I said, much like a film (to us) with everything except for the visual part. The voice acting is as wonderful as it has been in each and every other Heirloom Audio Production that has been released so far, and the sound effects are wonderful. But as usual, I am going to be the most effusive about the musical scoring by John Campbell, who is an Emmy Award Winning Composer. Not only do I really love great music, but when it comes to scoring, that can make or break a production as far as I am concerned!

As has been true in past productions, we begin with “Mr. George” about the “similarities” between the French Revolution and the American Revolution. This time it is an English boy named Harry. Mr. George is of course patterned on G. A. Henty, and he tells the boy the story of the French Revolution from the viewpoint of a British boy named Harry who is sent to France to teach the English language to the children of a nobleman. Harry is age 15, so this must have been an exciting sounding idea! But then, the French Revolution begins!

We learn about differences between the French Revolution and the American Revolution (or War for Independence.) In American, the people simply wanted freedom, and resisted the King and England as peacefully as they could for as long as they could, before having to fight for a hard-won independence.

In France, it was not about freedom or equality. it was a mob mentality, where those not of noble blood wanted a complete reversal of roles. It got to the point that people were arrested and killed simply from being a noble born person. I myself learned more than I ever have about the French Revolution. The family (and Harry) running from danger are believers, as were many others in France.

Below is a short video to give you an idea of what you will hear, and how well the production is put together:

I really enjoyed once again hearing the familiar voices of Brian Blessed and John Rhys-Davies, along with other very talented actors seen in the image below.

As part of our review, we were given the wonderful, downloadable study guide in pdf form. As Heirloom Audio has done each time, the study guide gives us first, short biographies of G. A. Henty,  Maximilien Robespierre, and Marie Antoinette. From there, we go into the following opportunities of further study:

  •  It is designed for parents who want help talking their younger children through the story and its lessons.
  • It can also serve as series of written assignments for older students.
  • The sets of questions begin and end as the story takes new turns, and each may cover from four to eight minutes of the audio drama.
  • Each set of questions has three parts, Listening Well, Thinking Further, and Defining Words.
    The Listening Well questions ask your child what he has heard or what he remembers. You’ll find that there are easy and not so easy questions, but they can all be answered by listening again.
  • The Thinking Further questions ask your child to think a bit—to look up something
    mentioned in the story, to draw conclusions from the characters’ actions, or to speculate about the intentions, mindset, and character of Harry and his friends and enemies. This is a great opportunity to go off on “rabbit trails” inspired by what comes out of this thinking and discussing!
  • The Defining Words section is exactly that. It will give your child the opportunity to learn new words by looking them up, thus enhancing their vocabulary through this production.

Heirloom Audio Productions also has a new section! It is called “Live The Adventure.”

In the Live The Adventure Club, you can communicate with others about the various Heirloom Audio Productions, you can listen to your CD online (and stop it after each section so as to go over the study guide for that portion), and purchase other productions. There are also tons of other fun and educational things provided! I recommend that you check it out, it’s really terrific!

To read honest and fair reviews about In the Reign of Terror from 99 of my fellow Homeschool Review Crew members, please click on the banner below:

In the Reign of Terror {Heirloom Audio Productions Reviews}

As always, I would just love it if you would join me in all of “My Journeys Through Life.” Just go to the subscription box at the top of the blog and enter your email information. After that, you will always know when there is something new happening. I hope to see you here very soon! -)

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July 26, 2017 · 11:29 am

USA Activity Bundle From The Crafty Classroom: Our Review

We have had the fun of reviewing The USA Activity Bundle for a little while now. Because we are preparing to work through a United States study that may be more intensive soon, I thought this might be a good way to start, along with the fact that we can perhaps incorporate this into whatever we find later on our own.

 

The USA Activity Bundle was provided to us for the purpose of this review by The Crafty Classroom, Where you will find an abundance of fun things to help your children learn!

We have decided to do the states in perhaps a different way than others did. We are not doing them alphabetically, and we are not doing them in order of statehood, either. Instead, remembering that in 2012 we drove through seven states during our move from Michigan to New Mexico, we began with the states we came through, beginning with Michigan and going through to New Mexico. Below you can see the boys working on some of the pages. We already owned two different United States atlas books for kids, plus we were able to look things up on the internet as well. A favorite fact was something we had discovered shortly after moving here, that New Mexico has an official state cookie called the Biscochito. It’s really good, too! Finding it while grocery shopping right after coming here, I HAD to buy it, thereby going off my list for one of my very first times!

One of the things I appreciate about this set is that it is made very simple, so all of my boys could do it, although one of them needed some help from his brothers.

We really like the way this set was created. There is an activity page and a maze for each state, and there are art cards for 27 birds (because some states share the same bird). The mazes are each in the shape of the respective state, which is a lot of fun! After doing the states we came through on our trip when moving, I haven’t yet decided whether then to go back and do them alphabetically, in order of statehood, or simply let the boys decide in what order to do them and then put them all together in a specific order. Whatever way we do it, it is looking like it is going to be “fun schooling” around here! 🙂

Here is a picture of some of the states as completed by my boys. I could only fit these sets into the picture, but it gives you an idea of what you will be doing, and how simple it will be:

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As you can see above, I have one child (The Puzzler) who decided the Michigan Robin should look the way HE wanted it to, lol!

Once we have completed all of the states, there are a couple of cute games to print out and play. They are called Roll Across America and USA Bingo.

To read what 79 other Homeschool Review Crew members think of this and other products from The Crafty Classroom, please click on the banner below. There, you will find reviews of

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As always, I would just love it if you would join me in all of “My Journeys Through Life.” Just go to the subscription box at the top of the blog and enter your email information. After that, you will always know when there is something new happening. I hope to see you here very soon! -)

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July 26, 2017 · 10:35 am

Anniversary!

This past Friday Night, my husband took me to dinner at Outback Restaurant for our 27th anniversary. It was SUPPOSED to be a surprise, but a couple of kids accidentally let slip that something was up. But that was OK, because it gave me the opportunity to mess with them on the actual day, lol! I came downstairs on Friday lazing around in grubs, hadn’t showered yet, etc. One of my kids was frantic all day trying to get me to go get showered and dressed up, and when my husband got home went running to tell him. At that point, he told said child that I knew, and I headed up to get ready. It was so funny!

He took my picture before I could stop him, and I didn’t even realize that my necklace was all askew! Oh well, that’s OK, it was a lovely evening alone with my husband!

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As always, I would just love it if you would join me in all of “My Journeys Through Life.” Just go to the subscription box at the top of the blog and enter your email information. After that, you will always know when there is something new happening. I hope to see you here very soon! -)

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July 19, 2017 · 11:48 am

Trust Fund, From Mapelle Films: My Review

I feel very blessed to have received for purpose of this review the movie “Trust Fund” from Mapelle Films.

I also received the companion book Love Was Near, a very good book which gives a lot more background into the story given to us in the film.

There is also a fabulous downloadable study guide  available, which you can use on your own, or even in a small group!

This film is sort of  a modern take on the prodigal son story, but instead of a son, the prodigal is a daughter. So you may wonder why I asked for this when I have only sons, right? Well, right off the bat, I will tell you that the trailer caught me in about 30 seconds!

https://vimeo.com/148584001

Also, I have my own child who has been struggling with the “Prodigal Son” issue. In fact, when he came back from teen camp last week and all of the teens gave their testimony and favorite message from camp, the Prodigal Son was his. I had no idea that he heard that, he didn’t tell us until then. But he said that it hit him hard because he’s been “pretty low” himself.

I think the reason this film hit me hard is that I am the eldest child in my family. I sort of identified much more with Audrey, the main character Reese’s older sister. I can remember feeling exactly the way Audrey felt whenever my parents appeared to give unwarranted leeway, etc, to my younger brothers.

In the film Trust Fund, Reese is much more of a “free spirit” than is her older sister Audrey. Audrey is the “responsible one,” as is often the case with the eldest child. This is something I greatly identify with, as I said above.

In reading the companion book Love Was Near, I discovered that it is not a “behind the scenes” type book about the making of the film. This book reads like a novel, and gives a ton more background into the story of Reese and her family. It is written by the character Reese, and there are little write-in sections throughout where you are asked to think about what you just read, think about the question being asked, and write about it. There are no “right” answers, this is personal to each viewer and each reader. It is an excellent companion to the film Trust Fund.

In the story Trust Fund, Reese does something that I believe in her heart, she knows she shouldn’t do, that it is very wrong. I believe this because she hesitates a number of times before she actually does it. After taking this step and fleeing back to Italy (where she had recently come home from) and to the man she fell in love with there, she finds herself in very serious, and frightening trouble. I am not going to give away too much of this story, and certainly not giving away the ending. I really want you to go and get this film Trust Fund, and I want you to also get and work through both the book Love Was Near and the study guide. I believe very strongly that these three products can make a difference in your own life.

To read what 89 other Homeschool Review Crew members think of Trust Fund from Mapelle Films, please click on the banner just below:

Trust Fund Movie {Mapelle Films Reviews}

Crew DisclaimerAs always, I would just love it if you would join me in all of “My Journeys Through Life.” Just go to the subscription box at the top of the blog and enter your email information. After that, you will always know when there is something new happening. I hope to see you here very soon! -)

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July 11, 2017 · 11:56 am

Annual Free Slurpee Day at 7 11!

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Linked up at”

Wordless Wednesday at Life at Rossmont

As always, I would just love it if you would join me in all of “My Journeys Through Life.” Just go to the subscription box at the top of the blog and enter your email information. After that, you will always know when there is something new happening. I hope to see you here very soon! -)

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July 3, 2017 · 3:50 pm

UnLock Pre-Algebra, Our Review!

I had never even heard of UnLock Math before this, but I am sure glad that being a member of the Homeschool Review Crew showed it to me!

We were given a number of options to request for review, and have been blessed with the one that would truly work for us (or should I say, work for “The Artist)! We were given for purpose of this review a one year subscription to UnLock Pre-Algebra.

One of the things I particularly like is that UnLock Pre-Algebra breaks the lessons down to small sections, so the student is never overwhelmed. Concepts are built one on top of another, so that the student can understand what is going on in a logical manner, and not fall prey to math anxiety (which is something that I have always had a problem with!), thereby building more confidence, skill and understanding.

The video lessons are approximately 10 minutes in length, and are watched after doing the warm up section. After the video are the practice problems, generally about 10 of them, focusing on what was taught in that particular video. After this, there is a stay sharp section, which covers everything the student has covered since the beginning of the program, and then a challenge yourself, a difficult (in my son’s opinion, anyway) word problem. I understand that, because I myself have always hated word problems.

UnLock Pre-Algebra can be used as a full program for the year, or as a supplement to your main program. This program is 16 units in length, and covers topics from whole numbers all the way to probability and statistics. The entire UnLock Pre-Algebra Scope and Sequence is available for you to read before purchase.

I also like that the program does allow the student to redo the practice questions if he or she feels they could do better. Afterwards, the system will use the highest score they get for their grade. I ESPECIALLY like that this is parent/teacher friendly. I didn’t have to prep or teach anything. I don’t have to grade anything, the system does it for me, and “The Artist” can see how he’s doing from his side as well, so that (as I said before) if he feels he didn’t do well, he can do the practice questions over and the system will take the better grade. I don’t have to decide how to schedule lessons, either, because there is a downloadable scheduling guide already made!

My favorite thing? The absolutely phenomenal customer service! The day that I was out-of-town with “Mr. Loquacious” when he needed surgery for his broken nose, I asked my husband to please make sure “The Artist” kept on schedule with this and one other school assignment. Well, he found a mistake in on of the tests. He had the right answer, his dad (the math geek) said it was right, too. so after I came home, I got into chat on the UnLock Pre-Algebra site, where I got an immediate response, no waiting. Devon came on, he told me he would fix the grade right away and check on the glitch. Then, he emailed me because he forgot to ask my son’s name in the chat, lol!

Then, a few days ago I received an email from Matthew Blackwood, founder of UnLock Math letting me (and apparently everyone else with this program,) to let us know that the testing and assessment platform was updated a couple of weeks ago. An unforseen result is that graphing questions were not grading correctly, and it is a bug they are working on fixing. With apology for any inconvenience, Mr. Blackwood hs told us that we can simply send a list of any questions that the student has answered correctly, but the system is grading as incorrect or incomplete, and it will be manually changed for the student.

In the beginning, I set up my log in and “The Artist’s” student log in, gave him a brief explanation, and away he went! Pretty quickly, he decided to keep paper and pencil at hand in order to work out on paper some of the problems.

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The very first day that “The Artist” began UnLock Pre-Algebra, I was hearing an awful lot of “Boo-Yah!” coming from the computer area, which I thought was funny, coming from someone who didn’t even really want to do a math program. 🙂

What does “The Artist” like about UnLock Math? Here are his answers to that question:

  • I can just look at my screen and visually see how  I’m doing percentage-wise
  • UnLock Pre-Algebra made it easier to learn Roman Numerals by explaining it better than other programs I have tried
  • I like that this is all on the computer and I didn’t have to do work sheets
  • I liked the short lesson videos
  • I liked that there was only one problem on the screen at a time, it made it easier to focus.

“The Artist” mostly uses a pair of head phones while working in UnLock Pre-Algebra, so that he can actually focus. With a six person household, it’s not often going to be quiet, hehehe.

I have decided I am a definite fan of this program! Now that the review period is over, we have decided this is a wonderful program to help “The Artist” get going on being where he may need to be in math. I highly recommend it to you!

To see what 64 other Homeschool Review Crew members think of

please click on the banner just below:

Pre-Algebra, Algebra and Geometry {UnLock Math Reviews}Crew DisclaimerAs always, I would just love it if you would join me in all of “My Journeys Through Life.” Just go to the subscription box at the top of the blog and enter your email information. After that, you will always know when there is something new happening. I hope to see you here very soon! -)

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July 3, 2017 · 1:26 pm

Mr. Loquacious Had Surgery!

This past Tuesday, on June 27, 2017, “Mr. Loquacious” had to have surgery on his broken nose. For which we had to travel to Los Alamos, NM. We had to leave home by 4:30 a.m., as I had to get him checked in by 6:45 a.m.

He asked me to record him after and get him to say goofy things, and I agreed, provided he allow me to use the video on this blog. He said it was OK. For the record, I did not even have to get him to say silly things, lol!

First up, pre-surgery photos!

 

Now, Post-op photos . . .

 

And finally, videos!

And Mr. “I’m not tired!” yesterday . . .

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As always, I would just love it if you would join me in all of “My Journeys Through Life.” Just go to the subscription box at the top of the blog and enter your email information. After that, you will always know when there is something new happening. I hope to see you here very soon! -)

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June 29, 2017 · 12:02 pm

Grade 7 Lightning Lit From Hewitt Homeschooling: Our Review

Hewitt Homeschooling was kind enough to send us for purpose of this review their Grade 7 Lightning Lit Student Guide, Student Workbook, Teacher Guide, and a copy of the book Stories And Poems For Intelligent Children of All Ages.

In each chapter, The Student Guide gives the student an introduction for the book or story he is reading. It also gives him comprehension questions, vocabulary words, a literary lesson, and a mini lesson. Once he completes his workbook activities for that chapter, then the Student Guide will have him come back and do a writing exercise.

The Student Workbook is consumable, so it is for one child only. In it, your student will find writing activities intended to help him hone the concepts, skills and composition he has learned in his Study Guide. Also, these pages will help with thinking skills, and Grammar review. Your student will then find optional puzzles and extra challenge pages.

The Teacher Guide is just great! It includes an explanation of the course’s philosophy, a weekly lesson planner (very helpful to me, that!), the answers to the comprehension questions and the workbook pages, helpful teaching suggestions and extra information regarding the writing exercises.

Stories And Poems For Intelligent Children of All Ages is just a fantastic book, and not just for your student, either! This book is a wonderful anthology filled with forty-one stories, tales, and eighty-three poems. These stories, tales and poems come mostly from the nineteenth century or earlier. They are not the “dumbed down” reading material our children often get exposed to these days. they are intended to inspire your child to have a life long love of reading. This is something we want for our boys, as both their father and I are avid readers!

This course has 36 weeks worth of lessons, meaning it can be an entire school year worth of Literature and Language Arts.

I had chosen this course from the offerings because “The Artist” likes to write, and we already owned the first book required, which was Tom Sawyer. In fact, we already owned two different copies!

Here “The Artist” is, working in the Grade 7 Lightning Lit Student Workbook.

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When he first started this curriculum, he began with the story Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling. This story was in the book Stories And Poems For Extremely Intelligent Children of All Ages, and when he began reading it, he remembered that I read it to him when he was a young child!

Then, he moved on to Tom Sawyer. Boom. The complaining began. “Why do I have to read this, I read it last year for fun?” So I explained that this time, he is reading it in a different way, so that he can use it to learn more about writing. He is more willing to do it now. 🙂 I am excited to see how well he does with it over this year!

I will tell you that I highly recommend this curriculum, and this company. The books are very well made, and they are attractive to the eye as well.

To read what 89 of my fellow Homeschool Review Crew members think of this and other courses from Hewitt Homeschooling please click on the banner below:

Hewitt Homeschooling {Reviews} 

Crew DisclaimerAs always, I would just love it if you would join me in all of “My Journeys Through Life.” Just go to the subscription box at the top of the blog and enter your email information. After that, you will always know when there is something new happening. I hope to see you here very soon! -)

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June 20, 2017 · 11:01 am

So, We Are Working On Limits For Video Games . . .

This has NOT been well received, not at all. We are limiting the boys to one hour per day. Below, you will see “The Artist” and “Mr. Loquacious”. Now, “The Artist” is playing his hour. “The Batman will do so later, right now, he’s taking his therapy dog for a walk, and “The Puzzler” went with him.”the Puzzler had his tablet taken from him a while ago for doing some things he knew he shouldn’t, and “Mr Loquacious,” while at Youth Conference with teens from church made a commitment to give up video games and music we don’t approve of, so he is using his tablet as a Bible just now.

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Those who are limited on their games aren’t exactly thrilled, I keep hearing about how “ALL of our friends get to play video games all day, whenever they want!” My response? “I am not raising those kids, I am raising you.” I think my mom and dad are coming out of my mouth the older my kids get, LOL!

As always, I would just love it if you would join me in all of “My Journeys Through Life.” Just go to the subscription box at the top of the blog and enter your email information. After that, you will always know when there is something new happening. I hope to see you here very soon! -)

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June 19, 2017 · 1:53 pm

The Adventures of Rush Revere Book Series: Our Review

American history has come to life for our family with the Adventures of Rush Revere Book Series from Adventures of Rush Revere #1 New York Times Bestselling Book Series by Rush and Kathryn Adams Limbaugh.

My son “The Puzzler” saw a copy of Rush Revere and the Presidency when we were out shopping, and asked me to buy it for him. I wanted to wait though, and find out if this would be the book we might have a chance to review for the crew. Little did we know that first, we would be chosen for this review, and second, that we would receive ALL FIVE books in the series! 🙂

They came in this box, wrapped so beautifully in the lovely, specially designed ribbon, it was almost a shame to undo it!

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THIS was the look on “The Puzzler’s” face when the books came out of the box. He was SO happy!

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I’m here to tell you, these are beautiful, well made, hardcover books, complete with a glossy slip cover. The pages are beautifully aged looking, and there are such good illustrations.

Beginning with Book 1, Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims, we meet a supposedly “ordinary” substitute history teacher. He will become a tour guide for some of his students, across time! He and his students go on his talking horse named Liberty, through a time portal.

In this first book, Rush, Liberty and students Freedom and Tommy go back in time, beginning in Holland, going on the Mayflower, and getting to Plymouth! They get to meet some of the well-known people of the time, and learn what Rush has told his class is important when learning about history . . .”Where, what, who and why.” They get to even witness the first Thanksgiving, and build on a fort!

Here is “The Puzzler” in one of his favorite reading spots:

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In book 2,  Rush Revere and the First Patriots, a third student named Cam joins the time travelling group. In this one, they go to England to speak to King George and attempt to convince him to stop making life so hard for the colonists. Since he won’t listen to them, they end up going back in time to join the Boston Tea Party!

In book 3, Rush Revere and the American Revolution, Cam is a big focus. His father is deployed, and he lives on a military base. He is having problems, among them the fact that he is being bullied.

Rush and Liberty take Cam, Freedom and Tommy to meet people from the American history. People such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock , John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and more! They observe the Battle of Concord and learn about things like the Declaration of Independence. They learn a lot about strategy, which then is very helpful to Cam once they return.

Book 4, Rush Revere and the Star Spangled Banner focuses on Tommy, who has an ill grandfather. This time, the travelling crew goes to Washington DC, visiting National monuments such as White House and the Washington Monument.  In the past, they get to see the writing of the Star Spangled Banner, see a patriotic American symbol saved, and they must at the same time avoid the Redcoats, museum guards, and even a surprise visitor.

Book 5, Rush Revere and the Presidency, is the one “The Puzzler” wanted SO bad! He loves reading about Presidents, any and all of them!

In this book, Cam has decided to run for Student Body President, so the travelers go back in time to learn about how to be a good president. They visit early presidents and first ladies, and learn that being president is not about fame and glory, it is about serving one’s country.

You can also check out the Rush Revere Library, the education depot! section of the web site, where you will find a homeschool section, a general education section, and much much more! Here you will find things like activity sheets, study guides, etc.

“The Puzzler” is very anxious to get going with Rush Revere and the Presidency, and we are ever grateful to have been blessed with this review of Adventures of Rush Revere Book Series from Adventures of Rush Revere #1 New York Times Bestselling Book Series by Rush and Kathryn Adams Limbaugh.

 To read other fair and honest reviews from 99 of my fellow Homeschool Review Crew Members, please click on the banner below:

Adventures of Rush Revere Book Series {Reviews}

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As always, I would just love it if you would join me in all of “My Journeys Through Life.” Just go to the subscription box at the top of the blog and enter your email information. After that, you will always know when there is something new happening. I hope to see you here very soon! -)

 

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