I'm almost certain that I am a reader because of my grandmother. She was an avid lover of books and stories, and some of my earliest memories are of being enveloped in her lap between her iced coffee and the latest mystery novel she was reading. Her house was full of books and I would run my fingers along the spines of every one, longing for the day when I could take them down off of the shelf and read them all for myself. When I was finally old enough to read, I couldn't get enough. My parents would often find their shy, quiet, little dreamer girl curled up on her bed, lost in the latest book series or popular novel. Unfortunately, somehow, I missed reading most of the beloved classics in children's literature, but I am grateful that the books I did read captivated me and created a love of story that has endured. I delighted in the way that books transported me to new and exciting worlds and I longed to live in each one of them.
Not much has changed since then. I can still almost always be found curled up somewhere with a book, but these days I am usually negotiating which one of my three boys gets the prime space in the center of my lap. Will (7), Eli (5), and Zach (3) are the focus of much of my reading life these days, as we explore together all of the beautiful books that I loved (and missed) as a child. Inspired by Alcott's Plumfield, my husband Eric and I educate our pack of "little men" at home in the beautiful foothills of North Carolina. Although I am not technically using the education and religion degrees that I earned, my days are still focused on teaching and discipling, even if it is just for our little class of three. In addition to reading, the boys and I can often be found roughhousing underneath the dozens of oak trees on our property, taking nature walks, and looking for “Glory”, our resident Cardinal friend.
I am still a dreamer at heart. I love contemplating ideas and discussing them with other people, preferably over good food with lots of laughter. Since I am a night owl, you can usually catch me up late--thinking, reading, writing, and eating chocolate. And since I do love chocolate, I also enjoy working out. I love being challenged and learning new things. Over the past several years, I have become passionate about children's literature and the way that it forms children in the most profound ways. I have enjoyed discussing the True, Good, and Beautiful that can be found in books with my online book club and blogging at the book club's supporting blog, and now I am thrilled to be able to continue those discussions with the Storyformed community.