Great Homeschool Convention Recap - Collage Friday
Friday, March 28, 2014 at 5:00AM 
Attending the Great Homeschool Convention last weekend in Greenville, SC was an investment in our homeschool, my growing business with SQUILT, and this homeschooling mom's mental health!
I would encourage everyone to attend a homeschool convention if at all possible. The speakers, chats with other moms, and time out of your normal routine are just GOOD MEDICINE at this time of year.
The homeschool community is blessed with many wonderful conventions - choose one and GO! You won't regret it.
Favorite Homeschool Resources from Convention
*This post contains affiliate links
While most of our curriculum pieces are part of Classical Conversations, I did have a few booths I wanted to visit. At this point in our homeschool journey, I didn't roam the vendor hall looking at every booth - I know myself and knew I just needed to "stick to the list"!
I just love the Hero books from YWAM. Since Cycle 3 next year focuses on American history I decided to take advantage of the convention special and stock up on biographies of famous Americans. I wasn't aware there is a new section on their website with bonus materials to go along with the books. Nice!
I had a long conversation with a dear man working the booth and he also gave me one of their new audio books to try for FREE.
It was fun to meet the Classical Historian at convention, too. This homeschooling father of 7 (who also teaches public middle school full time) is developing a classical curriculum for middle and high schoolers. He also has developed many fun history card games, which he was happy to share with me. We've been playing them and the kids LOVE them!
I really lost all restraint at the Memoria Press booth! I picked up the Henle study guides for Latin(for Anna) and also got some literature study guides for Grant (remember when he did Lassie, Come Home this year?). It was especially helpful to have an in depth talk about Latin with Martin Cothran's wife (who is a former CC Challenge tutor, by the way!)
Great Friends and Speakers
Since I was mostly talking about SQUILT in Professor Carol's booth in the exhibit hall, people knew where to find me. I was so happy to have several readers and blogging friends stop by to chat!
Meeting Julie, from Nurturing Learning, was exciting for me. Julie has been a long time reader, commenter, and also a loyal supporter and affiliate of SQUILT. When she stopped by the booth and introduced herself I was so happy - we chatted a couple of times during convention and I felt I made a FRIEND in real life.
{Blogging is really great like that.}
I hadn't seen my friend, Jenn, from Daze of Adventure, since the BEECH Retreat last year. She's just a smart lady and a good friend.
Hearing Matt Walsh speak was AWESOME! I could not believe he was just 27; he was poised and very wise. He talked a lot with us about the advantages of keeping our children free from government control. AMEN. Thank you, Matt. I'm a loyal blog reader and will continue to support him - even if some criticize him as a "media bully" - I believe he speaks TRUTH that so many people just don't want to hear!
My favorite quote from Matt : "Our children's education will either serve God or some other god." Amen.
Another treat was listening to Heidi St. John (the Busy Mom). Heidi is genuine and real and lives a homeschooling life just like you and me. If you ever get a chance to hear her - GO! What struck me about Heidi's talk was the fact that homeschooling is just as much about MOM as it is about the CHILD. We are constantly being refined through this endeavor and if it's not about Christ we're wasting our time.
Finally, I met Michelle (The Holistic Homeschooler), who is also in iHN with me. It was fun to finally meet her.
Testing SQUILT at Convention
I am beyond thankful to Professor Carol for carrying SQUILT for these conventions. Carol was a professor of mine at Southern Methodist University and it's fun to be working together now to bring the homeschooling community music across a broad age spectrum.
Trying to explain an eProduct in a convention setting is difficult, but I got a lot of practice! I learned so much and developed new goals for SQUILT over the rest of this year.
God is full of surprises. I never imagined I would be thinking about self employment taxes, marketing materials, affiliate commissions, SQUARE credit card readers, and learning the ins and outs of homeschool conventions. I am thankful that I can use my passion for music education in this way. I firmly believe music NEEDS to be a part of all children's educations, and I also believe SQUILT is a great tool for the elementary and middle grades homeschool parents.
It was all I could do at the end of a day to make it back to my hotel and collapse into bed!
An Evening With Ben Carson
The end of the convention was a special treat.
Dr. Benjamin Carson spoke to a packed hall - and the amount of new homeschoolers in the room was astounding.
"A well informed person is a formidable ally of truth."
Throughout Dr. Carson's talk I just kept thinking about what an amazing person he is - the good he has done for so many children - and the important leadership role he is taking on now.
After shaking his hand I became quite choked up. He was so unassuming, quiet, and humble. His hands are TRULY gifted, and he spoke passionately about our children's education.
I purchased the YWAM Ben Carson book for him to sign for my kids. We had watched Gifted Hands the night before I left for convention, and to hear him speak was SUCH a great experience. I wish my husband and children could have heard him speak, too.
Honduras, etc...
Getting back into the swing of things this week - we schooled all week as normal and also got dad ready to go on his mission trip to Honduras!
I'm so excited for him - he is going with a group from our church. They will be working in a hospital and orphanage on the coast of Honduras. Please pray for safe travels, and for God to be working in them while they are away. The kids and I will miss him, but I suspect we will have some fun outings while he is gone to keep our minds busy!
(I'm secretly very jealous - my time in Ecuador had such an impact on my life, and I wish I had signed up to go on this trip, too!)
One last thing! My Anna got a TON of hair cut off this week. I think she looks so much older, don't you?
I'm thankful for the chance to come to this place each Friday and read so many encouraging words from all of you, and then visit your blogs and read about your weeks, too. It's my favorite time of the week.
I hope you'll join me!
If you'd like to link, you can do so in a couple of ways:
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Reader Comments (22)
Mary, it looks like you got so much out of the convention. I can absolutely imagine how thankful you were for your hotel bed! You and your husband are so pro-active in making a difference - what wonderful role models you are for Grant and Anna. (Beautiful photo of Anna, btw.) Praying for a safe Honduras trip. Have a great weekend!
(ps I think your Busy Mom link goes through to Matt Walsh's site)
It was fun following you along while at the convention (on Instgram). So glad you got to go and meet so many (and see old friends). I will keep Hal in our prayers for his travel. I LOVE HER HAIRCUT!
Enjoy the weekend!
Wow, wow, wow! What a post packed with resources! And what a memory building time at convention. (Working it is HARD work!) So proud and thrilled for you realizing a dream. Love Anna's new haircut - beautiful!
The convention sounds awesome! I think I'd just put a tent under the Memoria Press booth and stay right there, haha! Love the YWAM books. We read the George Washington book this year and really enjoyed it.
Okay, first big question - will you be coming to the other GHConventions with Squilt? Because I'm going to be in Cincy and would love to visit! I love homeschool conventions and this will be my first time back to one since before Mason was born. He's at a semi-stable place health wise so it's feasible for me to go away for 2 days. I'm so excited! My sister is driving up from VA to come with me, her kids will hang out with mine while we're gone.
I finished reading Gifted Hands last night (and Makayla is reading the Zondervan kid's version of Gifted Hands as well, so I'm reading it too).I loved it, highlighted several quotes. I'm not sure if I'll be able to see him at convention or not, we would have to stay a second night and that may not work out, but my sister and I are considering it.
Tell Anna that Makayla LOVES her haircut, it looks so pretty!
I'm praying for your husband and the team headed to Honduras. It's wonderful that he can go.
It was wonderful meeting you at the convention. I enjoy your blog and visit it often. The few hours I was at the convention were great. I got meet fellow bloggers and online friends as well as talk with some of the vendors. I purchased a little but gained a lot just through visiting and talking.
Blessings
Diane
I am so glad you had a great time at the conference. I have always wanted to go to one. One thing I have ALWAYS noticed, time and time again, is how wonderful homeschool Moms are. [Dads too!]. I will be praying for Hal and his trip. I LOVE Anna's hair!! Keilee said to tell her she loves it too. She is a beautiful girl and she does look older. I wish they were all still 6!! Happy Weekend and thanks as always for hosting.
What a wonderful experience for you. I love your daughter's haircut. Another mission's trip in your family? I am so impressed by all that your family does.
Cute hairstyle for Anna!! Congrats on your SQUILT success at the convention.
What a FANTABULOUS week you had! (And tell Anna she is ROCKIN' that bob cut!)
It was great to see you at the convention!
Anna looks so cute with her new 'do!
Sounds like you had a great time! Love seeing all the pictures! How were you selling your ebooks? Were you using DropCards?
Wow! It sounds like a great and refreshing trip! Awesome! I would have loved to have heard Dr. Carson speak :-)
What a busy time for your family. I'm glad the convention was such a success for you in many ways. We will pray for your husband's mission trip as well. And... I just adore Anna's new hair style. It's so lovely, but doesn't make her look too old just yet. Just enough style to say "I'm not a little kid anymore".
I bought some of those ywam books for the same reason! I didn't know about the items on their website so I'm off to check that out now. Thank for mentioning them. I'll be checking out a few of the other links you mentioned as well. We spent last week at Teach Them Diligently in Nashville and it was the same kind of encouragement for me as well. : )
I've never been to a homeschool convention, but it looks like you had enough fun for both of us! I love the new short haircut, she does look much more grown up!
Aww! Thanks, Mary. I am glad we are now IRL friends :) I lived on the island of Roatan for 2 years (which is in Honduras). I taught there at an English school. I will be praying for your husband and his team. Where in Honduras is he going?
Aaaaah man! I was at the conference last weekend too! I didn't realize that you were there. I would have come over and said hi. I love that conference, I've gone for several years now. I'm hoping I can go to Spartanburg next weekend too!
The convention sounds amazing! Ben Carson and Matt Walsh?? My conservative heart is swooning. :) Love Anna's hair cut!
Wow what a great week!! I would love to hear Ben Carson speak. He sounds like an amazing man! Glad your husband made it safely to Honduras! What a wonderful week of learning!
I write the posts, and I keep forgetting to link up here.... Silly me.
I can't wait to go to the convention myself, it's gonna be so much fun. AND so hard not to break my budget.
Yes she looks so much older with her hair cut off.
I was there as well and loved it! I didn't get to hear Matt Walsh but heard he was great. This was my third GHC and I'm always amazed at how God teaches me something so different but exactly what I need each time.
Great idea about the YWAM books. I didn't buy anything at the convention, but now will have to go check their site.
I chatted with a few vendors in my hotel. I can only imagine how exhausted you were.