Hello Debbie! Welcome! I have not been terribly active on the board, as I am seriously trying to limit my online time lately. But I wanted to comment on your post, since I have used MFW and Sonlight, and looked at or tried or reviewed dozens of curricula options. This turned out to be a lot longer than I had imagined, so pull up a chair!
I used MFW K, 1st grade, Adventures. I also purchased ECC, CTG, and RTR and reviewed them extensively, and ultimately resold them. I also have used SL pre K, K, and Level 1, and bought ahead several years there too (all now on ebay!). I I like to review future years before I make a decision on a curriculum, to know where we are going, how that meshes with my philosophy and style, and make my decision from there. I have purchased HOD LHFHG, Bigger and Beyond. Yes, I am thorough in my curriculum evaluation and decision making! TOO thorough!
Before finding HOD a couple months ago, I had thought I would use SL for the coming year. Mainly because I love their literature and because I feel confident that it is a strong curriculum, and because a close friend is using it, but I find Bible completely tacked on which saddened me greatly. I also was very dismayed by the history books they use, not God-honoring in my opinion, and a lot of focus on things I would rather my children not focus on. God had been nudging me though, and I felt convicted that the reason I am homeschooling is to help my children understand and have relationship with the Lord in a way that I never had, to bring their hearts before Him, to help them learn who He is, to love Him more, to seek to honor and glorify Him. THIS is the reason I really homeschool. And when I was honest about evaluating curriculum against that goal, nothing was measuring up for me. Especially not SL. I am not meaning to bash at all, I think it is a fabulous curriculum, but did not meet my goal. So, I thought about going back to MFW and bought ECC and CTG to review. Again, I was left feeling like it just did not measure up (and I also had this nagging feeling that academically it just wasn't what I had hoped, and was rather disjointed and public school like, with subjects not relating very well) . I had no desire to look at other curricula, I am pretty burnt out and also felt convicted that I was obsessing over it, and that I would never find the 'perfect' curriculum.
I happened across HOD when into my path came a woman I had purchased some used materials from in the past. I knew she and I had both used SL and MFW, so I asked what she was up to these days, and she told me to look into HOD! I would never have considered it otherwise, I always thought it was just a preschool/k curriculum. When I looked in detail at the samples, and the readings, and the books, and read on the forum, I knew I had found something that FINALLY measured up to my goal. I prayed about it repeatedly, and God gave me complete peace that indeed I had found something that was a treasure, something that first and foremost met my goal....to train up my childrens hearts for Him, and to lead all of us, together, closer to Him. I also wanted an approach that was unified, bringing relation between the subjects we were studying and into their proper context with the purpose of knowing God. And, I wanted the option of having lots of wonderful literature, as we love love love to read in our family.
We have now used BIGGER for 4 weeks ( I should note that I thought it might be too easy for my son, but I was wrong! It is so great how you can tailor it with all the choices/levels she has planned for in there). I grow more pleased with it each passing day, with the depth of study, the depth of meaning, and the way everything we learn, from historical characters to studying nature and poetry, truly brings honor to the Lord and understanding His care for us and His creation. I find many times through the week in talking with my children or correcting a problem, that I am able to say "remember what we learned this week/last week God says about XYZ " - actually APPLYING God's Word in our everyday life. This is huge to me. That just wasn't happening with SL and MFW. We are studying character through God's word, and it is something we implement in a tangible way, that is changing our hearts toward one another, and especially toward Him. I could tell you the nuts and bolts of MFW and HOD, but for me, it is not even a close comparison. HOD is changing our lives, turning our hearts toward the Lord in very real ways. I am sure everyone has different needs for their schooling, but if you find that your goal is similar to mine, I would encourage you to evaluate based on that goal, and pray for a peace from the Lord.
I have to share this story....my husband and I talked at length about SL vs. MFW vs HOD, and when we decided on HOD, I told him I felt peace each night as I prayed He would help me know for certain what to use. I told my DH I felt that peace, and I also told him I knew God would give confirmation of the decision. We had been using HOD for a week or so, and we went to church the next morning. In HOD we were studying a poem by Longfellow, and that morning, our priest mentioned Longfellow during the sermon, which was just startling and unusual! My son turned around and looked right at me, grinning ear to ear that Father Dan had spoken of Longfellow, who we had been studying, and I looked at my DH and said "And there is that confirmation!" He smiled back and me and winked. (This is my DH who really never has been much involved in curriculum selection). I knew God had answered my prayer, and I feel such peace, I really do, which is very unusual for me. So, I just urge you to pray, and God will lead you where He wants you to go, be that MFW or HOD or somewhere entirely different.
I personally would not worry about switching back to MFW and the whole cycle thing. I know it is hard not to, but God will guide you no matter what. I have planned out our entire k-12 education a zillion times, and each time I do, it gets changed anyway, so I have given that up. I won't be the same person tomorrow, and neither will my children, but God will be, and He will always lead us where He would have us go. If He leads you to HOD today, and back to MFW tomorrow then it would be for a reason. One day's trouble is enough, and we have no idea what is in store for us tomorrow, but if we are faithful to follow Him this day, He will never lead us astray, so we can be sure we are right where we belong, in His will!
Lastly, nuts and bolts. I always found MFW very choppy, disjointed, and well, unrefined? I find HOD seamless, integrated, holistic. I find the books used in HOD to be just wonderfully perfect for us....wholesome, God-honoring, enjoyable, interesting, varied. If you are avid readers, add in as many as you can from the various book packages (from Bigger, we have most of the girl interest, boy interest AND classic)---this satisfies my craving from SL, to read tons!. In MFW I found the science dreadful and could never bring myself to follow through with it, even though I am a wildlife biologist and DH is a conservation forester. I have no reason why, I just never could do it. But in HOD, I find the science meaningful, related, and enjoyable. The history in MFW is much different than in HOD. HOD seems to be focused more on character (leading you to evaluate (not judge) character traits, both strengths and weaknesses, in historical figures, and then extrapolate that to our own choices of how we would act in our daily life to bring honor to the Lord). Also, I love that the books I have seen used in HOD do not contain material I find objectionable. I believe Carrie has chosen the books very wisely, with incredible discernment.
Needless to say, I am very satisfied with HOD.Delighted, actually! MFW is a nice curriculum, but for us, HOD is just a whole lot nicer.
I feel blessed to have stumbled upon it, and thankful that Carrie has done such a beautiful job serving the Lord in this manner. It is what I would have written, had I been so gifted! (I am not, especially in the way she has integrated God's word through it all in a meaningful, natural way. There is just a depth there that is missing everywhere else I have looked.) I am so glad Carrie was obedient to do it for the benefit of many! I hope this helps, and now I have spent WAY too much time online for the evening! But I felt urged to write a response.
(I'm known far and wide for my memory...my dh often says it's a good thing....if I ever develop alzeheimer's, nobody will be able to tell the difference! 
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that I like. It's combining the best of the best (for me).