Greenville homeschool convention

[Kims]

I met Carrie and Julie and they are even better/nicer in person than on here. The HOD booth was kind of like my home yesterday. LOL I kept going back and I would take others there and sing HOD praises. LOL I told them they should have given me a commission. LOL
They are wonderful beautiful ladies and Very VERY helpful. Julie had to take a lot of time with me to figure out which books I needed because I already owned some. She was great.
IT is so nice to have a curriculum you love and know that the writer and editor and such wonderful Godly ladies. Thank you Carrie and Julie.

[lissiejo]

I would love to go to a convention one day just to meet them! I'm glad you got to I too point everyone I talk to about homeschooling here. I've already recruited 2 families to start using HOD! Isn't great to be so excited about your curriculum you can't help but tell others about it?

[RaysOfFaith]

I met them at the Teach Them Diligently convention the previous weekend and you're right. They are both so sweet! It was great to get to meet them and get my hands on some of the older guides to see what we have to look forward to.

[Kims]

OH I so wish I had known about the TTD convention before I paid for the great one. I would have LOVED to do the TTD one.
Can you believe they were there two weekends in a row?

[my3sons]

It was so nice meeting you too, KimS! I was glad to help you figure out a complete read aloud set, as well as get to chat with you. And you too, AmyR! The Lord sets up all sorts of wonderful meetings for Carrie and me - some on this board, some through email, some on the phone, and some in person. We are very blessed to get to know all of you and enjoy this homeschooling journey with you together.

In Christ,
Julie

[Dustybug]

I didn't think Carrie was going to be at the Greenville convention? Hmm. I had actually won tickets to go, but when it got close to the time, things happened that made it so I had to miss it.

[Carrie]

Kim,

I'm so glad that we got a chance to meet you too! We enjoyed our time at the convention and loved visiting with people about HOD. I'm so glad we were able to be of some help to you.

Blessings,
Carrie

[alliclaymoore]

I was at the Greenville convention too! I also spent a lot of time at the Hod booth, once for myself, once to bring my friend who was with me, and once to purchase books for my sister-in-law, who couldn't come to the convention but didn't want to wait for the books to arrive in the mail, lol.

It was a funny story, actually. She had borrowed my Beyond TM to look through to see if she wanted to use it for her daughter. (Her daughter and my son would be in the same book.) I told her I was going to be starting HOD the Monday after the convention, but that she could look at it while I was at the convention to see what she thought.

Well, she called me while I was still at the convention and said, "I went ahead and started this with Eden (her daughter) and I love it!"

I said, "Well I am going to need my book back Monday."

She answered, "I know, and I don't want to stop using it long enough to order any, can you just pick up whatever I need while you are there?" I laughed and went right back to the HOD booth for about the 5th time that day.

I also met someone at the convention. She just walked up to me and started asking questions about the convention and homeschooling in general. She was about to begin her first year of homeschooling and wasn't sure what curriculum to get. I asked her if she had ever heard of HOD. She said she hadn't, and named a few others that she had heard of. I had used both of the others she was mentioning and said, "Well those are ok, but HOD is wonderful!!!" On one of my return trips to the HOD booth, I saw her and her husband sitting at the table purchasing their books, lol. So I guess word of mouth is the best way to advertise!

I didn't get to meet Carrie while I was there, but I really enjoyed talking with Julie. It seemed like she was always the one available when I walked up. I really enjoy going to the convention every year. It helps me realize there are so many other homeschoolers out there. Sometimes I feel odd because most of the kids in our church attend public school, and the looks I get from the parents when I mention homeschool is something like, "Why would anyone ever want to do that?" I wish I could convey to them the huge blessing that homeschooling has been in my life, drawing me closer to God as well as my children. I wouldn't have it any other way!

Blessings!
Allison

[3sweeties]

I, too, had the privilege of meeting Carrie and Julie a few years ago at the GHEA convention here in Atlanta! Made me just love HOD even more!!!

[rachelandtyke]

I got to see Julie at TTD and Greenville. I only wish I'd have known I was going to decide to use the HOD curriculum with my DD at the time!

(Here's our coming to HOD story . . .)

I walked past the booth at TTD and fell in love with DITHOR for my DD. Returned at another time with my friend who was buying all her HOD things to start off her kids this year (and had a chance to chat with Julie). Fell even more in love with DITHOR, but had no way to get it, so figured I'd save up and get it next year. I jokingly told my friend she had a year to convince me to put my DD in HOD since there was no way I could do it now (and I wanted to see how her year went)!

Then in the week between the conferences, I figured out a way to buy DITHOR, so went to Greenville and bought it (and saw Julie again)!

I had all my curricula figured out for next year at that point, then I went to a session on Charlotte Mason and living books. I came out and told my friend that I didn't want to start my DD in Story of the World the next year, I wanted to use living books for history instead. I researched Beautiful Feet and looked at a guide, but it wasn't what I was looking for (even though I loved the books they used!). I told my friend what I really wanted was something that would connect history and Bible and geography, etc for me (and tell me exactly what to do and say). She grinned, and I said, "You're going to tell me HOD does that aren't you?"

I told her she had a year. In less than 2 weeks, I decided to put DD in DITHOR and Beyond next fall, lol!

Wish you guys were going to be at GHEA so I could get what I need then!

[alliclaymoore]

I am glad she talked you into it, and that it didn't take a whole year, lol. I wish I had found HOD in the beginning of my homeschool journey. My sister-in-law, who I *talked into* using HOD loves it so much that she is trying to convince one of our other sisters-in-law, who is a straight Abeka homeschooler, that she needs to give it a try. We haven't won her over yet, but we'll see. The two of us have only been using it for a few weeks each, lol.

Blessings!
Allison

[Carrie]

Oh, ladies! Thanks so much for taking time to share your stories from convention. Isn't it amazing how the Lord leads each of us to what we need. Since my husband and I are busily homeschooling our own 4 boys, and I'm writing a guide each year, we aren't able to attend very many conventions. This means that we just trust the Lord to bring those to HOD that may be blessed by what we have to offer. He is always faithful, and He knows best what each family needs.

We are always humbled by stories such as yours and reminded that God is in control of all of our lives. We look forward to sharing the HOD journey with each of you!

Blessings,
Carrie