Becky Aniol

Becky holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and music, a master's degree in Christian education, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Christian education. She taught classical upper school grammar, literature, and history and lower school composition and grammar for two years, elementary school music for one year, and Kindermusik classes for four years before the birth of her children. She now loves staying home with her four children, Caleb, Kate, Christopher, and Caroline and homeschooling them classically.

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Author Archives: Becky Aniol

Our Homeschool Curriculum (I Bought a Whole Program!)

Our Homeschool Curriculum (I Bought a Whole Program!)

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I know a lot of you are thinking about next year’s curricula for your homeschool and some of you may be thinking about homeschooling for the first time. I’ve received numerous emails asking what we are currently using. I haven’t posted our plans in awhile because we’ve been trying something, and I wanted to give… Continue Reading

Summer Picture Book Recommendations

Summer Picture Book Recommendations

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I have vivid memories of spending long summer mornings at the library picking out piles of books to read. My very first trip to the library was the summer after my kindergarten graduation. The elderly librarian handed me a vintage hardback of Betsy’s Busy Summer by Carolyn Haywood–a little treasure in a sweet series of… Continue Reading

Best Secondhand Bookshops in the UK

Best Secondhand Bookshops in the UK

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This entry is part 13 of 13 in the series Sabbatical and Scholé You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Before we ever left for the UK, I knew that I wanted to bring back books. I am just a build-a-library, rescue the out-of-print books kind of person. I have been a reader since childhood, I majored in English literature at university and I’m currently working on a PhD, and now I homeschool my children,… Continue Reading

Grand Adventure on the Isle of Lewis with Kids

Grand Adventure on the Isle of Lewis with Kids

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This entry is part 12 of 13 in the series Sabbatical and Scholé You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

If you’re headed to Scotland–and especially if you’re headed to the famed Isle of Skye–please, please leave time in your itinerary, hop on the ferry, and head to the Isle of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides. We had the opportunity to spend an idyllic month on Lewis, and I want to share some… Continue Reading

How to Help Kids Love Travel: Finding Balance

How to Help Kids Love Travel: Finding Balance

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This entry is part 1 of 13 in the series Sabbatical and Scholé You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

In the year before we left, I read two books that really influenced how we took our sabbatical with four kids, and I am eternally grateful. The first book I read was David McCullough’s Mornings on Horseback (a thick biography of Theodore Roosevelt). I know that a biography of a president seems like an odd… Continue Reading

Favorite Family Nature Walks in the UK (with a Baby and Toddler)

Favorite Family Nature Walks in the UK (with a Baby and Toddler)

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This entry is part 11 of 13 in the series Sabbatical and Scholé You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

We did lots of historical things and many typical touristy things during our months in the UK, but some of our very favorite adventures were the nature walks we took as a family. Anytime I looked for a nature walk, I wanted it to be doable with a toddler and a baby. I had to… Continue Reading

I’m Back with the Best of the UK (with Kids)

I’m Back with the Best of the UK (with Kids)

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This entry is part 10 of 13 in the series Sabbatical and Scholé You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

  I went MIA. I fully admit it. Blogging through our months in the UK was my original plan, but stretches without internet and the pace we kept during our stay made that plan prohibitive. Plus, I kept a journal every single day all those months, which basically used up any writing energy I had… Continue Reading

3 Days on the Isle of Skye with a Baby and Toddler

3 Days on the Isle of Skye with a Baby and Toddler

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This entry is part 9 of 13 in the series Sabbatical and Scholé You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

The Isle of Skye has been on my bucket list for years, ever since I read a book set there. So when I was researching ways to get to the Isle of Lewis for Scott’s ministry with Stornoway Baptist Church, I immediately looked for ways to incorporate Skye into our trip–and I’m so very glad I… Continue Reading

Amazing Family Road Trip in the UK: English Peak District and Scottish West Highlands

Amazing Family Road Trip in the UK: English Peak District and Scottish West Highlands

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This entry is part 8 of 13 in the series Sabbatical and Scholé You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

We’ve been in the Outer Hebrides for two weeks now, and I’m going to write a separate post on the Isle of Lewis (where we’re staying this month), but today I wanted to highlight our road trip up here, because it was amazing. When you’re planning a road trip in another country, it’s hard to… Continue Reading

London with Kids and Jet Lag Recovery

London with Kids and Jet Lag Recovery

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This entry is part 7 of 13 in the series Sabbatical and Scholé You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Today marks three weeks in the UK! We spent the first five days in London, and we loved it. The weather was perfect, the crowds were nonexistent, and we made lots of friends. Here’s what we did and what we learned about traversing London with four children (including a baby and a two year old).… Continue Reading

Sabbatical Homeschool Planning: The British Year (with Book Lists)

Sabbatical Homeschool Planning: The British Year (with Book Lists)

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This entry is part 6 of 13 in the series Sabbatical and Scholé You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

We’re getting ready to leave tomorrow! We’re zipping up suitcases, cleaning house, and finalizing transportation and accommodations. And to add to the mix, I’m planning how we’ll homeschool in another country. About a year ago I started asking for advice from other homeschoolers who’d lived abroad short term. There were a surprising number who had,… Continue Reading

What’s On My Kindle?

What’s On My Kindle?

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This entry is part 5 of 13 in the series Sabbatical and Scholé You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

I’m definitely one for a paper book in hand, but my Kindle Paperwhite gets quite a bit of love too. It’s especially handy for trips, when I don’t want to weigh down my luggage with books but I do want to make sure I have plenty to read. For a 4 1/2 month trip, taking… Continue Reading

Our Itinerary

Our Itinerary

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This entry is part 4 of 13 in the series Sabbatical and Scholé You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

You can click on the map below and use the arrows to read about each stop of our trip and/or scroll through the list below describing our entire itinerary. A majority of these stops are on our Big Road Trip to and from the first church where Scott will minister in the Outer Hebrides Isle… Continue Reading

The Opened Doors

The Opened Doors

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This entry is part 3 of 13 in the series Sabbatical and Scholé You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

“Orchestrated” is the word that comes to mind for this sabbatical. We’ve tentatively planned for this trip for six years, but all my “budget” plans fell apart and the Lord brought together a trip that wouldn’t have been possible six years ago. He answered prayers that I didn’t even have the nerve to pray for–desires… Continue Reading

Why Sabbatical and Scholé?

Why Sabbatical and Scholé?

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This entry is part 2 of 13 in the series Sabbatical and Scholé You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Why this new page on Religious Affections, and why “sabbatical” and “scholé” [skoh-LAY]? Scott has been given a sabbatical this semester from his teaching responsibilities at the seminary in order to have time to research and write. During this time the Lord has opened the door for our family to go to the UK for… Continue Reading

Mothers, Make Time for Yourselves…Read a Book

Mothers, Make Time for Yourselves…Read a Book

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Consider this: Parents are called by God to disciple their children. Luke’s gospel tells us,  “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40). This is true of character, but this is also true of habits and loves. Consider this: Mothers bear the image… Continue Reading

Homeschool Curriculum Choices for 5th and 7th Grades

Homeschool Curriculum Choices for 5th and 7th Grades

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We started back to school this week! Here is what we’re using this year in our homeschool to foster a joyful search for wisdom and beauty and the formation of habits of Christlikeness. Read to the end to find out what new things my kids are loving so far. Language Arts Spelling Wisdom from Simply… Continue Reading

What is a Living Book?

What is a Living Book?

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I have used the term “living book” here a number of times when discussing the books we choose for our homeschool education. In some educational circles this term is widely used, but I realize that others may wonder just what I mean when I say that we use “living books.” What a Living Book is… Continue Reading