Something About Joellen

Me, in my reading glasses :)

*This post does contain affiliate links

Who Am I?

My name is Joellen. It sounds like Jo-Ellen, in case you were wondering. If that is too hard to remember, Jo is always fine (as long as you NEVER spell it with an E).

I am a wife, mom to 3 kiddos, and I am currently in the thick of homeschooling them. My top 5 Strengths are: Activator, Achiever, Competitor, Learner, and WOO. You can learn more about what all that is here! This was required reading for my Introductory freshman course at George Fox University (forEVER ago) but it is still impacting me today.

I am an Enneagram 3w4: basically I like to be the best, but also be unique, experience lots of feelings, but only show the ones that everyone will like me for. So fun, yes? Ha!


What Was Reading Like as a Child?

I don't remember a ton of reading when I was super little. I know my parents did devotions with us often, and in school there was still a dedicated read-aloud time with the librarian. My 5th grade teacher, Mr. Willet, loved reading out loud to our class! I know he read Where the Red Fern Grows, and possibly Huckleberry Finn, but he certainly grew my love of learning and thinking and experiencing a story.

In grade school, The Babysitter's Club was my go-to, along with The American Girl series. My older sister read lots of challenging books (and still does), and I always wished I could be as smart and as well-read as her. Actually, I still do, so I always feel amazing when I read a fantastic book she has not, and we have a great time passing books back and forth.

I read a bunch of random books in high school that might have freaked my parents out. Books about people releasing plagues and anthrax, books that seemed too serious for a 17yr old girl, and in particular, a book called Satan's Underground, about a girl caught up in a satanic cult and how she gets saved.  My mom read a ton of Stephen King's books, so maybe that's why she didn't seem too concerned. I certainly don't shy away from books with disturbing things in them, but I'm grown up enough now to at least explain fairly well why I am interested in them!

I was planning on majoring in Writing and Literature in college, but ended up dropping out. Surprisingly, I've learned more about story, literature, books in general, and pretty much all other subjects since homeschooling. Go figure.


Reading Slumps or Spurts and How I Get Un-Slumped

First off, I am pretty much always reading WAY too many books at once. When I am in too many books that I am not super in-love with, that's when I tend to get into a slump. Over the years, I've tried to vary the genre of books I am reading, and that seems to keep major slumps at bay.

A couple years ago, I decided I wanted to be more intentional and stop reading 95% non-fiction, so I set a goal to read 8 classics, 8 biographies, and 8 non-fiction that year. Well, I almost hit those goals, and while I still ended up reading a bunch of extra non-fiction, it really helped me become more interested in other genres and stories I hadn't encountered before.

I also like to pick up Juvenile books that friends recommend. Since they are usually quick, simple, and aim at teaching younger people about life, they are generally not too depressing or controversial. When I am in a slump, I'll often pick one up over the weekend. When I am finished, I feel so good about reading a whole book that I end up finding the desire to finish off one or two that I've been having trouble turning pages in.


Favorite Types of Books

Normally, I would say it was non-fiction, but I've begun to really love historical fiction and biographies. I love hearing about a person's life but in the form of story and not just details, timelines, and explanations. Becoming Mrs. Lewis was one I loved, and A Light in the Wilderness was eye opening and inspirational.

I also LOVE books about personality! I'm a huge Enneagram nerd, and I've been digging into the Meyers-Briggs stuff too. The Road Back to You is a great Enneagram intro and Reading People by Anne Bogel will give you lots of ideas regarding different personality assessments and which one might be helpful for you.


Currently Reading

First of all, TOO many books. Here are just a few...

Creative You by David B. Goldstein and Otto Kroeger
The King's Shadow by Elizabeth Alder (out loud with the kids)
You Are the Girl for the Job by Jess Connolly
When People are Big and God is Small by Edward T. Welch
How to Read Literature like a College Professor by Thomas C. Foster
The Extraordinary Cases of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle


We have some fun announcements coming up and a few book reviews too! Be sure to follow us on Instagram and like our Facebook page to stay in the loop.

Something About Dar

Mouth wide open, as usual1

*This post contains affiliate links

Who Am I?

My name is Darlene, but my friends call me Dar. Growing cup, I though Darlene was an old person's name, and I was right. I'm beginning to fit that description as the years go by. Although, my oldest son said to me today, "You don't look like 45! What does 45 look like anyway?" I replied with a simple, "Um, this, I guess!"

I am a wife of 1, mom of 4, Lola (grandma) of 3 with one on the way. My top 5 strengths according to Clifton Strengths are: Positivity, Belief, Arranger, Harmony, Futuristic. I am learning more about myself every day.

I am an Enneagram 9: I love peace, naps, and sleeping. I don't like being pressured to make decisions.


What Was Reading Like as a Child?

I grew up in a small logging town in Oregon. 3 months after my 4th birthday, I watched the school across the street from my house burn down. I was devastated. I thought I would be dumb forever. I had spend the better part of my life longing to go to school with the big kids and learn how to read.

So, you know what I did? I taught myself how to read! Booyah!!!! I don't need schooling! Turns out, I still went to school in the fall, but I didn't know that was going to happen. My love for reading grew as I learned what a library is! 

Around the age of 7 or so I was allowed to walk to the public library all by myself. (Remember, this was the early 80's and such a small town that when I did something bad my mom knew about it before I even got back home.) I can still remember the smell of the library and how I loved looking through the card catalog. I have a dream to have my very own card catalog cabinet. I'm not sure what I'd put in it, but I'd just love it!

Reading Slumps or Spurts and How I Get Un-Slumped

I think we all go through times where we have have slumps and spurts in any area of our lives. Surprisingly, when my oldest was a newborn that was a time when I could read a lot. I'd read while he napped, I'd read when I'd nurse him, I'd read my books out loud to him. As time went on, I'd read more to him and my own reading was overshadowed by the books I'd check out for him each week. As my family grew to 4 kids, I'd read tons of book aloud to them that also interested me. I was more tired in those years so I read really easy things for myself. Pretty sure I read the entire Kay Scarpetta series during that time!

Nowadays, I can just be so tired that I fill up my "free" time by watching tv shows in the evening. However, I found that when I take time to read, even if it's less than 10 minutes at a time I feel much happier. 

I get un-slumped by just doing it. Like many things in life there isn't a magic spell to make it all better. I have to put in the effort first, then the benefits come. 

This is my self-care, a not-so-small way for me to take care of my heart, soul, and mind.

Favorite Types of Books

I'm pretty varied in the types of books I've read over the years. In the last few years I've read a lot of personal development, brainy neuroscience, parenting, Bible study, leadership type of books. While I love fiction a lot, I somehow forgot how to look for those type of books. I'm jumping back on that bandwagon now.

As a kid, I loved biographies and stories of people coming west. One time I told my dad, "When I grow up I want to be a pioneer and go West. He heartily laughed then took me to look at the Pacific Ocean that's only about 30 minutes from where I grew up. He said, "Here's the Wild West, honey. Don't turn your back on it. It's sneaky and can carry you to the sea." We'd sometimes venture into the ocean, on a boat, looking for whales. That's as far as I would go. 

I digress...or do I? I love memoirs. I am incredibly interested in people's stories of overcoming. I want to ask questions that are too probing and inappropriate, but I don't.

What I'm Currently Reading

All the Impossible Things by Lindsay Lackey

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

Confessions of an Adoptive Parent by Mike Berry

Be The Bridge by Latasha Morrison

Come back soon for Joellen's intro and some great book reviews! We have so many fun plans for all of you!