Welcome to thatmom, an online ministry to homeschooling mothers. I am Karen Campbell and I have been married to my husband, Clay, for 34 years. We have 6 children whom we have homeschooled. To our delight, we now have 10 homeschooled grandchildren. We also have one precious grandbaby who waits for us in heaven. You might also recognize me as one of the founders of the annual retreat in central Illinois called Treasures of a Mother's Heart, A Day of Encouragement for Homeschooling Mothers. When I was a young mother with three preschoolers, we lived out in the country and our nearest neighbor was more than a stone's throw away. Since we only had one car and my husband drove it to work, I would often find myself longing to have tea and conversation with someone who was over 4 feet tall. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed those days. But I also longed to have a Titus 2 woman who would be my friend and help me keep a vision for being a wife and mother. One day, I was challenged to stop complaining and to purpose to become that older woman for someone else, thus my vision for thatmom was born back in the days of diapers, Winnie the Pooh, and Playdoh. I also know that often, those who catch a similar vision of encouragement, end up being a tremendous discouragement to young mothers because they approach exhortation with a list of rules and regulations, formulas that are man-made rather than God-inspired. I hold to the truth that God's word, the Bible, rather than the agendas of man, is our standard for life and practice. To that end, the goal of this nook and cranny of cyberspace is to reach out to those women who might be looking for a kind word, a cup of virtual tea, and an older friend who knows that some days, all you really need is chocolate! Over the coming months, we will be exploring all sorts of topics, from how to deal with in-laws who don't approve of homeschooling to adjusting to a son leaving for college for the first time, to preparing for a homeschooling mom's retirement years. May the Lord richly bless you as you stop by and enjoy some time with....thatmom!