Fun
Travel & Vacation: Family Reunion at Lake Milford – Boating, Swimming, and Tube Bouncing!
Boating with family on Lake Milford!
We met family at Lake Milford for a fun weekend together. The weekend was full of boating, swimming, good food, and great memories. Thankful for time to catch up, play, and have fun! My parents, siblings, nephews, and more extended family were present that weekend!
Brandon springing off the tube!
Having fun playing on the tube!
Nathan pulling off a cool move!
Sierra showing off her gymnastics moves!
Brandon in mid flight!
Playing in the lake!
Zachie having fun!
Sierra has some spring!
Karlie jumping off the tube.
Taking turns jumping off the tube!
Fun times at the lake!
Brina flying through the air!
Brina enjoys being tossed in the air!
Love the expression on Karlie’s face!
The kids trying to hold onto tube while the adults flip it.
Who know that a tube just sitting in the water could provide so much entertainment!
Having fun on the tube!
Nicko floating around!
A boat full of fun!
Grandpa Veryln and Grandma Doris relaxing after dinner with the entire group at Lake Milford.
Travel & Vacation: Traveling to Kansas, Jesse James Bank Museum, and Milford Lake
On board and ready for take off!
One of the reasons our family travels is because our extended family is so spread out. This summer we headed out to Kansas to spend time with my family. We got on the plane early Thursday morning in Greenville, SC and by mid-morning we were in Kansas City ready to go.
We had a layover in Chicago! The kids found it very entertaining to go on the walking sidewalks in the airport. We didn’t get a chance to visit the actually city of Chicago, but it was good to get out and stretch our legs in the airport for a little bit between flights. The advantage to the really early flights is the airport is not as crowded!
Karlie found a great way to pass the time during our layover….reading! She was so excited to found out that I had added a bunch of free kids books onto my Kindle! She is frequently found around the house with her nose in a good book too so this did not come as a surprise.
Brina found a good amazing animal website to check out too.
After landing in Kansas City and getting our rental car we were off to explore the area. Our first stop was Wendy’s for an early lunch (we had been up since 4 am). The second stop was the Jesse James Bank Museum in Liberty, Missouri. Not far from the Kansas City MCI airport.
Karlie was surprised at the weight of the bank bag! Wow!
Learning about the Jesse James bank robbery. Banks are very different now!
Walking around the historical district of downtown Liberty!
Brina walking along the edge of the water fountain!
Riding with their cousin Nicko on the tube!
Their faces crack me up!
Having a blast tubing on Lake Milford with family!
So much fun!
Go faster Grandpa!
They even let me go on the tube with them! Fun times with family in Kansas!
Summer Reading Goal
A wall full of fish
It has been awhile since I updated everyone about our summer reading goals. The girls came up with their summer reading goal of reading 2,000 minutes. Our theme were called “Swim Into Reading”! Every time they read a book they would write the book title and author on a fish than hang it up on the wall. They could choose from a variety of colors of fish or pick a white one to color.
While we were traveling over the summer we kept track of the minutes, but didn’t make them write down all the books so the picture below shows all the books they read at home. They covered a lot of reading and were able to hit their goal early! Way to go GIRLS!!!
We DID IT!
Pavilion Recreation Complex – Ice Skating, Bouncy Castles, George the Train, Playground Fun, Picnic, and More!
Karlie enjoying her time on the ice!
The girls had a blast hanging out with their cousins and friends at the Greenville Pavilion Recreation Complex this summer. Every Friday this summer the kids could get in to ice skate, play on the bouncy castles, ride on George the Train, play at the park, and get a snack for $10 each. The parents would get in for free (although we didn’t get the snack)! 🙂 The ice skating was only for 2 hours, but the rest of the activities you could do all day.
Karlie and Nicko having fun on the pile of snow they left in the ice skating rink!
Look out! Here comes Brina!
Karlie having fun!
Our friends Ashley from Reflecting on the Simpler Things in Life and Bradley having a blast too!
Goofy girl!
Zachie hung out with me the first time we went on the ice. He didn’t really like the ice skates too much, but had fun playing in the snow pile!
Brina waiting for Zachie to go down the slide with her!
Snack time – Oreos and Juice Bags!
Ready….Set…..Go!!!
Karlie going down the slide with Nicko!
I am getting beamed with snowballs from my nephews!
Karlie chasing Nicko! The second time we went out on the ice we had the kids keep their shoes on. We were the only ones on the ice the second time and all the kids had a blast with just their shoes on the ice. The ice skates were a good idea, but at least for the younger kids the regular shoes were a bigger hit in the ice skating rink.
Brina flying on by me!
Watching the Zamboni clean the ice skating rink. This was fascinating for the kids!
Riding on George the Train. At the end the conductor let all the kids push the button and honk the horn. So exciting!
Whose ready for a picnic!?
Grabbing a bite to eat so they can go play again!
Easily entertained….
Brina on the four wheeler!
Travel & Vacation: Our Weekend at Sadlers Creek State Park
Thankful for a wonderful, relaxing, and fun weekend away with the family.
We had a great day swimming, biking, and playing at Sadlers Creek State Park near Anderson, SC. Our tent was surrounded by trees but we could still see Lake Hartwell. The first night we played card games until late at night and crashed. The second night we experimented by toasting smores, starbursts, twillers, and fruit chews over the camp fire. They were a fun camping treat! We wrapped up the second night at the campsite relaxing and sharing some of our favorite summer memories. We are blessed and so much to be grateful for in our lives.
Silly girls enjoying their time camping at the lake.
Brina’s favorite were the toasted twizzler bites!
Karlie’s toasted marshmallow!
The Toasted Starbursts were goey, crispy, and delicious! My favorite of the toasting “experiments”.
The Toasted Fruit Chews were a little harder to do because if you waited too long they would drop off your stick. The ones that survived the heat of the fire got great reviews from the kids!
The best way to eat a Marshmallow – completely crispy and toasted over a flaming fire! Yum!
A full day of family fun in the sun results in two sleepy kids!
Brina swimming in the lake!
Karlie’s got a collection of sticks, wonder what she’s up to now!
Brina splashing around in Lake Hartwell.
Karlie all smiles as she gathers her sticks for some fun!
Our weekend camping went by quickly. We had fun, relaxed, and spent time together. We biked, swam, played games, ate great camp food, laughed, and had a grand time creating memories. The girls decided after this weekend that we need to make camping a more regular activity because they enjoyed it so much. Thankful for opportunities to spend time together and create these precious memories.
Travel & Vacation: Camping at Sadlers Creek State Park
Ready to unload the van and start camping!
Our family had a blast going camping at Sadlers Creek State Park this summer! It was the first out of the yard tent camping with just our family. The girls have been asking to go camping so we decided to do it! The Sadlers Creek tent camping area is near Anderson, South Carolina and almost all the tent sites overlook Lake Hartwell. It was beautiful, peaceful, and a lot of fun spending the weekend together. There was enough trees between the campsites you had some privacy. We ran into our friends from church the first night too! We biked everywhere and had fun swimming in the lake. There were two restroom facilities near us both with showers which was nice especially with the kids!
Once we arrived we biked everywhere. It was a great way to get around, explore some neat areas, and get some exercise! We biked to several different places that had sandy beaches, many of them were quiet with no other people around. After setting up the tent and camp area we picked out a couple of beaches we wanted to come back to the next day.
Karlie enjoying some time playing at a playground nearby!
Enjoying a walk and watching the beautiful sunset the first night we arrived.
The girls were thrilled with our morning guests! The geese were not scared of the kids and hung around for about 30 minutes.
Time for breakfast in our camp – ham, hashbrowns, eggs, and coffee!
Brina giggling at something!
Ready to go for a swim at one of the beaches we discovered!
Jake found a great place to jump off into the water!
Brina jumping off the “diving board”!
Karlie’s turn!
Swimming at the lake.
Trying to figure out how to do a belly buster.
Brina splashing around at Lake Hartwell.
Karlie probably could live in the water. She loves swimming around!
Brina enjoyed cruising around on her bike!
Exploring the area!
Travel & Vacation: Visiting Family in Vermont
Spending time with family in Vermont!
We had the opportunity to visit family in Vermont this summer! Jake’s Grandpa Wesley or “PopPop” as the girls call him turned 90 and we were able to celebrate his birthday while we were there. It was nice seeing Jake’s Mom, grandparents, and his sister’s family while we were in Vermont.
PopPop with the three girls at the picnic table!
Sunning themselves on the rock after going for a swim in the pool!
Brina loved Grandma Kay’s chickens! She thinks we should get some too now, ha! Midge was very accommodating and allowed the kids to carry her around.
We made a lean to fort now they are weaving some items. Always something with this crew.
Celebrating PopPop’s 90th Birthday!
Nana opening up her singing card!
The three girls hanging out with PopPop and Nana!
Grandma Kay with three of her granddaughters on July 4th!
Happy July 4th from Vermont!
Running around by the river!
July 4th was a little bit of a raining day, but we still had a lot of fun and managed to squeeze in some time playing down at the river.
The three girls putting on a play.
These chickens let the girls hold them, which made it even more enjoyable of the kids!
Playing the Jelly Belly Bean Boozled Game! Wonder if Noelle got a good flavor…..nope!
Irish enjoying her ham bone!
We tried the Vermont Maple Soda for the first time this summer! The four of us split a bottle. It was cold and good. A little sweeter than I expected, but delicious!
Splashing around in the cool river on a sunny day!
The girls had fun hanging out with cousins at the river!
PopPop and Nana relaxing in their chairs!
A full table!
It was great spending some time with family in Vermont.
Travel & Vacation: Boston Museum of Science
Our visit to the Boston Museum of Science
Another fascinating place to visit with kids is the Boston Museum of Science! The girls LOVED the Boston Museum of Science. We spent the first two hours in one room they enjoyed it so much. They probably could have spent an entire day going through everything. We covered the majority of the museum in several hours, but they would have been happy to stay longer if we had the time.
We went to the Lightening Show! It was awesome! If you look closely there is a lady in the giant “bird cage” which was struck by a large bolt of lightning.
Anything with animals is a hit with our girls
Mesmerized by the tornado display.
Karlie showing her electricity capicity.
The computer, electronics, and robotics room was a huge hit with the kids. In this picture they are putting together pieces to build robotic components that make noise, light up, turn on fans, and more!
Really Mom, it wasn’t me making that beeping noise!!!
Watching to see what robotics challenge is being giving. This was really neat! One of the workers kept giving them harder tasks to accomplish!
Working together to get the robotic to get through the course. They both finished their missions and earned their certificates.
Jake teaching Brina some computer coding skills!
One huge dinosaur!
Silly mirrors!
The musical steps were neat! I think the girls did several sets of stairs just so they could create music!
Yes, she is holding a skunk in her arms only a few feet from us!
Playing for a few minutes on the seesaw!
It was a blast exploring the Boston Museum of Science. The girls loved it! The only sad part is we had to go because the Museum was closing and we had to get moving on to our next stop. We stopped outside of Boston at a Ninety-Nine restaurant! Instead of serving bread before the meal they brought out fresh popcorn. The kids meals included an ice cream sandwich. It was nice to sit, relax, and talk about our fun adventures for the day. The food was delicious too!
Travel & Vacation: Learning About Old Ironsides & the USS Constitution Museum
Our family inside Old Ironsides next to the cannons!
We split up the Old Ironsides tour and the USS Constitution Museum into two days which actually worked out really well for our family. If you are planning on visiting Old Ironsides make sure you are carrying your driver’s license otherwise you will not be able to get into see it. We left my driver’s license at the hotel since I wasn’t carrying my wallet and we would be riding on the subway and trolley. Oh well! It let us spread the adventure out a little bit more.
Visiting the U.S.S. Constitution (aka Old Ironsides)
The first day we explored the USS Constitution Museum. Both girls really enjoyed the museum, history, and all the cool activities. They did a great job making fun and interactive displays for the kids at this museum. It was not huge, but we still spent at least a couple hours doing everything (some activities the girls did multiple times). I highly recommend going to this Museum if you visiting Old Ironsides, it’s right across the street. The kids will enjoy it (especially the second floor)! The second day we explored Old Ironsides the ship!
Brina put together her ship!
They both managed to build their ships using the diagram.
Huge model of Old Ironsides
Our little sailor girl.
This was a lot harder than it looked. They had to stand on a tight rope, pull up the sails, and tie them up without falling off. Took a little coordination, but they both had a blast pulling up the sails!
Yikes! The boats rocking the hammock a little too fast for Karlie!
Brina lounging in the hammock!
We were up early and ready to go the next day. The girls enjoyed riding on the T in Boston. Brina was very worried that I was too close to the subway or that I would get left behind if I didn’t hurry when it stopped.
Went from riding the MBTA (Boston’s subway) to riding the Boston’s Old Town Trolley! Jake and Brina sitting across the aisle from us!
Karlie loving her time exploring Boston!
Ready to go abroad the U.S.S. Constitution otherwise known as Old Ironsides! I am glad we visited Old Ironsides because we just recently found out that they are pulling it out of the harbor for the next 3 years to do restoration work on it.
We got there just as it opened so it was less crowded and cooler! Old Ironsides is still an active ship. Every year on July 4th they take the ship 1 mile out and bring it back into harbor. We were there a couple days before July 4th so they were preparing for their big annual one mile trip out to sea!
Checking out the cannons on Old Ironsides!
Karlie climbing down the steep steps!
We stopped to talk with one of the sailors for a few minutes.
Demonstrating one of their fighting drills after showing us how to load the cannons!
She’s thinking about something….I sense a question about to come!
Travel & Vacation: Exploring Boston – Freedom Trail, Swan Boats, Trolley Rides, Harbor Tour, and Cheers
One of the markers along the Freedom Trail in Boston!
Our next stop was Boston, Massachusetts! The hotel we were staying at was a few miles from downtown Boston so we walked across the street and a couple blocks to catch the subway or MBTA as it is called in Boston. We rode into town with a lot of people going to work. The girls were quite amazed by all the people who were packed into the subway. I didn’t get any pictures in the actual subway because I didn’t want to be rude. It was an interesting experience. The girls were curious how people could sleep on the subway because they may miss their stop.
Our first adventure required walking, but it was really interesting – the Freedom Trail! We decided to go with a guided group along the Freedom Trail. The girls enjoyed hearing all the history!
Brina on the green in front of Massachusetts State House!
Granary Burying Ground was first used in 1660 and is the place where several historical people are buried.
- Paul Revere – the girls are sitting by the marker for Paul Revere who was a silversmith and one of the midnight riders sent to warn that the British were coming during the American Revolution.
- John Hancock – Governor of Massachusetts and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence
- Samuel Adams – organized the Sons of Liberty, signed the Declaration of Independence, and was a governor of the Commonwealth.
- James Otis – a lawyer in Massachusetts who said “Taxation without representation is tyranny.”
- Five Victims of the Boston Massacre, Peter Faneuil, and the parents of Benjamin Franklin –
Walking along the Freedom Trail in Boston. A lot of history and fascinating facts. You can go through the trail on your own or take a guided tour.
Karlie found an interesting place to sit while listening to the guide talk. The Freedom Trail is fascinating, but it does require a decent amount of walking which means when there was an opportunity to rest the girls took it!
Back on the Trolley! We rode the trolley in Boston too! It was actually the same company that we went on in Washington, DC.
We went on the Swan Boats! The girls loved it!
My bench partner on the swan boat. She was much more interested in looking at the wildlife than at the camera!
Daddy and Karlie on the swan boat!
A Boston Harbor Cruise was included in our Old Town Trolley tickets. It was really cool seeing Boston from the harbor. While on the harbor cruise we were able to relax, soak in all the cool views, and listen to them talk about Boston.
Brina enjoying the harbor cruise!
Having fun in Boston!
A view of downtown Boston from the harbor!
It was windy, but we still had a grand time!
Hanging out with my Karlie girl!
Another view of Boston from the harbor.
By the end of the day we were hot, tired, and ready to dinner. We chose Cheers because it was nearby and it is only located in Boston. The food was good and the company was even better.
We did a lot for one day in Boston! It was a great day packed with a lot of neat history and cool sights. Thankful for an opportunity to hang out and have fun with my family.
