Fun

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    We had a BLAST last week spending some extra time with Jake’s cousins kids.  They were great kids and we had fun reading, playing, and exploring together.  It was neat having a 1 year and 2 year in the house in addition to 2 – eight year olds! 🙂    Hoping to get caught up on a lot of projects this week!

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read Imagination Station: Peril in the Palace by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 3) finished reading and started on the next one! 🙂  I love that the chapters are short so it is easy to read one right before devotions and bed.
    2. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    3. Play a board game – played a couple little kids games (the favorite this week with the younger ones was “Don’t Break the Ice”)
    4. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before – we had a couple field trips, special events, and a busy schedule with little ones running around this week so we didn’t get our lunches packed every night this week
    5. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Take care of, play, and enjoy extra time with the little ones staying with us this week – it was a lot of FUN!!! 🙂 

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – Ummm…..I didn’t do my official exercises (does it count lifting little ones all week)?
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day – was pretty busy and notice I got behind on my water a couple days last week
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – hoping to catch up this week
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp – was catching up on a book that I needed to read for an upcoming meeting
    5. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read) – made a little progress in the evenings but not as much as I hoped

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Pay all upcoming bills
    4. Work on Spring Cleaning – it was put on hold with the little ones here last week

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts – by the time the kids were in bed, house picked up and prepped for the  next day I didn’t get a lot of creative blogging done this past week (hoping to catch up this week though)
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Work completed for clients – got the projects I had to get done completed

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
    3. Send out the Alms & Legs Meeting Reminder

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4 – went over our Grocery budget this week
    2. Payoff the Van – hoping to make an extra payment next week
    3. Pay medical bills in full – making payments (a couple have been paid off this month

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read Imagination Station: Revenge of a Red Knight by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 4)
    2. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    3. Play a board game
    4. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    5. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    6. Attend After School Activities

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
    5. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read)

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Pay all upcoming bills
    4. Work on Spring Cleaning

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
    3. Send out the Alms & Legs Meeting Reminder

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Pay medical bills in full

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.

  • Stop ‘N Tow Game by MJ Moran

    Stop ‘N Tow by MJ Moran is an interesting game that we have played several times.  It requires more attention to detail and memorization but it is a lot of fun.  I am cannot remember exactly where we picked up this game;  it was while we were traveling several years ago.  When we first got the game the girls were still too young to play well but since then they have learned how to play it  and of course they always enjoy blowing the whistles!   One thing I do want to mention with this game is…don’t play if you have a headache (the whistle blowing will probably be too much)! 🙂

    • Colorful vehicles and road signs
    • Includes 55 cards and 6 whistles
    • 3 to 6 players
    • Recommended for ages 8 and up
    • Object of the game – to collect the most cards by memorizing the order of vehicles and being the first one to blow the whistle when certain road signs pop up
    • Learning Benefits – memorization, attention to details, vehicles, signs, reading, and more!
    • Whistles are dishwasher safe

    This game is for a little older kids because they have to remember what each card means and recall from memory the stack of cards played before their card.  After a few times of playing it the girls started really picking up on it. Since the players have their particular whistle in their mouths it is best to wash the whistles at the end of the game.  Typically I wash the whistles with soap after the game and let them air dry before putting the game away.  It is a super fun game, entertaining, and small (so you can take it with you on vacation).

    We love games!   We have found that playing games is beneficial for many reasons.  It gives us quality time together as a family.  The kids learn that they will not always win (which is not always an easy lesson to learn), but the game can still be fun even if you are not the victor in every game.  It provides opportunities for us to talk and create memories together.  Games teach and help our kids practice a variety of useful skills like following directions, reading, writing, counting, taking turns, and more.

  • Travel & Vacation: Road Trip Snack Container

    Have I mentioned before how much we enjoy traveling???  🙂  We have been blessed with a number of opportunities to travel over the past few years.  On a quick side note – While it is great to get away and explore new places it is always wonderful coming home.

    You may have noticed one of my previous posts about these Road Trip Snack Containers here or here, but I want to encourage anyone with kids who take roads trips to try these out.  These have come in very handy over the past few years at our house.

    The girls are always super excited to see what I have packed in their snack containers.  It helps with the “I’m Hungry” statement you hear in the middle of a road trip and it allows you to pack a little container for each kid instead of bringing the whole box of crackers or nuts or whatever it is you typically bring.  Plus it gives the kids a variety of snacks to choose from, kids really do love having choices!

    The girls have yet to finish an entire snack container on the trip so usually it provides snacks throughout the time you are away too.  It always surprises me what they choose to eat first.  I cannot count the number times that they go for the nuts or fruit over any of the sweet treats.

    One Child’s Road Trip Snack Container

    Items that we packed for this road trip:

    • Animal Crackers
    • Raisins
    • Whole Cashews (without shells)
    • Fruit Marshmallow Bites
    • Cheesy Bugles
    • Fruit by the Foot
    • Peanuts
    • Sweet Tarts
    • Chocolate & Mint Swirl Marshmallows
    • Golden Raisins
    • Chocolate Covered Raisins
    • Whole Peanuts (with shells)
    • Fruit Chews
    • Whole Pecans (without shells)
    • Ritz Crackers
    • Whole Pistachios (with shells)
    • Organic Applesauce (in a squeeze bag)
    • Flavored Peanuts
    • Cheese & Peanut Butter Crackers
    • 2 Packs of Flavored Fruit Drink Packs to add to their bottled water (1 Kooleaid Fruit Punch & 1Mixed Berry)
    • Rainbow coated Sunflower Seeds
    • Ritz Bites Peanut Butter Crackers
    • Rice Krispie Treat
    • 2 Million Dollar Mints

     

    All packed and ready to close up so we can put them on the girls car seats before we go to bed!

    We don’t stop a lot on road trips unless we need gas, go to the bathroom, or for a quick meal (a lot of times we’ll pack a picnic lunch to eat on the way).  The kids are content to read, work on workbooks, play games, or occasionally watch a movie if it is a long road trip (our rule is that the trip needs to be 5 hours or longer before a movie is part of it).

    We picked up the containers at Walmart for a couple of dollars.  The stickers were at Hobby Lobby in the scrapbook section and we used a 40% coupon.  We have used these Road Trip Snack Bins for several road trips with our girls and they have held up well.  Once the trip is over and they have finished eating the items in the bins all you have to do is wash them and store until the next family adventure.  It is a blessing to be able to travel with our family.  We have created many amazing family memories on the road together.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    We are back into the normal school and work schedule again.  It was great getting a chance to see my parents this past weekend and celebrate my nephews birthday.  It is going to be a fun week with a couple extra kiddos around!

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls (Book 9)
    2. Read Imagination Station: Attack at the Arena by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 2)
    3. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    4. Play a board game
    5. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    6. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    7. Attend After School Activities
    8. Volunteer One Day at Girls School
    9. Prepare for Upcoming Visitors
    10. Finish the girls Bookshelf

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – didn’t stay on top of it with everything going on this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
    5. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read) – getting closer and taking notes along the way (has a lot of good information, some of which I have implemented and seems to be going well)

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Pay all upcoming bills
    4. Work on Spring Cleaning

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4 – went over budget again this week as we prepared for company
    2. Payoff the Van – making payments
    3. Pay medical bills in full – making payments

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read Imagination Station: Peril in the Palace by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 3)
    2. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    3. Play a board game
    4. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    5. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Take care of, play, and enjoy extra time with the little ones staying with us this week

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
    5. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read)

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Pay all upcoming bills
    4. Work on Spring Cleaning

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
    3. Send out the Alms & Legs Meeting Reminder

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Pay medical bills in full

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    We had a wonderful Spring Break with the girls.  Last week Jake had to work for a few days in the Charleston so we went with him.  It was nice to hang out together with family and create new memories.  This week we are back to the normal schedule with school back in full swing.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls (Book 8)
    2. Read Imagination Station: Attack at the Arena by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 2) – almost finished, started reading it this past weekend
    3. Ride bikes / scooters / skates / roller blades with the family – rode at home and took our bikes & skates to Charleston to ride as well
    4. Go on a picnic with the kids – had a picnic with the girls at the Easter Egg Hunt & while in Charleston
    5. Play in the park together – played several parks in Charleston with the girls
    6. Visit a Museum – went to the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry and the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon
    7. Plan one special Activity with the Family – spent time together in Charleston doing special activities including the Cooper River Bridge Kids Run on Friday!
    8. Go on a family walk – took walk through Battery Park
    9. Get together with Family and/or Friends – had some family and friends over
    10. Play a board game – played several games with the girls
    11. Go on a special road trip – went to Charleston
    12. Slumber party
    13. Go out to dinner one evening – went out to eat while in Charleston
    14. Watch a movie or TV show together one evening – since we finished reading the Little House on the Prairie books we introduced the girls to the TV show, they were sooo excited!

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – lots of bike riding, walking, and even a mile  jog in the Kids Run
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
    5. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read)

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week – since we were traveling most of the week I didn’t plan out the menu
    3. Pay all upcoming bills
    4. Start Spring Cleaning

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van – made another payment
    3. Pay medical bills in full – got one of the bills paid off, working on the other ones now

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls (Book 9)
    2. Read Imagination Station: Attack at the Arena by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 2)
    3. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    4. Play a board game
    5. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    6. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    7. Attend After School Activities
    8. Volunteer One Day at Girls School
    9. Prepare for Upcoming Visitors
    10. Finish the girls Bookshelf

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
    5. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read)

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Pay all upcoming bills
    4. Work on Spring Cleaning

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Pay medical bills in full

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.

  • Learning About Manners Picnic Basket Game by Noodleboro

    The girls have had the Learning About Manners Picnic Basket Game by Noodleboro (Playskool) for several years now.  They love it!  It is a unique game with a picnic blanket board, a picnic basket, games pieces, a story they can read, and a cd to listen too.  Many times as we are setting up the game someone will read the story and after playing the game the girls like to listen to the cd. It is a cute game about using your manners, being kind, and polite.

    • Colorful with neat game pieces (how many games come with a cool picnic basket)
    • Book  to read during story time with fun character who are learning their manners
    • Audio CD with more about the story and songs regarding using manners
    • Easy to play (recommended for ages 4 and up)
    • 2 to 4 Players
    • Object of the game – use your manners and be the first to collect all the items you need at your picnic!
    • Learning Benefits – social skills (say “please” and “thank you”), taking turns, listening, reading, and more

    We love games!   We have found that playing games is beneficial for many reasons.  It gives us quality time together as a family.  The kids learn that they will not always win (which is not always an easy lesson to learn), but the game can still be fun even if you are not the victor in every game.  It provides opportunities for us to talk and create memories together.  Games teach and help our kids practice a variety of useful skills like following directions, reading, writing, counting, taking turns, and more.

  • Silly Clown Snack

    Clown snack

    The girls love it when they get simple silly snacks.  One weekend evening recently we were especially busy, by the time we got home it was already bed time so while they jump into the shower I made a quick supper for them to eat.  They gobbled up this silly “clown” as they named it.

    Even though it only took me a few minutes to put something together it is somehow more special when it is shaped differently.  Plus it seems like they eat a little better when their food is a little entertaining because they are so busy looking and talking about it before they know it the food is gone.  Included in this snack is one hotdog, one hotdog bun, ketchup, mustard, one cherry tomato, two pringles chips, and one purple green bean cut in half.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    We had a great Easter weekend with the family.  I am super excited about spending some extra time with the kids since they will be out for Spring Break this week.  A lot of my goals for the upcoming week center around time spent with the family.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls (Book 8) – still reading through with the girls
    2. Read Imagination Station: Attack at the Arena by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 2) – haven’t started it yet
    3. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    4. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    5. Attend After School Activities
    6. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    7. Volunteer One Day at Girls School
    8. Easter activity & celebration
    9. Get together with Family and/or Friends

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp – hoping to get back into it soon
    5. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read) – reading through it

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4 – went a little over with the Easter items
    2. Payoff the Van – made another payment
    3. Pay medical bills in full – making payments

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls (Book 8)
    2. Read Imagination Station: Attack at the Arena by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 2)
    3. Ride bikes / scooters / skates / roller blades with the family
    4. Go on a picnic with the kids
    5. Play in the park together
    6. Visit a Museum
    7. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    8. Go on a family walk
    9. Get together with Family and/or Friends
    10. Play a board game
    11. Go on a special road trip
    12. Slumber party
    13. Go out to dinner one evening
    14. Watch a movie or TV show together one evening

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
    5. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read)

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Pay all upcoming bills
    4. Start Spring Cleaning

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Pay medical bills in full

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.

  • The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder

    Recently I finished reading The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls.  The Long Winter is book sixth book in the Little House series.  The girls LOVE reading these books.  I try to read at least a chapter to them every night and they always want me to keep on reading! Glad the girls are enjoying this series as much as I did as a little girl.  This was probably one of the hardest ones to read because the Ingalls family went through a lot of tough things during this winter season (from near starvation, freezing, and more).  The book teaches a lot about being creative with the resources around you, helping others, and working together to get through the rough season.

    Laura Ingalls and her family continue their adventures in the town of De Smet, South Dakota.  They got their homestead, but didn’t have time to winterize the little shanty before winter so they moved into the town of De Smet to live in the building that Pa had built last year.  Thankfully they had a place to stay in town because blizzard after blizzard hit the little town and cut off all the supplies for several months, including anything that was suppose to be arriving on the train.  Pa, Ma, Laura, Mary, Carrie, and baby Grace did their best to enjoy each day.

    It was a hard winter for the family with low food supplies and the cold from the  blizzards.  The book introduces many new characters into the series from their interactions with people in town during the winter months.  Almanzo Wilder and Cap Garland made a dangerous journey to find wheat so the families in town would not starve.  Even though it was a tough season many good friendships were established during these months.   The Ingalls family was creative with their cooking, heating the home, and finding ways to stay entertained while they were stuck inside during the blizzards.

  • Travel & Vacation: Dolphin Show at SeaWorld (Orlando, FL)

    So beautiful and graceful

    One of the other highlights at SeaWorld was the Dolphin Show.  It was really neat watching the dolphins gliding through the water, jumping, and interacting with the people.  Amazing creatures and fascinating to watch!

    Another show at SeaWorld

    This show is with Dolphins!

    Part of the Dolphin Show, pretty neat!

    The Dolphin came up for his treat

    Standing up on two dolphins, that’s neat!

    These dolphins are well trained

    This Dolphin looks like it is having fun

    Awesome!

    Beautiful animals