Holidays
Flashback Friday: It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas
Karlie and Brina
The girls were super thrilled with all the neat Christmas items around the house to play with. We were constantly putting Christmas ornaments back on the trees and various decorations back in their place. Their curiosity was peaked and they loved exploring all the cool stuff. The most interesting place we found a Christmas decoration during their first Christmas Holiday was in a diaper. We went to change Karlie one time and she some how managed to get a good chunk of an ornament that she pulled off the tree down her diaper. We think she was chewing on it, dropped it and it fell down in her dress only to re-appear at her next diaper change. We were pretty surprised, but it didn’t seem to bother her at all.
Flashback Friday: Girls 1st Halloween
We have a cute little Brina Bumblebee and a pretty Karlie Flower
Today we Flashback to October 2005 when the girls were eight months old and celebrating their first Halloween! They were good sports with the Halloween costumes. We really didn’t go “trick or treating” instead we just stopped by to say “hello” to some family in the area that evening. The kids had a lot of fun playing and hanging out a little bit with family.
Our little Brina BumbleBee
Our little Karlie Flower
Karlie and Brina celebrating Halloween at Daddy’s work
Enjoying some play time on Halloween
Brina and Karlie trying to figure out what the Halloween treats from Grandma Kay were. They loved how the wrapping made crinkling noises.
Brina talking with cousin Jordan
Karlie with cousin Alecia and Brina with Jordan
Karlie and Jordan
Rachel with Brina and Karlie with Alecia
Happy Halloween!
We gave the girls a choice about what Halloween activities they wanted to do this year. They chose to stay home, play games, spend time together, carve pumpkins, make a special meal, and more fun instead of going out trick & treating! We had a lot of fun together! Thankful for our girls and sweet time together!
Baked and seasoned pumpkin seeds!
Karlie’s scary pumpkin!
Caramel flavored pumpkin seeds!
Brina creating her owl pumpkinFlashback Friday: 1st Trip to the Pumpkin Patch
So proud of their pumpkin!
Today’s Flashback Friday goes back 10 years when the girls went to their first pumpkin patch. They were so excited to check out the pumpkins. They didn’t like the feel of the prickly hay and grass on their feet, but were fascinated by the pumpkin and it’s stem.
Investigating the pumpkin
It was like a cool new toy to Brina and Karlie
Jake and his sweet girls Karlie and Brina
Karlie and Brina hanging out with Daddy at the pumpkin patch
Our 1st pumpkin patch adventure as a family of four.
Flashback Friday: Happy July 4th
Happy Independence Day from Brina and Karlie!!!
Today we are flashing back to July 4, 2005. It was the girls first July 4th Independence Day celebration! My Aunt gave the girls these adorable dresses to wear for the celebration.
We spent the first part of the day as usual. Getting everybody up, fed, changed, and some play time. That evening we went over to a friends house to play games and celebrate. They were good sports and happy babies the whole evening.
Brina, Riley, and Karlie all coordinated for the July 4th Holiday!
So many reasons to celebrate this July 4th!
Travel & Vacation: Fernbank Museum of Natural History (Atlanta, GA)
We’re ready to explore the Fernbank Museum of Natural History
On one of our recent trips to Atlanta, Georgia we visited the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. We had never been to the Museum, but were looking for fun and educational activities to do with the kids before heading home. Since it appeared to have some great items we decided to give it a try.
The girls were very excited to check out this museum. They have a variety of activities and events that you can do as well. If you get hungry during your visit there is a cafe where you can grab a bite to eat. We had packed our sandwiches before leaving the hotel so when we got hungry we headed out to the van for a picnic lunch then went back inside to finish exploring the museum. We had a lot of fun and spent a lot more time going through it than we initially planned. The kids probably could have stayed longer, but they were closing for the day and we had to get back home.
For more information, directions, and other details about the museum you can visit their visit at Fernbank Museum of Natural History. If you happen to be in Atlanta and it’s a rainy day this would be a great place to take your family. Plus you might see and learn some new stuff along the way too.
They had this massive dinosaur in the lobby of the museum. Pretty neat!
Hey who let the turkey inside!?
Checking out the different regions of the area.
Brina and Karlie having fun.
Cute fox, made you want to pet it!
Oh dear Brina, there’s a deer behind you!
That’s one big dinosaur footprint. Brina was impressed.
Brina checking out the dinosaur. Not sure I would want it running at me though.
Jake and the girls checking out the different dinosaurs.
Always something interesting to read and learn about
Brina looks small next to this one
Relaxing and having fun
Looks like a cute kid on the tail of that dinosaur. Silly Brina!
Hammerhead shark
Our crew at the museum
Sweet Karlie loving her time at the museum (if you look closely there is a racoon right behind her too).
That’s some strange looking dinosaurs.
They had a section on “Poison” and a presentation that we went to while we were there. It was very interesting!
Our family learning about different types of poisons and how they are used
Jake and Brina checking it out
Daddy reminding Karlie of the saying….What was it again “Red and yellow kill a fellow….”
This was a really neat book / display. As you turned the pages different items would show up and it was interactive too. Pretty fascinating! Brina especially liked the information on goats!
Brina, Karlie, and Jake playing a game to see if they can figure out what poison the dog ate and save it! They all 3 won! Must have learned something today!
The Astronomy Picture of the Day was on Saturn. Karlie’s favorite planet.
Went to an animal show and demonstration (love their huge frog on the wall, neat and colorful).
Brina always wants to interact and learn more about any living creature.
Karlie saying “Hi”
We finished a level. Where are we off to now Brina?!
The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
Mother’s Day Celebration
Huge Mother’s Day chalk message on the driveway from Karlie!
I am blessed. Yesterday I was reminded again of how much God has given me. A family that loves me despite all my imperfections. Jake and the girls showered me with love on Mother’s Day. Even though Jake was on call this Mother’s Day weekend and was a little busier than normal, he made time to celebrate. It was a great day with the family.
They made me breakfast in bed. We went to church. Jake and the girls made an amazing lunch. That afternoon we relaxed, read books together, opened gifts, played games, and had fun. Thankful for my family and a chance to spend the day together. Their thoughtfulness made me feel loved and appreciated.
Breakfast in bed – cheesy scrambled eggs, ham, and sauteed mushrooms! Delicious!
Fresh flowers from the girls (they got them from Children’s Church)
Putting together the pinwheel steaks!
They choose what ingredients to stuff the steak with for lunch
Pinwheel steaks ready to go into the oven!
Stuffed with tomatoes, swiss cheese, goat cheese, bacon, ham, spinach, mushrooms, sunflowers, cranberries, and more goodies!
My steak was AMAZING!
Huge stuffed portobello mushroom! Stuffed with spinach, hummus, and topped with toasted granola – so tasty!
Mother’s Day cards from Jake and the girls. Karlie’s was the kitten and Brina’s the puppy.
Brina picked out a beautiful pink rose bush for me!
Karlie picked out a gorgeous red rose bush for me!
Adorable handmade flowers from my girls! Brina made the bright yellow one and Karlie made the blue and red one!
A place to sit and talk with Jake or read with the kids. Very comfy!
Sweet note from Brina. The top says “I am thankful to have a Mom like you because you are nice to me and play with me.” The bottom has a cute little poem!
Colorful Mother’s Day Butterfly from Brina
Cute card from Brina
Mother’s Day note from Brina wanting to know if I can play or cook with her! Love my girls!
Vibrant Mother’s Day drawing from Karlie
Sweet poem and note from Karlie on the back of her drawing.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
But no one a flower,
Just like you!
Happy Mother’s Day! Hope you are having a nice and relaxing day. Do you like the card and rose? The rose is a rare blue rose that only grows on Neptune! May you please read to me on the deck?
Thankful for my family! I treasure these times we have together. I am blessed.
Travel & Vacation: Cute Panda Bears and Wildlife Show at the Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA)
Panda Bear content to relax and eat bamboo
The panda bears were one of the girls favorite animals to visit at the Atlanta Zoo. I think the big fascination was watching the twin panda cubs. It was a little harder to get a picture of both of them at the same time, but the kids loved watching them eat and play. The Wildlife Show on birds was pretty neat too. Of course the girls went up after the show to ask more questions about the birds. The zoo worker was really great with the kids and patient in answering all the questions. On the way out the girls wanted a picture with the gorilla. It was a great day at the zoo.
You can read more about our adventure at the Atlanta Zoo on my Travel & Vacation: Visiting the Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA), Travel & Vacation: Lions, Tigers, Seals, Reptiles, Bears, and more at the Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA), and Travel & Vacation: Orangutan Easter Egg Hunt at Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA) blog posts.
Looking pretty cute!
Look out, showing some teeth this time. Watch out! They may look cute and adorable, but I think it would not be a good idea to pet them with teeth that size.
Someone found an Easter pinata
Loving the bamboo
Peeling the bamboo stick apart, eating some pieces, and putting the other pieces on his belly for later.
Crunchy, but delicious
Good stuff
Panada’s look so cute
Checking things out around the pen
Heading towards some more goodies
Twin panda’s in their cage. One sleeping on the log and the other one eating some bamboo
Relaxing and chewing on some bamboo
Bird Show in the Wildlife Theater at the Atlanta Zoo
Getting all their questions answered
Brina giving Willie B a hug
Karlie and Brina enjoyed the Atlanta Zoo
Karlie all smiles
Travel & Vacation: Orangutan Easter Egg Hunt at Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA)
He’s eying that cool looking pinata egg with sweet Easter treats inside it!
Another one of the neat events at the Atlanta Zoo was the Easter treats for the animals. We were able to get front row viewing at the Orangutan Easter egg hunt. It was super cute. There was a Mommy with a little one which the girls thought was adorable.
The Easter Eggs were made of jello and placed throughout the pen, pinata eggs full of special treats, leaf baskets with goodies, and cardboard cutouts with peanut like substance on the back for the orangutans to enjoy. They had a lot of fun finding and snacking on their treats. Even the baby found some. They had paper garland hanging up which the orangutans enjoyed moving and playing with as well.
You can read more about our adventure at the Atlanta Zoo on my Travel & Vacation: Visiting the Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA) and Travel & Vacation: Lions, Tigers, Seals, Reptiles, Bears, and more at the Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA) blog posts.
An edible Easter egg in the tree and one on the rock in the background….waiting to be found!
Swinging out to get the Easter garland
Oh yeah, this eggs mine!
Climbed up on top of the platform for this pinata treat
Enjoying the goodies inside the pinata Easter egg
Holding the cardboard cutout of the bunny rabbit and licking the treat off the back of it
Hanging out near the hammock picking up and eating eggs, delicious!
Look closely, he’s got a green jello egg in his mouth
Momma and baby
Sitting in the shade – Mom and Baby (the baby is not really little, but obviously still under its Mother’s care)
Mom and baby kisses
Licking the goodness off the back of the cardboard Easter egg decoration
Mom and baby looking for some more treats
The baby wasn’t too sure about everything at first so it stuck near its Mom at the beginning of the Easter Egg Hunt
The baby is getting brave. He is climbing the pole to get the Easter basket, with a little Chick, and goodies.
Made it, now to grab it and head back down.
The Mom watched the baby climb, get the treats, and bring them back down. Then she took the items from the baby and ate them herself, ha! The baby did get some treats, but Momma Orangutan got the first dibs!
Rearranging the Easter Garland in their pen.
Travel & Vacation: Lions, Tigers, Seals, Reptiles, Bears, and more at the Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA)
Lioness pacing on her rock
We had a blast seeing all the animals on our recent trip to the Atlanta Zoo. We arrived just as the Zoo opened in the morning and stayed until closing. The kids loved seeing all the animals, the activities, and special events. It was a busy, packed, and fun day together. We walked all over the area of the zoo several times over. The morning was a little cooler, but it was very comfortable by mid-morning (not too cold or hot). You can read more about our adventure on my Travel & Vacation: Visiting the Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA) blog post.
The two lionesses were playing and pouncing on each other while we were there. They were so fast we weren’t able to get a non-blurry picture of both of them together. It was neat to watch them playing around instead of just sleeping on their rock.
Better watch out….
Tiger giving himself a bath.
Out for a stroll
The seal was catching the fish they were throwing at them. You can see the fish right in front of him.
Karlie and Brina learning about snakes.
Karlie having fun
Learning more about this little turtle
Curled up and watching people as they go by his cage
Brina fascinated by all the animals
What’s in this one!?
Karlie and Mommy having fun at the Atlanta Zoo
Me and my girls! They are growing up so fast. Thankful for these little adventures together as a family!
Brina was always good a spotting the animals really quickly, not sure how she does it so fast!
The snake was following the heat from Karlie’s hand
Jake and his girls at the Atlanta Zoo
Jake is always so good about explaining and showing the girls different pieces of information about the animals. The snake is acting like it might try to strike Jake’s hand through the glass in this picture, but it never did.
The bear brought this branch with leaves on top of the platform so he could eat it by himself without the other one bothering him.
Fun times!
They loved learning about all the different wildlife.
Love my family! Grateful for the opportunity to hang out at the Atlanta Zoo for the day!
Such a rough life…. They look so cute and cuddly.
This is a “Tanuki” it is very timid and doesn’t come out very often per one of the zoo workers that we asked. We walked by its cage multiple times and never saw it out until almost the end of the day. It gets spooked easy so it is not visible very often.
How does your Mom carry you!? Silly girls – Brina and Karlie
Karlie loves brushing the farm animals. She is currently on her way to brush another one.
Brina talking with the zoo worker about goats and asking questions. He was really nice and pointed out several different types of goats and characteristics of the ones near her.
Brina and Karlie brushing one goat. Lots of TLC for this Mamma goat. They always love the interactive animal adventures.
The giraffe is eying us while the ostrich was too busy eating to give us any attention
