Kids
First Lego League: Robotics STEM Competition – Solar SySTEM!
Very excited! Their team won a 1st place Trophy and a Gold Ticket to the SC State Robotics Competition!
The girls Solar SySTEM Lego Robotics STEM Club team went to the regional competitions this past weekend! It was a long and busy Saturday day. We left the house before sun up so we could be in Seneca by 7:20 am and didn’t get home until after 6 pm that night. The girls team had several rounds at the competition. They were scored in multiple areas and did well!
Three rounds of their robot completing tasks on the map which they scored pretty high on. Another part of the competition was their core values which is their team spirit and how they interact with the other teams. They have to give a presentation on this piece as well in front of the judges. Another piece of the competition was their research, project, and presentation which the kids presented in front of the judges on their own. They won the first place trophy in this category (on their research, project, and presentation).
The work is done by the students from the logo design, research, development, presentations, and so much more! The team worked so well together and put in a lot of hours working on their research, development, robotics, and project. They do the majority of their work in front of the judges with no coaches or parents in the room (we can’t even watch, but thankfully they had it video taped). The only piece the parents and coaches can watch is the one when they do their robotic map missions otherwise they are on their own once in the room and in front of the judges.
The team pick a solar system theme. They named their team the Solar SySTEM and the catch phrase is “Stay in Orbit”! The research project they decided to do was to build a computer game that would help kids learn more about the solar system. They named their robot, SpaceBot!
It was a super busy and long day for the kids, but they were awesome. There were 21 teams competing that day so it was a real honor to win a trophy and get the opportunity to move forward. Their hard work really paid off with the trophy and qualifying for the SC Competition! WooHoo! Very proud of the girls and their team!
Playing a hangman game before competition starts!
Karlie all smiles after the first robotic map round when they scored all 100 points!
Their robot going through the tasks on the map!
Brina hanging up their spirit posters.
Their team going through the tasks on the robot map!
Watching carefully to make sure the robot goes through all its tasks!
Gathering some of the props for their presentation!
Karlie ready to go speak!
Coming back after their presentation! They rocked it and got the 1st place trophy!!!
Getting their trophy!
Karlie with Mrs. Johnson one of their coaches who also teaches STEM Lab and her GT class!
Solar SySTEM team and coaches! They did AWESOME!!!
“Thinking of You” Star Balloon!
One of my daughters had a minor surgery (she got a set of tubes put in her ears) a couple weeks ago. Her sister wanted to pick up a get well balloon for her for after the surgery. We went to the Dollar Store and she picked out a balloon that she thought would “make her smile”.
Instead of the traditional get well balloon she got a star balloon because her sister loves anything related to space. The balloon was a big hit and is still floating above her bed even now. It amazes me how long the Dollar Tree balloons can stay up!
This little gesture of kindness, from sister to sister, reminds me of how thankful I am for kids who are thoughtful and loving (most days) towards their family members. Sometimes it’s the little things you do or acts of kindness that make the biggest impact on the lives of others. We need to do more acts of kindness to show we care for our family, friends, and those around us. It only takes a little effort from us, but it may go a long way in lifting someone’s spirits, much like this balloon lifted my daughter’s spirits.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
It was a great week. The girls had a crazy schedule with Lego STEM Robotics competition (FLL – First Lego League) and extra practice this week on top of all the regular activities. They did a FANTASTIC job at their regional competition! Their team won the 1st place trophy for their project, research, and presentation. They also won the GOLD TICKET which means they are going on to State Competition! WooHoo! Very proud of the kids and all the hard work they have done this year. Go Solar SySTEM!!!
I had a few extra external activities this week, but was able to make some good progress on other projects at home. Starting to feel a little better so hoping to resume the majority of my normal activities and get a lot accomplished. Although, I over did it one day last week and I paid for it for 2 days afterward so hopefully I can make a lot of progress forward without over doing it with my neck. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows to the kids – continuing to read it to the kids (didn’t get to read every night with all the extra activities and homework)
Plan one special activity with the familyPlay a Game with the KidsPrepare for Upcoming Winter EventsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforeSTEM Competition
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day- Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – narrowing down plan options
Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – it took me a little over a day with all the activities
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the weekUse up food items in our pantry and freezer- Clean House (Focus – Basement) – made some progress
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Pantry) – working on it
Yard Cleanup (Focus – Clean Up Old Storage Shed)Pet Care (Focus – Find a New Location for Skipper’s Doghouse)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)- working on it
Pay Bills & File PaperworkGo grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
- Clean House (Focus – Master Bedroom & Master Bathroom)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Kitchen)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Leaves)
- Pet Care (Focus – Fix the Goat Fence)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Sale Some Items No Longer Using on Facebook / Craigslist
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
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.
Free Ebooks: A Dad’s Book of Play, More Than A Pot Roast, Stock Market Investing for Beginners, Achieving Combined Excellence, The Solar System, 30 Perfect Popcorn Recipes, The Artful Marketer, Retirement Basics, Better Than Credit Repair, and more!
The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading). The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
Download a free copy of A Dad’s Book of Play – 75 Activities To Do With Your Toddler by Innovate Media
Download a free copy of More Than Pot Roast – Fast, Fresh Slow Cooker Recipes (Slow Cooker Sensations) by Julie Christensen
Download a free copy of Stock Market Investing for Beginners – Easy & Smart Strategies to Successfully Start Investing by Innovate Media
Download a free copy of Achieving Combined Excellence – Be A Black Belt In What You Do! by Rick Tew
Download a free copy of The Solar System – The Sun, Earth, and Everything in The Solar System by Innovate Media
Download a free copy of 30 Perfect Popcorn Recipes – How to Make Sweet & Savory Gourmet Popcorn at Home by Lori Jane Stewart
Download a free copy of The Artful Marketer – A Fundamental Business Guide for Creative Entrepreneurs by Minette Riodan
Download a free copy of Retirement Basics – Help for Broke Baby Boomers by Donna Davis
Download a free copy of Better Than Credit Repair – The Handbook of Credit Mastery by Tamara Rasheed
Download a free copy of Happy Baby Wise Baby – 70 Activities For Your Child’s Development by Innovate Media and KidMastermind
Slumber Party Adventure With Cousins
Dinner time – kid friendly meal (chicken nuggets, mac-n-cheese, salad, blueberries, and oranges)
The kids were so EXCITED! We’ve been trying to get a slumber party on the calendar with their cousins for a few months now and we did it last weekend. The kids had a blast playing together – nerf, legos, relays, games, and so much more fun activities during their stay with us. Everyone was well behaved, full of energy, and went right to sleep as soon as they hit the sleeping bags that night. One of our girls got up a couple of times, but my nephews we never heard another peep out of them until after 7:30 the next morning!
After some play time the next day and breakfast we headed out on a science adventure. We went to Roper Mountain Science Center’s 2nd Saturday event on H2O Oceans which was a blast! The kids had a grand time together. Thankful for some fun with the kids.
Silly relay races….it was hard getting a clear picture with all the movement!
Lined up for their next relay round!
Lots of giggles and fun!
They played a few fun games while they were here. This was a favorite with the boys – Toy Story 3 Kerplunk game which they played well together!
Taking turns and helping each other!
Our living room was full of sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, and giggling kids. It only took them a few minutes to wind down and go to sleep!
Kiddos playing with cars, trucks, planes, race tracks, and legos while Jake and I make breakfast!
Cinnamon Crumble Breakfast Cake, Scrambled Eggs with Extra Cheese, Yogurt, Pears, and Chocolate Milk for breakfast! My sweet nephew asked my daughters several times as we were setting the table “Can we really eat the CAKE for breakfast!?” Why not, it’s not every weekend we have a slumber party and get cinnamon breakfast cake in the morning, ha! While he did eat his cake first that morning, he also ate most of his scrambled eggs and other goodies too!
Van full of kids!
My nephews were not sure about Karlie holding a huge snake! Although they were a little concerned at first they did eventually pet the snake, however, they did not want to hold it!
Riding the school bus between buildings at Roper Mountain!
So excited to ride a bus! Sometimes the little activities provide the most fun and biggest smiles!
Our troop at the Planetarium getting ready to watch the show! The lighting in the planetarium made it hard to get a clear picture.
My nephew was amazed….all the fish swimming around in every direction. It was almost more fun to watch his expressions and hear his comments!
Checking out the turtle! You mean we can touch it?!
Petting the animals!
The bunny was so soft!
This one always grosses me out…..baby mice…..however, the kids love holding the baby mice!
What’s this Aunt Bridgette!? Can I touch it!? Lots of questions and fun exploring all the cool animals!
This was a highlight for my nephews! They loved digging around in the sand and water creating various lakes, rivers, dams, and more!
Building another one together!
Testing the items that they built to see how many golf balls they will hold before sinking!
Saying “Hi” to the animals!
Checking out the sting ray!
Recycled Bottle Top Tank
On her own my daughter decided to start recycling the bottle caps for a craft. The other day she pulled out the recycled bottle tops that she had been collecting and put together this bottle top tank . With a little bit of construction paper, tape, and bottle tops you can make a lot of cool items for fun!
She put this Bottle Top Tank in the living room so it can “guard” our front door (not sure it is the most welcoming sight for our guests, but at least it is harmless).
Crafting Our Own Pottery
Brina learning how to work the pottery wheel!
One of the gifts Karlie recently got for Brina was a do-it-yourself pottery wheel. Since we like doing “crafty” things we decided it was time to try it out and see what we could create. Since it was Brina’s pottery wheel she went first, but she was kind enough to let all of do a piece as well (even Mom and Dad). While our creations are not anything fancy or perfect we had a blast creating neat items on the wheel. Maybe with a little more practice we’ll be doing master pieces!!!
Karlie trying it out too!
Having fun shaping the item.
Focusing on making her pottery piece
These are the pieces we ended up making with Brina’s pottery wheel. Waiting for the pieces to dry so we can do the next step….painting! It was a lot of fun! Thanks for sharing Brina!
We used the Kids Craft Pottery Wheel Kit which can be picked up at WalMart or Amazon (WalMart’s had a much better price on this item). We did have to mix in some water to get the clay soft enough, but once we got going the clay and the pottery wheel worked great! The clay was air dry so we didn’t have to worry about baking it. You can get more air dry clay at Hobby Lobby too if they want to do more projects.
Introducing the Newest Member of Our Family – “Spotless”
He is fast and doesn’t particularly like to get his picture taken! The newest addition in our house has been named, by the kids – Spotless! It’s been hard getting even a partially clear picture of the newest addition to our household (or at least the newest member of our fish tank).
For the first time we have a pet frog in the fish tank with our fish. The kids have caught plenty of frogs and toads near the creek, but this is the first time we got one specifically put into our big tank. Spotless likes to hide by the filter or in the leaves. It is fascinating to watch him swim around the fish tank with all the fish.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
It was a super crazy week with the girls back in school, Jake back on normal work schedule, and my days packed. I was able to accomplish some activities and make progress last week, but need to pick up pace this week. I have a lot of projects that need attention around the house. When the kids were home for Christmas break I spent the time with them so some of my items got put on the back burner. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows to the kids – making progress, but there was a lot of homework last week and weekend events took priority
Plan one special activity with the familyPlay a Game with the Kids– played Jake’s new game Dakato
Prepare for Upcoming Winter EventsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforeDr. Appointments for Kids
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day- Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – need to decide which plans I am doing this year
Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – did it over the whole weekend since we had guests for the weekend
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later) – trying to eat through the items already in the freezer
Clean House (Focus – House Cleaned Up After Christmas Decorations are Put Away)Organize Chaos (Focus – Christmas Items Back in the Attic)- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Blow Leaves) – working on it
- Pet Care (Focus – Skipper a Bath) – didn’t get it done this week
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Sale Some Items No Longer Using on Facebook / Craigslist – sold a few items!
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File Paperwork- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went to more than one store
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- STEM Competition
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
- Clean House (Focus – Basement)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Pantry)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Clean Up Old Storage Shed)
- Pet Care (Focus – Find a New Location for Skipper’s Doghouse)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Sale Some Items No Longer Using on Facebook / Craigslist
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
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.
Free Ebooks: Get Out of Debt, #1 Budgeting Personal Finance Plan, Essential Oils, Crochet for Beginners, Is There A Doctor In The House, 125+ Funny Jokes, Workout Series, Remove Negative Thinking, and more!
The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading). The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
Download a free copy of Get Out of Debt – Master the Inner Game of Wealth, Gain Financial Independence and Live a Life of Abundance and Prosperity by Alexandra Scott
Download a free copy of Budgeting – Personal Finance Plan – The #1 Guide To Budgeting, Personal Finance, and Gaining Financial Freedom In An Easy To Follow System by James Harper
Download a free copy of Essential Oils for Beginners – A Proven Guide for Weight Loss, Skin Care, Hair Care, and Stress Relief with the Use of Essential Oil Recipes by Sarah Joy
Download a free copy of Crocheting – Crochet for Beginners – The Complete Guide on the Basics of Crochet by Dorothy Wilks
Download a free copy of Is There A Doctor In the House – Common Sense Medical Insights and Anecdotes From a Veteran Family Physician by Dr. Glenn M Cosh
Download a free copy of Funny Jokes for Kids – 125+ Hilarious Jokes by Johnny B. Laughing
Download a free copy of 4 Week Bodyweight Home Workout by Arnel Ricafranca
Download a free copy of Remove Negative Thinking – How to Instantly Harness Mindfulness and The Power of Positive Thinking by Helga Klopcic and KC Harry
Download a free copy of Dash Diet – 42 Top Dash Diet Recipes For Weight Loss (Dash Diet Recipes, Weight Loss Books and Tips by Sara Banks
Download a free copy of Lose Weight Fast – Over 50 Incredible Weight Loss Tips and Motivation Secrets Revealed by Dr. Jyothi Shenoy
Download a free copy of The Power of Now – How to Set Your Mind Into Taking Action Now So You Can Achieve Your Dreams by Melanie Hutchinson
