Kids
Travel & Vacation: Family Vacation…..Way Up NORTH!!!
Picture of the last Alaska Airline plane we got on!
North to ALASKA!!! We took a family vacation to Alaska this summer! We had a blast! We packed a lot in our time in Alaska. We flew Alaska Airlines. The girls did amazing on all the flights. We flew through the night both on the way to Alaska and on the way home too. They went through the airports fine, helped with the luggage, entertained themselves on the plane (and even rested). Thankful for kids who love to travel and explore new places.
Jake and the girls getting on the plane….notice they are entering the back half the plane. First time on this type of plane!
Sleeping Beauty on the plane!
Another one bites the dust….
The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family, ways we relax, and tips on how to make trips more enjoyable. 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!
Do Not Handicap Your Children …
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week was amazing, refreshing, fun, and fantastic! I LOVED spending the extra time with my family. It was great to focus on spending time together and not worrying or concentrating on all the tasks, goals, and items on my “To Do” list. I needed the break from the “normal” so I could focus on enjoying the people I love dearly in my life. The kids are growing up way too quickly and I treasure the time that I have with them. I want to pack in as many awesome memories with the entire family while they are still growing up. This week will be a mix of focusing on my family and gearing up for the regular routine again. I don’t want to switch too quickly as to shock my system, although I do need to get back on track with my tasks and goals. I figure if I gradually ease into it again I will be good to go soon! The shorter list was nice and much easier to tackle (and enjoy), but I cannot do that every week if I want to stay on top of life, schedules, and everything else going on with the family. I am keeping it pretty close to the same as last week, but will be adding on a few items each day. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading The Forgotten Filly by Karle Dickerson to the kids – was able to get a good chunk of the book read with the kids
- Read 7 more Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids. – had some good laughs reading this one
- Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids. – learning more everyday
- Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids. – interesting trivia
Reflect on our blessings and prayer time with kids every night.Plan one special activity with the familyPlay a Game with the KidsCreate Memories with the FamilySpend Quality time with each family memberDo a new, unique, or different activity with the family this week
Kid Goals
Spend time Monday –Friday encouraging the kids to find creative ways to learn and grow their skillsAt least 30 minutes of outside play, fresh air, or activity time a day
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water, wear FitBit, and do yoga (or at least stretch out) each day
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
Focusing on my Family not the “to do” list
Business Goals
Focusing on my Family not the “to do” list
Ministry Goals
Quality time with my family
Financial Goals
Focusing on my Family not the “to do” list
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading The Forgotten Filly by Karle Dickerson to the kids.
- Read 7 more Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids.
- Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids.
- Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids.
- Reflect on our blessings and prayer time with kids every night.
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Create Memories with the Family
- Spend Quality time with each family member
- Do a new, unique, or different activity with the family this week
Kid Goals
- Spend time Monday –Friday encouraging the kids to find creative ways to learn and grow their skills
- At least 30 minutes of outside play, fresh air, or activity time a day
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water, wear FitBit, and do yoga (or at least stretch out) each day
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- Focusing on my Family not the “to do” list
Business Goals
- Focusing on my Family not the “to do” list
Ministry Goals
- Quality time with my family
Financial Goals
- Focusing on my Family not the “to do” list
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
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
It was a busy week packed full of work, summer camp, and more fun activities. We were able to get a lot done around the house too. Thankful for my family and the many blessings I have been giving every day.
I want to be accountable to you so the following are snip-its of some of the things I am thankful for this past week.
Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday –Thankful for that I was able to get Jake’s haircut done today. We’ve been trying to get it done for over a week now, but finally found a good time to get it done.
Tuesday – Thankful for a great chiropractor who helps keep our family in line.
Wednesday – Thankful for the girls hard work as they finished up their Summer Reading Programs from the library.
Thursday – Thankful for a family that pitches in to help when there is items that need to be done around the house and yard.
Friday – Thankful for the girls having an opportunity to go to Roper Mountain Science Camp this week. They learned a lot and had a terrific week!
Saturday – Thankful for technology and the way we can stay connected with family, friends, and others even if there is a lot of miles in between.
Sunday – Thankful for extra time with my family and a chance to relax, have fun, and make memories.
What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today. It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
It was a little bit of a wild week, but we got through it! Thankful for my family and the opportunities we’ve had throughout the week. The girls enjoyed a week of Summer Camp at Roper Mountain Science Center. Glad they were able to learn a lot. Jake and I had a busy week at work, but were able to get some items accomplished. This upcoming week I have scaled back my goals list to allow some more free time to spend with my family. There are only a few more weeks left in the kids summer vacation and I want to have the opportunity to spend some down time with them and Jake. My main goal for the upcoming couple of weeks is to focus on my family, have fun, and create memories. I will give you an update on my goals, but next week will be a much slimmer list!
Every once in awhile it is good to have a week like this to refresh and regroup. Here are my goals for this week:Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading The Forgotten Filly by Karle Dickerson to the kids. – have not finished reading it yet
- Read 7 more Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids. – getting through a few each week
- Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids. – read some
- Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids. – continuing to read through these with the kids
Reflect on our blessings and prayer time with kids every night.Plan one special activity with the family- Play a Game with the Kids – did not have a chance to play a board game this week
-
Attend After Work Activities Lunch Boxes packed the night before work & other planned activitiesPrep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer BreakWork on family projects togetherDaily 15 minute “Speed Clean” for entire family to keep the daily clutter under controlOne-on-One Meeting with Jake to go over this week and future events on Calendar
Kid Goals
Have kids do work in their Summer Workbook(s)Encourage Kids to read independently at least 30 minutes a day- Have kids work on our approved educational websites to encourage growth (at least 2 hours for the week) – we were not home to do these activities
- Have kids work for at least 1 hour on this week on improving their typing skills – they did not have a lot of computer time this week
Each kid finish creating at least 2 blogs posts for their Fun with Sis blogSpend time Monday –Friday encouraging the kids to find creative ways to learn and grown their skillsAt least 30 minutes of outside play, fresh air, or activity time a day- Attend Summer Camp – the girls went to Roper Mountain Science Center and had a great time learning!
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day- Keep up with my FitBit Goals – it has been a busy week, came close
Do yoga at least 5 times a weekGo to my Appointments Scheduled this weekUpdate Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries dailyTackle some lingering projects on my “to do” listRead over the kids blog posts
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayWeekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Clean House (Focus – Family Room) – work in progress
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Laundry Room) – made some progress
Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean up items under deck – toys, bikes, wood, etc…)Pet Care (Focus – Refill Goat & Dog Food Bins / Clean Out Pet Water Buckets & Refill)- Repairs – (Focus – Check on Water Heater Recall Notice we received) – on hold
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 clientsNotes typed for workFolders Labeled for workTraining on new projects- Do at least 5 blog posts this week – didn’t get to all the ones I wanted to this week
- Catch up on Hootesuite – hoping to get caught up soon
- Upload pictures from last few weeks and update – got it started
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or LunchOne-on-one quality time with Jake (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)One-on-one quality time with Brina (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)One-on-one quality time with Karlie (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)
Financial Goals
- Meet with Jake to go over Finances and Status Update – went over part of it
Sign up for Work 401K program- Schedule a meeting with the Financial Advisor – on my list to schedule for August once our schedule calms down a little bit
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – made another small payment
Pay Bills & File PaperworkGo grocery shopping one time this week and stay within budgetSell, giveaway, donate, or through away items no longer use– made another Goodwill donation this weekTake items to the recycling distributorMake meals with items from pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to use up what we have and eliminate any extra spending
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading The Forgotten Filly by Karle Dickerson to the kids.
- Read 7 more Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids.
- Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids.
- Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids.
- Reflect on our blessings and prayer time with kids every night.
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Create Memories with the Family
- Spend Quality time with each family member
- Do a new, unique, or different activity with the family this week
Kid Goals
- Spend time Monday –Friday encouraging the kids to find creative ways to learn and grow their skills
- At least 30 minutes of outside play, fresh air, or activity time a day
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water, wear FitBit, and do yoga (or at least stretch out) each day
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- Focusing on my Family not the “to do” list
Business Goals
- Focusing on my Family not the “to do” list
Ministry Goals
- Quality time with my family
Financial Goals
- Focusing on my Family not the “to do” list
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
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
It was a busy week, but we had a lot of fun. The girls came into work with me first thing in the morning for a little bit. They helped unlock the doors, turn on lights, and get set up for the day before spending time working on their summer workbooks for some time before I took them into camp. They did a Music & Technology camp in the morning and a Rube Goldberg creative experiments in the afternoon. It was super neat seeing what cool creations they developed over the course of the week.
I want to be accountable to you so the following are snip-its of some of the things I am thankful for this past week.
Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday –Thankful for an opportunity to spend some time chatting with the girls on the way to work and their help getting everything set up for the day.
Tuesday – Thankful to have an chance to see and hear all the neat things the girls are learning and creating in their week at Summer Camp.
Wednesday – Thankful for a dentist near home, that gets me in for an early appointment, and that I didn’t have any cavities or items that need to be done! Yay!
Thursday – Thankful for the girls curious and inquisitive minds. They are not afraid to ask questions so they can learn more from people in various areas.
Friday – Thankful for some quiet one-on-one time with Jake. It was nice to relax, catch up, chat, and spend some time together. Grateful for his thoughts and for being a sounding board regarding my crazy ideas. He brings peace, calm, and great insight to areas that am I trying to figure out.
Saturday – Thankful for an opportunity to spend time my family! We got a lot of accomplished, but also had fun together!
Sunday – Thankful for the freedom to attend church, learn, and grow. Grateful for a refreshing and much needed moments with my family.
What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today. It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day.
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
It was a wonderful week packed with adventures and memories with family and friends. We were able to spend time with people we hadn’t seen in quite awhile and meet some sweet little ones (new nieces and nephews that we are meeting for the first time). The girls have had a blast meeting the sweet babies, playing with family and friends, spending time with cute animals, and making memories with a lot of people in our lives. Thankful for an opportunity to travel and catch up with family from a variety of different areas.
I want to be accountable to you so the following are snip-its of some of the things I am thankful for this past week.
Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday –Thankful for an opportunity to spend a day with my cousin Renelle and her family. We even were able to go to Estates Park, a hike, and visit to Bear Lake. It was great spending time with family and in the Rocky Mountains!
Tuesday – Thankful for a chance to explore the Denver Museum of Science and Nature. The girls especially loved the Robotic Revolution exhibit! We spent a few hours there prior to going to the airport.
Wednesday – Thankful for safety as we flew back on South Carolina. Our flight was delayed, but we made it home with about 2 hours to spare before heading into work. Grateful for our friends who took really great care of our house and pets while we were away!
Thursday – Thankful for the girls help in getting the suitcases unpacked from our trip and for a full nights sleep back in our own beds!
Friday – Thankful that the kids had a chance to hang out with their friends from church at a pool party.
Saturday – Thankful for an opportunity to spend time with Jake’s cousin and his family, Luke and Kristen! Always great catching up and the kids played well together!
Sunday – Thankful for a chance to celebrate Father’s Day with Jake. We spent actual Father’s Day with extended family and waited until we were back home to celebrate with Jake. It was fun hanging out together and having fun. Thankful for Jake and everything he does for our family!
What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today. It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
It was a wonderful week packed with adventures and memories with family and friends. We were able to spend time with people we hadn’t seen in quite awhile and meet some sweet little ones (new nieces and nephews that we are meeting for the first time). The girls have had a blast meeting the sweet babies, playing with family and friends, spending time with cute animals, and making memories with a lot of people in our lives. Thankful for an opportunity to travel and catch up with family from a variety of different areas.
I want to be accountable to you so the following are snip-its of some of the things I am thankful for this past week.
Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday –Thankful for the an opportunity to spend time with Jake’s cousin and family. See a little bit of Boston with its great history. As well as a chance to catch up with our great friends Mike and Ashley with their little ones in Maine.
Tuesday – Thankful for friends that are like family that we can spend time with and have a blast whenever we get together. It was wonderful catching up with Mike & Ashley. The girls were thrilled to meet Savannah, sweet girl with lots of personality, and Bradley. Grateful for the ability to fly as we head out to see my family in the Midwest, even though going through airports can be an adventure it does save time if were are wanting to see people that are spread out over many miles and more on a specifically on a limited time frame.
Wednesday – Thankful for a chance to spend some time on the farm in Kansas with my parents and family. The girls always love time spending with the family and animals.
Thursday – Thankful for time in the Midwest with extended family. Grateful that we can see a number of people in this area.
Friday – Thankful for another day with extended family. The girls have grandparents, great grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and more people to enjoy time with during our stay.
Saturday – Thankful for a safe trip to Colorado to see my cousin Renelle and her family.
Sunday – Thankful for some time to hang out with extended family in the Denver, Fort Collins, Johnston areas.
What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today. It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day!
Relationships: Reflecting on Memories
- Across the fields the summer sun
- Is shining, and the breeze
- Flows gently through the trees
- Like waves upon the summer seas.
- The wild flowers all along the fence
- Are dancing in the sun.
- The bees are buzzing through the fields. . .
- I’ll bet their work is fun.
- Look, there’s a path upon the hill;
- Please come and walk with m.
- For overtop the hill and down,
- A meadow we will see.
- For in the meadow there’s a brook
- That I once waded through,
- And in the meadow there are flowers
- Of every shade and hue.
- Come walk, with me along that brook
- And share this day with me.
- As carefree children once again
- We live in memory.
– Bonnie Gaunt
Our lives are sprinkled with a variety of memories. Some of those memories bring a smile to our face while others bring a tear of sadness to our eyes. Memories can come rushing back when one or more of our senses are spiked such as a familiar place, smell, or sound.
When we walk along a stream or visit a familiar area with a family member or friend we get a glance into the past. It’s important to take the time to remember those good times. Relax in a quiet walk with someone dear to us. Taking the time to laugh at the good times and great memories we have shared over the years. Life goes by quickly and no one is guaranteed another day, but we have today so let’s make the best of what we have with those we love.
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
It was a week fun filled week with a lot of work, travel, time with extended family, and neat activities. Thankful for an opportunity to travel for a few days to spend catching up with family. I added the weekend since this week as well. Grateful for safety as we traveled to see people and for the wonderful memories that were made along the way.
I want to be accountable to you so the following are snip-its of some of the things I am thankful for this past week.
Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday –Thankful for the girls help in getting some tasks done around the house. It was a busy day of prepping and packing. The girls packed their entire suitcases by themselves so that saved me time from rounding up all their items and getting them in the suitcase.
Tuesday – Thankful for friends that are willing to watch our house and pets while we were away visiting family in New England. It is good knowing that the everything is being cared for while we are away.
Wednesday – Thankful for a job that I can work part time so I can travel with my family as well. Jake dropped me off at work this morning and picked me up early afternoon to drive to the airport so we could fly out to see family in New England. Also, grateful for airplanes and the ability to travel places relatively quickly. Thankful safety in our travels.
Thursday – Thankful for time to spend with Jake’s Mom and grandparents in Vermont. It was cooler in Vermont but the girls had a grand time with Grandma Kay, Nana, PopPop, and their chickens, puppy, and exploring the woods.
Friday – Thankful for another fun filled day in Vermont to spend time with family.
Saturday – Thankful for a safe trip to Connecticut and an opportunity to spend time with Jake’s Dad. The girls had a blast!
Sunday – Thankful for a safe trip to Massachusetts to visit with Jake’s cousin Matt and his family.
What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today. It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day!
