Local Activities
Spending Time with Grandma!
We were so thankful that my Mom was able to come visit us for several days. She went with us to Savannah for my cousins graduation and time at the beach. The girls love spending time with Grandma and were thrilled to hang out together.
I think Grandma Penny was much more patient then Mommy doing the workbooks!
The girls love it when Grandma reads them books. Today they relaxed for a few minutes on the front porch with a stack of books to read together. Thank you Mom for reading to our girls, they LOVE their time with you! I am thankful for a Mom who takes the time to be with our family. The girls have many wonderful family memories because of moments like these!
Family Celebrations: Happy 4th of July!!!!
Wishing everyone a very Happy July 4th!!!
Hope you have an amazing day celebrating with family and friends!
What a great day to make some new memories and enjoy time with those around you!
Photo by bayasaa
Vacation & Travel: Family Time at Tybee Island, Georgia
We had an amazing trip to Savannah, Georgia this year. We were able to explore Savannah, celebrate a cousins graduation from SCAD, and go to the beach on Tybee. Here are some more fun pictures from our trip to Tybee Island:
The girls were thrilled to find this “pretty green frog” at Grandma Penny’s hotel! As we were leaving one time we were greeted by this little guy! It is amazing how fascinating a frog can be for the kids!
We were so happy that Grandma Penny was able to go with us on the road trip to Savannah! The girls loved hanging out with Grandma Penny!
Karlie wanted to make sure Daddy wasn’t going to leave us.
We found that putting sunblock on at the hotel, letting it dry, then heading to the beach was the key to stay unburnt and sand free!
They think the shark is hilarious. The first time we went to Tybee we stopped by because they wanted a closer look. Now when they see it they just giggle!
The girls love testing the water for a few minutes before going right into the ocean.
Karlie running up the beach to take off her glasses so she can go swimming in the ocean!
It was great having an opportunity to go to the beach with extended family. Tybee was beautiful and really only a few people were out on the beach with us.
The girls had a blast swimming with Grandma Penny, Aunt Renelle, Uncle Eric and everyone else. The beach adventure was a lot of fun for the girls.
Everyone enjoyed a relaxing swim at Tybee. We even saw some DOLPHINS! I didn’t have my camera handy when they came but thrilled they came to visit us during our swim!
Every time we go swimming on Tybee Beach we see several of these cargo ships going by. It is amazing the amount of cargo they carry on these ships as they go in and out of Savannah’s harbor.
The girls love the water! I am thrilled that they are becoming more confident with their life jackets but still (for the most part) stay near us!
It was a beautiful day at the beach! We are so thankful to be able to share it with so many family members!
The girls thought it was awesome being able to swim with a lot of different people, they usually have a choice between Mommy or Daddy. Thankful that they love the ocean and had fun with family!
Thanks Laurel for the awesome sand toys! The girls had a blast making a sand castle at Tybee!
The tent was a nice place out of the sun for the kiddos to take a break and eat lunch. Thanks babe for taking care of us so we didn’t get crispy in the sun!
One of their favorite activities to do at the beach, dig in the sand!
My Mom was able to fly up to Greenville and come with us on this road trip. That weekend was packed full of fun with the graduation celebration, beach adventures, the road trip and many more exciting activities!
We didn’t have a chance to stop at a seafood restaurant in Georgia so on the road trip back home we ate at Red Lobster. The girls were fascinated with their lobster tank!
“A Vacation To Remember” series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed. 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. Go with a good attitude and looking 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!
Vacation & Travel: Family Time in Historic Savannah, Georgia
We recently went to Savannah, Georgia to celebrate my cousins graduation from SCAD (Savannah College of Arts and Design). It was great having a reason to travel to Savannah again. Our family enjoys all the history in the area and loves an opportunity to go to the beach. We arrived on Friday nights just in time to see Savannah’s first Friday Firework display downtown on River Street. Saturday was graduation day so we had a mix of sightseeing, graduation ceremony and celebrating with Laurel. The girls thought Laurel had a lot more in her class then they did in their kindergarten graduation earlier that week. My Mom was able to fly out from Kansas and spend a couple days with us and drive with us to Savannah. It was great spending some extra time with her and the girls loved having Grandma around.
The girls picked out a snack to munch on during the ride to Savannah. Karlie picked out a special treat, fruit by the foot. Obviously she was too tired to finish eating it because when I looked back this is what I saw…..her fast asleep with the last six inches of the fruit by the foot hanging out her mouth. All of us got a good laugh at this one such a classic road trip picture!
Aunt Mary Ann and Aunt Laurel put together a sweet goodie bag for each of the girls. They had a lot of fun playing with the toys, drinking through the silly straws and writing in their new notebooks.
The first Friday evening of every month (at least during the summer months) Savannah has fireworks. They start after sundown about 9 PM at night. The fireworks are set off over the river and are beautiful.
Saturday morning we decided to explore Savannah on foot while it was still early and cool. The girls had a fun time walking and asking questions about the town. Love this picture of Jake walking hand in hand with the girls, if only you could hear the conversation going on…..so many questions and Daddy patiently answering each one. Such a great Daddy, love these three very much!
When we were looking through the shops and picking out postcards we found two purple seashell necklaces on clearance for $0.99 so the girls got their first seashell necklaces to remember Savannah.
The bed in Uncle Rick and Aunt Mary Ann’s room was a make shift couch throughout the weekend. Karlie and Brina had fun talking with Laurel. It was pretty funny listening to some of their “stories”!
Jake and I had been on the trolley tour before but wanted to go again. It was amazing the amount of different information we learned this time around. Every tour guide has a unique way of presenting the information. Renelle, Randy, and Mom had never been on the tour and enjoyed it as well. Even though it was pretty hot outside with the open trolley and breeze it was comfortable. Thanks babe for running to grab waters for everyone while we took this picture.
Savannah has a lot of amazing history. This is one of several beautiful churches in the downtown area of Savannah.
There are a lot of shaded squares in Savannah that you can walk through and read a bunch of history. Each square has some type of monument to view and benches for those wanted to rest or have a picnic. If you are wanting to get an overview of Savannah I recommend taking one of the trolley tours first then you can come back later and learn more about the sights that interest you. We chose the Oglethrope Trolley Tour because it was the best price and we didn’t have to pay for parking. Finding parking in downtown Savannah can be difficult and expensive. Plus the trolley would pick us up and drop us off at a number of locations throughout Savannah all day. You could explore a historical sight or go shopping and when you were done or wanted transportation to the next area of interest you would wait a few minutes or call them and they would come pick you up.
More Savannah Trip Pictures Coming soon!
Summer Activities: Picnics on the Porch
A new favorite spot for the girls to eat their snacks, lunch, and goodies is on the front porch. A couple years ago my parents got me a glider for the front porch and it has been a huge hit with the entire family. The girls like to sit on the glider and eat because Skipper is not trying to snatch their food but they can still eat outside. Their drinks are usually on the table next to the glider whenever they are playing outside to help remind them to stay hydrated.
I have a sneaking suspicion that Skipper gets her fair share of extra food from the girls. On the hot days when the girls spend a lot of time outside all three of them (the kids and dog) crash by the evening. One time after a full day of playing with the girls we watched Skipper walk up to the front door mat (where she enjoys napping) and literally flop over in exhaustion. She’s enjoying all the attention but it wears her out too.
Does your family have a favorite spot to eat picnics at home?
Summer Activities: Fun Family Day at Home!
School’s out and the summer heat is here. We love spending time as a family outside, however, some of that time involves finding cool activities to do during the summer heat. There is always something fun to do during the girls summer vacation away from school. Below are some of the fun adventures we did on a recent Saturday together.
Swimming in the Pool
Eating Ice Cream
Napping in the Hammock
Playing Under the Jungle Gym – Sand Fun
Science Experiments
Summer Activities: Greenville Drive Baseball Game (Take 2)
After getting rained out for the girls first Greenville Drive Game we decided to give it another shot and go again. The day looked like it may rain but ended up being beautiful. Since our first game was rained out we ended up being able to attend a double header. The girls did great and enjoyed watching the two games and the fireworks afterward. They had an amazing firework display following the second game.
Summer Activities: The Girls First Greenville Drive’s Baseball Game
We were able to get tickets to a Greenville Drive Baseball through a work contact so we decided to take the girls to their first Greenville Drive’s Baseball Game. The Greenville Drive is an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox’s Team. Like with any outdoor event such as baseball you are subject to the weather conditions. The girls were super excited but after the game got delayed followed by wind, rain, hail, and thunder they had to cancel the game for the night. Although it was a fascinating experience watching the workers drag the huge tarp out onto the field the game being cancelled was a disappointment. The girls handled it fairly well and we were managed to squeeze in a few minutes of another special activity. We were able to get another set of Drive tickets for a double header so their first Drive game was postponed temporarily.
Fun Activities on the Last Few Days at School
I was able to go spend a morning volunteering at the girls school recently. Thankful that I have had a number opportunities throughout the year to participate in their classroom. One of the benefits to having twins in the same classroom is you don’t have to split your time between several different rooms. The girls LOVE it when Mommy hangs out with them at school and Mommy is excited they still want to have me be a part of their school group. The last several days of school are always busy with extra activities. One of the days I was able to help out with was their annual Field Day which is a full day outside competing in a variety of kid games.
It is hard to believe the school is done and they are out for the summer. We have many fun activities already planned for the summer and I know we’ll come up with even more stuff to do. They have already listed several things that we did last summer tat they want to do again (guess that’s good because last summers memories were positive)! Glad they enjoy hanging out with Mom because I love these months at home with the kids!
Bass Pro Shops: Free Family Summer Camp Events (Activities / Workshops / Crafts & More!)
Starting June 4th through July 10, 2011 Bass Pro Shops will be having Free Family Summer Camp Events.
There are plenty of fun activities, games, crafts, and workshops to participate in at Bass Pro Shops. Some variations may occur at the individual stores participating in the Free Family Summer Camp Events.
Free Activities (Tuesdays & Thursdays from 2 PM to 6 PM and Saturdays & Sundays from 12 PM to 4 PM):
- Free Shooting Gallery
- Free Shooting Range
- Free Casting Targets
- Free Photo (on Saturdays & Sundays)
- Free S’Mores Cookout (Saturdays – 7 to 8 PM)
Free Workshops (Tuesdays & Thursdays from 2 PM to 6 PM and Saturdays & Sundays from 12 PM to 4 PM):
- Archery
- Bird Watching
- Shooting Basics
- Camping Basics
- Plants & Insects
- Animal Identification
- Hiking Basics
- Outdoor Pets
- Fishing Basics
Free Crafts (Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4 PM to 6 PM and Saturdays & Sundays from 2 PM to 5 PM):
- Camp Scene Doorknob Hanger – June 4 & June 5
- Camping Photo Frame – June 7, June 9, June 11, June 12
- Leather Keychain – June 14, June 16, June 17, June 18
- Paint a Wiggle Fish – June 21, June 23, June 25, June 26
- Design Your Own Birdhouse – June 28, June 30, July 2, July 3
- Stamping Fun Animal Tracks – July 5, July 7, July 9, July 10
To learn more information go to Bass Pro or to find a location near you!