Loving Life
Travel & Vacation: It’s a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise at Disney’s Magic Kingdom (Orlando, FL)
Brina and Jake riding on the boat through It’s a Small World
The lines weren’t too long so we were able to get onto several rides, however, we had a couple hiccups with some as well. The kids liked It’s a Small World so much that we did it 2 times. The Pirates of the Caribbean was a little bit of a disappointment because we stood in line for an hour and were 10 people from the front of the line when it broke down so we didn’t get to go on it. It took us another 30 minutes to get back out because we had to wait for all the people behind us leave. The girls did well and had a great attitude despite the long wait time. The Jungle Cruise was a fun boat ride with lots of neat sights along the way. The kids really enjoyed it.
Smiling and soaking in all the sights at It’s a Small World
It’s a Small World banner as you go in
Fascinating!
Always something to look at on the boat ride
Still smiling while waiting in the long line for the Pirates of the Caribbean
Catching up and chatting while in line
Yay, found a place to sit while waiting
Going on the Jungle Cruise
All smiles on the Jungle Cruise
Beautiful waterfall
They loved looking at all the animals and sights on the Jungle Cruise
So much fun!
Wishing You A Very Happy Easter!
Wishing you a very Happy Easter!
The girls have been off this week for Spring Break. Yay! It has been wonderful having extra time with the kids! Thankful for an opportunity to celebrate this amazing Holiday. While there are a lot of fun events and activities around the Easter Holidays the real meaning of Easter goes a long way back in time. Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for a Savior who conquered death. So many reasons to be thankful this Holiday Season!
Sweet sisters!
Flashback Friday: Exploring the World
Loving the flowers and petals! Brina in the purple and Karlie in the pink.
Today’s Flashback Friday takes us back to when the girls were just over a year old. They loved exploring new things. Now that they were constantly on the move they were getting into all kinds of things around the house. Thankful for these little blessings and for the opportunity to watch them grow up.
Their smiles always brighten my days!
Love their cute little pinchable and kissable cheeks!
My little sweet peas are growing up too fast!
Travel & Vacation: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, Enchanted Tales with Belle, and Astro Orbiter at Disney’s Magic Kingdom (Orlando, FL)
Being silly in line for the Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little
Mermaid Ride Thankfully the lines were pretty mild most of the morning at Magic Kingdom. We got onto the Ariel’s Little Mermaid ride fairly quickly, however, we did stop to snap a few pictures. We had a great time at Magic Kingdom going from one activity to the next. The girls were troopers and did awesome not only in line, but walking everywhere. It is nice at their age they can do almost everything too!
Waterfall outside Little Mermaid
Entertainment while in line!
On the ride
On our way to see Belle
Karlie with Belle at the Enchanted Tales with Belle
Brina with Belle at the Enchanted Tales with Belle
Brina getting a bookmark from Belle!
It was a bright sunny day, somehow this is the only picture I got of the girls in front of the castle (a quick shot on our way to another ride).
My co-pilot on the Astro Orbiter
Karlie went by herself on the Astro Orbiter. She was very excited to fly!
Karlie giving me the thumbs up. Let’s just say this was not my favorite ride at Magic Kingdom. I get dizzy and nausea on a lot of spinning rides. This one was one of those rides. Thankfully it wasn’t as bad as some rides (like the spinning teacups…oh, boy).
Yes, that is Karlie way above Brina and I. I am not entirely sure we ever left the ground, but Karlie was having a grand time!
Travel & Vacation: Train, Dumbo, and Winnie the Pooh Rides at Disney’s Magic Kingdom (Orlando, FL)
Brina having a blast and laughing.
We had the opportunity to go to Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, FL recently. The girls and I headed out first thing in the morning while Jake was at his conference. He was able to join us in the afternoon after the conference ended which was really nice. We packed in as much fun as we could while at Magic Kingdom. We were there only one day, but we had a blast!
Karlie all smiles as we ride the train to our next stop!
We walked onto the Dumbo ride that morning with no lines.
Enjoying the ride!
Something is laugh-out-loud funny to Karlie!
Playing in the garden while waiting for the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride
We got onto the ride pretty quickly and now we are all set to go!
Silly tigger
Tigger pounced on Winnie the Pooh
Travel & Vacation: Swan & Dolphin Resort Pools (Orlando, FL)
Beautiful view and we almost had the pool to ourselves!
During our time at the Swan & Dolphin Resorts the kids had to check out their pools. Yes, they have several pools and a playground. We had a blast swimming and splashing around in their pools on the hottest day. The girls can spend hours swimming around.
Brina floating around!
Karlie having fun!
Being goofy under the water!
How long can you hold your breathe
Brina coming down the slide next to one of the pools.
That was fun, let’s do it again!
Karlie ready to go
Karlie moving right along!
I barely got a shot of her coming around the corner! They loved the slide!
A pool with a waterfall. How awesome is that!?
Hanging out by the waterfall.
This pool was much quieter, but one of their favorites because it was easier to dive for items since it was less crowded. That’s our hotel in the back ground.
Swimming around
Brina loves her goggles and her eyes don’t get nearly are red from the chlorine.
Taking a break to chat
Stopping for a few minutes to relax.
Travel & Vacation: Bippity Boppity Boutique Fairy Dust (Orlando, FL)
Brina getting her fairy dust!
At the Bippity Boppity Boutique downtown Disney you can stop by and get pixie fairy dust for free. We were at the store looking around and walking by the boutique so stopped to have the girls gets some fairy dust. They did a cute saying as the girls got the fairy dust sprinkled into their hair. The fairy dust is basically glitter. I don’t know if it was a special type of glitter or if the heat from running around in the hot sun all day, but that glitter stayed on for awhile.
Karlie getting her fairy dust!
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
Last week past in a whirlwind of activity. I have to admit I did not get all 10 blessings listed each day last week with all that was going on and the later nights with after school events, however, I was thinking about it a lot. I am thankful for my family. The girls have been doing well and I am proud of their hard work at school and with STEM Club. I am looking forward to having fun with them over Spring Break!
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 a husband who pitches in and helps with the kids and around the house!
Tuesday – Thankful for kids who enjoy learning and have the courage to speak in front of a large crowd. We attended the school’s Family STEM Night. We participated in a lot of the special activities, enjoyed a hot dog supper at school, and the girls shared with everyone some of their feedback regarding their STEM Club experience and what they did at State Competition the week before. Proud of all their hard work and that they earned a trophy!
Wednesday – Thankful for a thoughtful daughter who was looking out for her sister and others. Also, grateful for extra one-on-one time with one daughter even if that meant spending time at the Orthodontists together.
Thursday – Thankful for an opportunity to go see my daughters artwork pieces that were on display at the Art Gallery at the Pickens County Museum. They were up the entire month of March and we finally had a chance to go see them. Grateful too that the kids are now out of school for Spring Break and for the extra time we get to spend together starting tonight!
Friday – Thankful for kids who help around the house, a husband who willing picks up a couple groceries at the store on his way home, and a chance to spend an evening relaxing and catching up with extended family members. So many reasons to be thankful every day!
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!
Travel & Vacation: Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf (Orlando, FL)
Fun times playing miniature golf!
While in Orlando the girls and I got tickets to play miniature golf. The golf course was across the street from our resort so it was a short walk. We went to Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf. It was a lot of fun playing together even though we lost 3 balls. We quickly realized that we would not be playing any professional miniature golf soon with our crazy scores, but was a great time.
It was a warm day, but they had several courses with shooting water that seem to help cool it off. After playing 18 rounds of miniature golf we headed back to the hotel for lunch in the room then out to the pools to have some more fun. Thankful for some time with the kids.
Brina was the only one that didn’t loose a ball. I lost mine on the first hole in the bushes. Karlie managed to lose 2 balls throughout our adventures. The workers let us get more balls at the counter. The girls both got “hole in ones”, but I never got one (2 shots was my lowest par).
Hole 1 – each hole had a storybook with information and cute sayings on it.
It was bright and sunny that day!
Brina ready for her next hit.
This hole was in a cave. It was cool. Both girls got a hole in one on this one.
So close…. They were concerned a few times about me accidentally hitting their balls further away from the hole (a couple of times it was a valid concern).
The greenery around the course was beautiful!
Found a spot in the shade to rest for a minute.
They had some cute decorations. This elephant sprayed water when you shot the ball through the middle of the base.
Lining up for a good shot. This was harder than you think.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
The kids are on Spring Break this week! WooHoo! I am looking forward to spending extra time with them. We have some fun activities and adventures planned for the week. We’ll be wrapping up March, starting April, enjoying Spring Break, and celebrating Easter this week so it will be a fun one! The main goal this week is to spend some time with the kids. I have a lot of items I would like to get accomplished, but there are second to my family this week. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids – we are getting further into it, the girls love this book about a pet Rascal (this was a book I had as a kid)
Plan one special activity with the familyPlay a Game with the KidsPrepare for Upcoming Spring EventsSpend time Monday – Thursday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePrep for upcoming Family AdventureFigure out the kids Science Fair Projects– got them approved now we need to get started on them….STEM Club Event Presentations for Family Night at SchoolPrep for upcoming Spring Break
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue 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 dayWeekly Dinner Menu planned out for the weekClean House (Focus – Unpack Suitcase and Items Away from State STEM Robotics Trip this weekend)- Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from FL and STEM trips) – still working on this one, school and other activities took priority last week but hoping to get everything caught up soon
Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Sweep out my side of Garage)- Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Mineral Bucket for the Goats) – store was out of mineral buckets, will need to check another location or check again 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
- Payoff Medical Bills – working on it
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, 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 Rascal by Sterling North to the kids
- Plan 3 special activities with the family
- Play Games with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
- Start prepping for the kids Science Fair Projects
- Enjoy extra time with the kids on Spring Break
- Celebrate Easter with the family
- Spend time working on projects with kids
- Focus on quality family time
- Upcoming STEM Event
- Play with the kids
- Go for a bike ride, walk in the woods, and have relax
- Take time to really listen to the kids and what they are thinking / doing, etc…
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Keep up with my FitBit Goals (Walk 10,000 steps / 5 miles / 10 sets stairs per day)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
- Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
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
- Clean House (Focus – Deep Cleaning on all 3 Bathrooms)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from FL and STEM trips)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Vacuum Van)
- Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Mineral Bucket for the Goats)
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
- Payoff Medical Bills
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, 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.
