Loving Life
Travel & Vacation: Downtown Disney (Orlando, FL)
Walt Disney World – Where Dreams Come True! We made it!
Recently our family had the opportunity to go to Orlando, FL. Jake had a work conference and the girls and I tagged along. He spent the majority of the week working, but was able to join us at the end for some fun family time together. We got up at 3 am on Monday morning and made the drive to Orlando. The kids slept the first few hours and entertained themselves the remaining distance with books, games, a movie, and more. Thankful for kids who travel well. They love going on road trips.
We made good time on our way down to Florida so we decided to stop for a little bit and stretch our legs at Downtown Disney. We still had a some time before we could check into our hotel and Jake heading off to the conference. It was a beautiful sunny day and Downtown Disney wasn’t too busy. There was some construction going on at Downtown Disney and from what we hear it will soon no longer be called Downtown Disney, but rather Disney Springs.
Mickey Mouse! Made out of greenery!
The Lego store Downtown Disney had some amazing lego displays. This dragon breathing fire on the knight was in front of their store. It was massive!
Jake and the girls standing next to another lego display!
This dragon was actually partly in the water! Very neat!
Snow White and the 7 dwarfs working around the mine.
Outside of the T-REX Restaurant
Inside the T-Rex Restaurant and gift shop!
This was a ride you could go on in Downtown Disney. It looked like fun, but we were not there long enough to investigate it further.
Hotel with a flower Mickey Mouse across the water from Downtown Disney.
Look out for that alligator! It actually comes out closer to you and opens it’s mouth much to the fascination of the kids.
The girls always love the fish tanks inside the Rainforest Cafe. They also have a neat gift shop just watch out for the python (I have learned to look out for this creature from a past encounter)!
On the outside of the Rainforest Cafe is a volume. The volcano erupted as we were walking by. Very cool to watch. The random explosions probably lasted about 5 minutes. The kids loved it!
Learning more about this pretty white bird.
Frozen! Thankfully, it was a warm sunny day for us!
Karlie and Brina near the Disney Christmas shop!
Having fun in Downtown Disney!
Three shirts with familiar faces on them!
Had to sit on the bench next to Pooh, Tigger, and Piglet!
Once Upon A Toy was a neat shop. The girls brought their spending money and looked around this store a couple times during the week we were there. The Disney items are really neat, but for their budget were a little pricey. They ended up coming home with most of their money because they wanted to shop around for better prices instead of spending it all in one place. Glad to see them choosing to wait on some items.
Walking through Downtown Disney with Daddy!
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
We were closer to our normal schedule last week even though it was busy and Jake had a quick work trip. It was nice for the most part to be back home again. I was able to get most of the laundry and unpacking completed in time to pack our suitcase for our STEM Robotics Competition trip this past weekend. Thankful for the opportunity to spend time with the family and be able to coordinate my schedule so I can do packing throughout the days or in the evenings once the kids are in bed.
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 good news from a family member today. I love being able to rejoice and celebrate with those around me! 🙂
Tuesday – Thankful for a dentist who cleans and takes care of my kids teeth. Also, grateful that neither one of the kids have cavities again! YAY!
Wednesday – Thankful to have Jake back home again and to have an opportunity to talk for awhile about our days.
Thursday – Thankful for a thoughtful husband. It was a crazy, rainy morning and everyone was hurrying to get ready to start the day. I was running behind schedule. He made me toast for breakfast that way I would have something to grab and eat before heading out the door to drop the kids off at school and go to my appointment.
Friday – Thankful for an opportunity to go down to Columbia the night before the State STEM competition with the family. We had a chance to hang out together and relax as a family before the busy activities of competition began. Proud of our kids for all their hard work and for their team getting this far in the competition!
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!
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
Last week flew by as we recovered from our Florida trip, geared up for our State STEM Competition, and got back into a more normal routine. This is the last week of school before the kids get out for Spring Break. Looking forward to having a week to hang out with them. With that being said it will be a pretty busy week so I want to keep the menu easy so we can get what we need to accomplish done in a timely manner. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Spaghetti & Meatballs, Garlic Bread
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Special Event
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Mushroom & Spinach Chicken, Green Beans
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Broiled Tilapia, Steamed Vegetables
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week were were somewhat into the normal routine. This past weekend we went with the kids to Columbia, SC for their State STEM Lego Robotics Competition. We spent Friday night at a hotel near the meet because we had to be up early and ready on Saturday morning for the competition. The kids had a blast and did well. There was a lot of competition and with this only being their 2nd year doing STEM Club it was a real honor to be at the event. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids – it was a busy week but made a little more progress through the book
Plan one special activity with the familyPlay a Game with the KidsPrepare for Upcoming Spring EventsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework– some extra homework with them being gone last weekAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePrep for upcoming Family Adventure– went to the girls STEM State Comprtition this past weekend and spent the night before in a hotelGet the kids caught back up with Homework from missing school last week while in FloridaPrep for upcoming State STEM CompetitionPrep for upcoming Spring BreakTake kids to Eye Dr and Dentist for regular Cleaning– eyes looking good and no one has any cavities just more lose teeth, the last of their baby teeth are starting to fall out…look out tooth fairy
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 day – I did it twice this week because we had a couple items that needed washed before the STEM competition on Saturday.
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the weekUse up food items in our pantry and freezerClean House (Focus – Extra Laundry Done from Traveling)Organize Chaos (Focus – Unpack All Suitcases and Put Items Away from Florida Trip)Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Out the Van from the Florida Trip)Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Hay for the Goats)
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 Paperwork- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went about $15 over budget this week
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
- Spend time Monday – Thursday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
- Figure out the kids Science Fair Projects
- STEM Club Event Presentations for Family Night at School
- Prep for upcoming Spring Break
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
- Clean 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)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Sweep out my side of Garage)
- 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.
Don’t Let Yourself Become So Concerned With Raising A Good Kid…
Flashback Friday: Welcome Home Girls
Girls packed up and ready to leave the hospital NICU and go home for the first time!
Today’s Flashback Friday is the girls last day in NICU as they are bundled up and ready to come home. They spent about a month in the hospital NICU. The main reason they were there so long is that they were growing and learning how to suck and swallow. They weren’t as excited about coming home as we were, ha! By the time we got them bundled up in their carseats they were ready for a nap. Thankful for the amazing nurses, doctors, and people who helped us during our stay in NICU.
My parents and two youngest brothers were visiting the week that the girls came home from NICU. It was nice having the extra help around the house and with the girls. Thankful that we were able to get settled into home even if that meant we were on house arrest for the next few months. They were itty-bitty when they were born (Brina 4.9 and Karlie 3.15)!
Welcome Home sign hung up on the front porch with Dargo sitting on the porch waiting for us to come home.
First nap together in their crib – Brina on left and Karlie on the right!
Grandpa Russell and Brina taking a nap!
Uncle Josh rocking Karlie!
Uncle Lee feeding Karlie and Uncle Josh feeding Brina. It use to take them almost an hour to finish one small bottle with only 2 to 4 ounces in it. They have come a long way!
Grandma Penny helping with the girls!
Love It – Magformers Set
Brina loves creating things with the Magformers!
The girls got a Magformers Set for their birthday. Since then they have played with the set for hours. A bunch of time was spent playing with them during their recent snow days when they did not have school. I love it when they get a toy that promotes creativity.
Magformers are bright colorful magnetic toys that you can use to build all kinds of items with. The set we got contained squares, triangles, and pentagons. They are easy to use and the magnets are enclosed so they cannot be swallowed by younger kids. The pieces always attract, never repel, making it easy for anyone to stick two pieces together to build. The magformers stimulate creativity, engineering, spatial awareness, coordination, and mathematics. You can build pretty much anything you can image from balls, houses, pyramids, turtles, towers, and so much more. This toy has sparked our kids imaginations over the past month and they are still pulling it out to play with it regularly.
Big ball out of Magformers
Of course knocking it down is always a fun task to do too
Brina built all the items in the book first than started creating her own inventions. Love watching her read the directions and put things together. She was pretty quick at it!
Magformers creation
She has spent hours putting together different combinations and items with this set.
Proud of her creation
Making some little items
So much fun
House
Karlie loves playing with them too. She split her time between the magformers and reading some chapter books.
Myrtle the Turtle
Time to take this one apart and start on a new project
Having a blast
Neat creation
Fun toy
There are many different Magformers Sets that you can get. Amazon is a great place to look for them and you can read all the great reviews as well.
“Love It” is a series of posts on items that I use regularly in my household that I love! There are some items in our daily lives that make life more enjoyable, efficient, or just plain fun. I will be sharing with you some of the products that have been given to us (or to me) that have made it to the top of my list. It’s my way of giving a huge thumbs up!
Laughter is Timeless…
Rainbow Confetti Snowman
Introducing the kids snowman for 2015 – Rainbow Confetti! Shortly after this picture I was beamed with a snowball (can you guess from who?!) Look at the person in the picture holding a snowball waiting for me to snap the picture.
The last snow day we had the girls decided it was time to build a snowman. It was perfect packing snow so they got started. The only probably they had is the originally started the snowman ball at the bottom of the yard and rolled it uphill. It wasn’t until they reached the driveway did they realize that they were not going to make it into the front yard so they came inside requesting help. Between the three of us slip and sliding the big ball of snow across the driveway we managed to get it into the front yard.
It isn’t the most beautiful snowman with the leaves, sticks, and dirt sticking out of it, but for the most part it is one that was built primarily by the kids with only a little assistance getting it into the front yard. They did a great job and had a blast. They “painted” their snowman with a mix of water and food coloring in a spray bottle then named him “Rainbow Confetti”. Skipper was there to supervise the construction! I do have to say their snowman lasted for several days and was one of the last ones in our area to completely melt so they did a great job packing in the snow plus they built him under a tree so it was a little more shaded.
They would roll up more big snowballs and break them down next to the bottom of the snowman to build up a strong base. I think the “breaking” and jumping up and down on the balls of snow were the real fun, the snowman just had the benefit of all the extra snow around it.
Rainbow Confetti was a mix of random colors from red, yellow, green, and blue. They decided to use the fox hat. Rainbow Confetti’s face was made completely out of vegetables that the critters running through the yard could eat. Cherry tomato eyes, carrot nose, and an orange pepper mouth!
The kids colorful snowman. They did a great job!
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
Last week was super busy, but truly amazing at the same time. The girls and I were able to join Jake at his work conference in Orlando, Florida. While he was in his conference the girls and I bounced around town, explored, swam, went to the Disney Parks, and so much more. We had a blast and met people literally from around the world.
The kids were up at the break of dawn every day and were going strong until about midnight every evening. After Jake’s conference ended we had a couple days together as a family to spend time exploring. Thankful for our time together, the fun, memories, and the opportunity to go on the trip. With the altered schedule and long days I was not as consistent in writing down my blessings, but as I reflect back there are many things for which I am grateful for last 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 that we woke up on time (3:00 am) and made it safely to Orlando, Florida. Grateful for an opportunity to stretch our legs at Downtown Disney before heading to our hotel to check in and Jake start his first conference meetings.
Tuesday – Thankful that the girls and I were able to spend the entire day at Animal Kingdom. They did fantastic and we had a blast seeing all the animals, going on rides, safaris, watching the shows, and so much more.
Wednesday – Thankful for a chance to play miniature golf with the kids, even though we lost 3 balls and had crazy high scores, we had grand time. Grateful that the resort had several pools so we spent a good part of the day bouncing around from pool to pool, swimming, and splashing around with other kids at the resort.
Thursday – Thankful that I was able to spend the day at Magic Kingdom with the girls. Even more thankful that Jake was able to join us after lunch once his conference ended. It was great spending time together as a family and having fun!
Friday – Thankful for a day with the entire family at Epcot. The girls loved the rides, shows, and learning about the different countries around the world. Thankful for my brother’s family who watched the house and pets while we were awhile on our trip.
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!
