Memories
Airports & Transportation: Charlotte International Airport – CLT (Charlotte, NC)
Our family LOVES traveling!!! We especially enjoy it if we are able to get a reasonable priced flight out of the nearest airport, Greenville, SC (GSP). If we cannot get a flight out of Greenville then Charlotte International Airport CLT is our next airport of choice. Charlotte is not too far from Greenville and often has great tickets. We try to always leave a little bit earlier than we anticipate because with traffic and the occasional rain shower it can slow you down. Plus we typically park in the long term parking and catch the shuttle to the airport so that takes a little more time then a quick drop off at the airport.
On our last two big trips we flew out of Charlotte International Airport CLT. One of our trips was up to New England and the Midwest and our most recent trip from Charlotte was to Anchorage, Alaska. Brina and Karlie went to their last day of their Robotics and Software Computer Game Programming Camp at the Roper Mountain Science Camp while Jake and I tackled the last few items we needed to get done at work. I came home from work, picked up Jake, and then we picked up the girls from camp on our way to the airport. Traffic was pretty good and we only had a few sprinkles of rain on the way to Charlotte so we made good time, despite our unscheduled potty break stop a couple exits before the airport. Jake was able to wrap up more work items and a couple calls on the way to the airport as I drove.
We quickly found out that the Charlotte airport can be a little busy on Friday afternoons and evenings. It took us longer than normal to find a parking spot in long term parking. We were beginning to think the lot was completely full, but we found one eventually near the end of the lot. Once we found a spot to park and got all our luggage out of the van we immediately made our way to the canopy to wait for the next bus to arrive. Thankfully they have a bus pick up people every few minutes. The first bus that arrived at our canopy location was completely full so we had to wait for the next bus which we could see coming down the road. They had a bus probably every 2 to 6 minutes going through the parking lot.
The long term parking bus drops you off at the basement level and directly across the walkway from the check in counters. Once you get into the airport you’ll need to take either the escalators, stairs, or elevator up to the 2nd floor to check into your airline and drop off your luggage.
We’ve had great experience even during the busier times of getting through the check-in lines fairly quickly and smoothly. You can go through any of the TSA check points because all the terminals merge immediately after the check points. We typically pick the TSA line with the shortest line or one with the most open lines at the time. As long as you follow the TSA guidelines (take off your shoes if over 12 years old, no liquids, etc….) you should get through pretty quickly. The terminals are well marked and easy to get to as well. If you are looking for a snack, drink, or restrooms they have a number of options and locations just outside the main terminals as well as along the terminals.
It can get crowded at times, but we’ve always had good luck flying out of Charlotte. The employees are friendly, professional, and do their best to get you on and off your plane in a timely manner. They do not have any control over the weather, but otherwise we’ve had no issues. Thankfully this flight was the same. Quick, easy, and on time! Thank you CLT!
Happy First Day of School Brina & Karlie
Happy 1st Day of 6th Grade to my sweet girls! New school year, new school, new teachers, new administration, new schedules, new start to the next chapter in my baby girls lives! Jake and I both took the girls to school on their first day. It felt weird driving by their old elementary school on the way to their new middle school. They were welcomed at school by cheers. They had a great first day!
It was a lot of information and teachers to go over that first day, but they did amazing! They are in different classes, however, some of their teachers are the same and others are different. They are taking different electives too and have no classes the same. The only time they see each other during the school day is walking into school, in the hallways, at lunch, and after school. Karlie has orchestra and a STEAM elective class while Brina has physical education and Keyboarding for her two electives this 9 weeks or a semester depending on the class. Thankful for a good first day!It was a whirlwind of a first day with us dropping them off at school, heading home to get Jake’s suitcase into his car so he can travel for work, and them I was off to work as well. We didn’t snap a picture of them that first morning of school as we were moving quickly to get out the door on time. Everyone was a little sluggish and the girls were wanting to get out the door instead of snapping pictures! Kind of bummed I didn’t make them do it….oh well.
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!
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
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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 great week with my family. We had some good fun together while accomplishing a lot of little, but much needed tasks around the house and yard. The girls have been enjoying their summer adventures too! Love hearing about their days and what they have been learning at camp and the adventures they are enjoying. Thankful for an opportunity to have an extra day with my family over the July 4th Holiday.
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 great July 4th Holiday to celebrate our country, time with my family, and a chance to have an extra day at home to get some items done!
Tuesday – Thankful that Jake took the girls into summer camp so I could get into work earlier. Also, grateful that I was able to get off work at lunch to pick up the girls and spend the afternoon with them. We had a lot of fun hanging out together.
Wednesday – Thankful for Jake and the girls help getting some items done around the house.
Thursday – Thankful for an opportunity to spend extra time with extended family. It wasn’t on the schedule until last night, but my Grandma Willa was in town visiting so we had an impromptu dinner with Grandma, my brother & his family, Aunt Pat, and my cousins and their families. We had a great meal, the kids played well, and a good time of catching up. Grateful for an opportunity to see family.
Friday – Thankful for the girls summer camp and the adventures that they have been able to enjoy this summer. They met a lot of neat people this week and was able to get in a lot of biking time (also the importance of staying hydrated on hot summer days in South Carolina). Both girls were grateful for the camel backs this week.
Saturday – Thankful for some time to catch up on projects around the house and yard. Grateful for Jake and all he does for our family.
Sunday – Thankful for the freedom to worship and fellowship with other believers.
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 wonderful starting last week off with a Holiday! We were able to get some extra items done around the house and spend some time together as a family. Having the holiday on a Monday did through off our week a little bit, but we adjusted just fine! We had a spontaneous dinner and gathering midweek with extended family which was a lot of fun too! The girls had fun at bike camp while Jake and I tackled projects at work. We’ve been busy working through a lot of items and project around the house as well. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Finish reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein to the kids.– finished reading it, the girls loved it!
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
-
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 control
Kid Goals
Have kids do work in their Summer Workbook(s)Encourage Kids to read independently at least 30 minutes a dayHave kids work on our approved educational websites to encourage growth (at least 2 hours for the week)Have kids work for at least 1 hour on this week on improving their typing skillsEach 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
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayKeep up with my FitBit Goals- Do yoga at least 5 times a week – not so great on this one, got out of my regular routine
Go 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 day – it took more than 1 day with everything going on this week
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the weekClean House (Focus – Clean Living Room)Organize Chaos (Focus – Label & Hang Up Kids Necklaces)Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Pick up Sticks found in the yard from the past couple of storms)Pet Care (Focus – Work of the Goat & Dog Fences)- Repairs – (Focus – Check on Water Heater Recall Notice we received) – haven’t been able to do this one yet
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attention- Work completed for clients – need to wrap up one more
- Notes typed for work – need to update with new information
- Meeting regarding work goals and upcoming tasks completed – update and review
- Folders Labeled for work – working on it
- Training on new projects – making progress
- Desk drawers organized – getting it there
Do at least 5 blog posts this weekCatch up on Hootesuite- Upload pictures from last few weeks and update – have more of them completed
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
- Schedule a meeting with the Financial Advisor – narrowing down the schedules
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – working on it
Pay Bills & File Paperwork- Go grocery shopping one time this week and stay within budget – went more than once with the impromptu family dinner with 17 people on Thursday night! 🙂
- Sell, giveaway, donate, or through away items no longer use – making good progress, but still have a ways to go
Take 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
- Attend After Work Activities
- Lunch Boxes packed the night before work & other planned activities
- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)
- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
- Work on family projects together
- Daily 15 minute “Speed Clean” for entire family to keep the daily clutter under control
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)
- Have kids work for at least 1 hour on this week on improving their typing skills
- Each kid finish creating at least 2 blogs posts for their Fun with Sis blog
- Spend time Monday –Friday encouraging the kids to find creative ways to learn and grown their skills
- At least 30 minutes of outside play, fresh air, or activity time a day
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Keep up with my FitBit Goals
- Do yoga at least 5 times a week
- Go to my Appointments Scheduled this week
- Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
- Tackle some lingering projects on my “to do” list
- Read over the kids blog posts
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 – Family Room)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Laundry Room)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Blow off deck, sidewalk, & driveway)
- Pet Care (Focus – Refill Goat & Dog Food)
- Repairs – (Focus – Check on Water Heater Recall Notice we received)
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
- Notes typed for work
- Meeting regarding work goals and upcoming tasks completed
- Folders Labeled for work
- Training on new projects
- Desk drawers organized
- Do at least 5 blog posts this week
- Catch up on Hootesuite
- Upload pictures from last few weeks and update
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
- One-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
- Schedule a meeting with the Financial Advisor
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time this week and stay within budget
- Sell, giveaway, donate, or through away items no longer use
- Take items to the recycling distributor
- Make meals with items from pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to use up what we have and eliminate any extra spending
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
What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say?
Our fortunes!
Recently we had Chinese food and the following were our fortunes from the meal:
- Jake – “You will be traveling to distant lands for business purposes” (He travels a lot of places for work!)
- Bridgette – “You will travel to many exotic places in the next few years.” (I LOVE to travel. I have already been to many amazing places over the years and I cannot wait to see more of the world. Plus, sometimes I get to travel with Jake when he goes on work trips. Maybe our fortunes were suppose to be together, sounds like more fun for me though! 🙂 Already looking forward to these exotic places we are going to together!)
- Brina – “You have a flair for adding fanciful dimension to any story.” (She is definitely the more fancy of the two kids!)
- Karlie – “You will soon be involved in many gatherings and parties.” (I am curious about what she’s going to be doing!)
It was a fun evening of relaxing with the family, eating Chinese food, and laughing about silly fortunes. We have so much to be thankful for in our lives. We are richly blessed and take many things for granted every day. Let’s treasure the time with have with our friends, families, and those around us. It is not impossible to run into people that you know even if you are across the world. Our lives leave an imprint of each person we interact with whether it is only once or many times! Make each moment count for good!
My Newest Friend & Pet: Meet “Bubbles the 3rd”
Bubbles 3 now comfortably at home in my kitchen!
Jake came home from doing errands one day and this little guy was there to greet me. The first pet we ever had as a married couple was a red and blue beta fish named “Bubbles”. He hung out on the counter top in the kitchen at our apartment. We have not had a beta fish for a long time because we have other tanks and they are the type of fish that really need their own space and tank.
I am a big fan of animals and little critters, however, I don’t enjoy the maintenance part of fish tanks. Thankfully Jake handles that piece for me. I make sure Bubbles is fed and entertained, but otherwise Jake does any tank cleaning. Yes, I have conversations with my fish while cleaning or cooking in the kitchen! He is hard to get a picture of because he is either hiding or won’t stop moving. He is a beautiful red and blue long fin beta. Bubble the 3rd has even learned my tap means “time to eat”! Bubbles is the only pet that I get to feed consistently, the girls all feed and care for the all the other pets in the family. Bubbles is my cooking and cleaning buddy when Jake and the girls are not home or around!
