Raising Multiples

  • Travel & Vacation: Dinoland at Animal Kingdom (Orlando, FL)

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    Triceratop Spin

    The girls convinced me to go on the Triceratop Spin in the Dinoland section at Animal Kingdom.  They know I don’t handle spinning rides well which they thought it was funny.  The ride wasn’t too bad and since the wait was less than 8 minutes we did it twice back to back.  Dinoland also has other rides, a bone yard, huge jungle gym, carnival games (although some of the carnival games require additional payment), shops, restaurants, Wilderness Explorer stops and more!

    We had a blast in Dinoland and explored as much as time would allow before heading to the next section.  While we were at Dinoland it did sprinkle a little but not enough to get out the ponchos or get us wet so we journeyed on.  It was the only day we had any rain so we were very fortunate.

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    Checking behind them to make sure I had my seat belt on.  Karlie ended up coming back with me before the ride started so she could run the controller!

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    In the triceratop ride the front seat controls whether your dinosaur goes up and down.  The back seat controls whether you are tilting forward or backwards.  We had to ride the ride twice so both girls could try each controller.

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    Having a blast and checking to see if I was getting dizzy yet!

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     Big dinosaur!

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    Pausing on the jungle gym for a brief picture.  They had fun exploring the jungle gym and I got to sit down for a few minutes while they played.  Nice place for the parents to catch a breathier plus the area is fully enclosed so the kids (which helps even more for the younger ones) are more contained.

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    Exploring together!

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     Sitting on a dinosaur bone as we talk about where to go next!

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    Huge dinosaur bridge that led over to the Bone Yard

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     Hanging out on the bridge!

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    Digging for dinosaur bones.  She found one.  Loved that this area didn’t have the little grains of sands, but more like small pebbles.  It was much easier to clean off the kids.

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    Finding another perfect spot to dig!

  • Travel & Vacation: Amazing Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom (Orlando, FL)

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    Brina ready to head out on the Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom

    The fast passes were gone for the Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom before we decided which day we would be going to the park which is a sign that this is a popular activity.  We waited in line for about an hour to go on the safari, but it was very worth it.  This is the longest we had to wait for any activity while at Animal Kingdom.  During this safari we were able to see real animals in their natural habitats during the expedition through the Safari.

    We got to ride out to the safari where many animals were living in the wild.   We went through mud, standing water, on “shaky” bridges, and more while seeing animals at every turn.  Many of these animals I would not want to meet out in the jungle, however, the animals in this jungle looked well fed, peaceful, and relaxed.  It was a wonderful experience.  The kids LOVED this and rated the Safari as one of their favorite activities while at Animal Kingdom.  If you are ever at Animal Kingdom don’t miss this activity if you like seeing a lot of wild animals fairly close!

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    Karlie on the lookout for animals!

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    An okapi which is half zebra and half giraffe!

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    Hippo sunning itself on the bank by the water.

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    A group of hippo hanging out in the water.

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    Beautiful scenery!

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    That’s a lot of alligators in one spot!

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    Thankfully that big guy is heading that  direction and not our way!

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    Life is rough!

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    Very tall termite mound!  Surprised at how many of these were around in a variety of different sizes and shapes.

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    Giraffes nibbling on the tree!

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    Grazing!

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    Friendly elephant!

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    The elephants were covering themselves with mud to keep from getting sunburned.

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    A cluster of elephants rooming around.

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    The upside down tree (looks like the roots are growing out of the top).

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    Pink flamingos hanging out around the water.

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    Rhinos munching on hay!

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    Had to stop our drive through the grasslands when a rhino decided to cross the road in front of us.

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    Meandering along!

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    A gathering of rhinos helping themselves to some delicious rhino snacks.

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    Cheetah napping in the shade.

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    Lion sleeping in the cool rocks.

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    Zebras munching on the grass.

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    Warthogs resting

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    Ostrich eggs?

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    Zebras were pretty!

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    The animals were so peaceful!

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    Relaxing!

  • Travel & Vacation: Kids Wilderness Explorers Program at Animal Kingdom (Orlando, FL)

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     Learning about the Wilderness Explorers program!

    While at Animal Kingdom the girls participated in their Wilderness Explorers program.  It was a great having a chance to stop at the various stations throughout Animal Kingdom, get a sticker, and learn about a variety of educational animal topics.  They quickly figured out that they just needed to look out for workers wearing the Wilderness Explorer uniforms (brown, tan, and orange).  They wore the orange bags with stickers.  In order to get their sticker for that activity they had to participate in an activity and / or listen to a presentation.

    It was fun and educational.  The only thing that we had problem we had was occasionally with missed a sticker because we couldn’t find the worker.  This is a wonderful program especially for kids who can read or enjoy learning about various animal educational items.  You can get a Wilderness Explorer book, your first sticker, an explanation, and a Wilderness cheer.

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     Looking through their Wilderness Explorer books to check where we need to go next.

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    Learning about a variety of animal sounds!

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    Standing in front of the Tree of Life looking through their Wilderness Explorer packets!

  • Travel & Vacation: Welcome to Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Orlando, FL)

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    A day at Animal Kingdom with these two chickies!

    The girls and I went to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, FL recently while Jake was at a conference!  They were very excited to check out all the animals in the park.  We packed in a full day at Animal Kingdom.  We arrived early and were one of the last few to leave at closing.  The crazy thing is we still didn’t get to everything we wanted to do, but we definitely did a lot.  It was a great day with my girls.  Both girls LOVED it, but Animal Kingdom was probably Brina’s favorite place to visit (which isn’t a big surprise for those who know her).

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     Pretty bird….was the first comment I heard from the girls as we entered the park.

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    A pair of beautiful birds perched on the branch.

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    Having a blast!

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    A Wallaby eating its morning treat.  At first we thought it was a kangaroo until further investigation.  Must be in the same family though because there are similarities.

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    Karlie and Brina in front of a gorgeous waterfall in Animal Kingdom.

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    Starting to get more crowded.  The tree in back is the “Tree of Life” and has over 300 animal figured carved into it.  Very fascinating to see up close.

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    Hanging out in line.  They were troopers even in the longer lines.  We took the time to get something to eat and drink whenever we spent a decent amount of time standing in lines.  Thankfully, it wasn’t the busiest season so at Animal Kingdom the longest line we waited in was the Kilimanjaro Safari for an hour in the Africa section which was well worth the wait (I will be sharing more about that safari in a later post).

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     Big black fish swimming right beside us.

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     Going through the waterfall as we head into the Tree of Life for the “It’s Tough Being a Bug” Show!

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    Bug Eyes!!!  They are ready for the show!  Such a great show and one of their favorites for the day.  Wish we had time to do it again!

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     Africa was one of their favorite places to visit while in Animal Kingdom.  It had great music, the  Kilimanjaro Safari tour, Lion King, and more fun activities to do.

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    Musical entertainment shortly after entering the gates into the Africa section.  They had people playing on and off all day.  Fun upbeat music.

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     Karlie trying out her musical talent!

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     Brina going all out!

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     Swinging around on their jungle gym!

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    Another one taking a rest!

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     Rodrigues Fruit Bats hanging around at Animal Kingdom.  Wonder what they eat….if you guessed fruit you are correct.  All the ones in the section we visited were male.  Did you know that their bat wings are made out of similar material that our eyelids are made out of?  They were fascinating to watch!

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    Beautiful tiger lounging peaceful and keeping a watchful eye on the visitors.

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     This tiger was literally on the other side of the glass from us.  It’s fur looked so soft, not sure it would have been a good idea to pet the big cat though!

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     Deer enjoying a rest in the shade.

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     Love the colors on this feathered friend.

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    Mesmerized by all the activity above them!

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     So much fun.  They were on the go and soaking all the cool animal sights in throughout the day.

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    Mount Everest at Animal Kingdom.  The mountain is the host for the Expedition Everest roller coaster.  We all agreed that it was probably a little more than we wanted to do, but it was super cool to watch!

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    They had a blast!  Waiting for the bus to take us back to the resort.  Thankful for an chance to spend the day with the kids at Animal Kingdom and all the fun memories as well as activities we did that day!

  • Travel & Vacation: Downtown Disney (Orlando, FL)

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    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.

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    Mickey Mouse! Made out of greenery!

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    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!

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    Jake and the girls standing next to another lego display!

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    This dragon was actually partly in the water!  Very neat!

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    Snow White and the 7 dwarfs working around the mine.

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    Outside of the T-REX Restaurant

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    Inside the T-Rex Restaurant and gift shop!

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    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.

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    Hotel with a flower Mickey Mouse across the water from Downtown Disney.

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    Look out for that alligator!  It actually comes out closer to you and opens it’s mouth much to the fascination of the kids.

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    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)!

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    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!

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    Learning more about this pretty white bird.

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    Frozen!  Thankfully, it was a warm sunny day for us!

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    Karlie and Brina near the Disney Christmas shop!

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    Having fun in Downtown Disney!

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    Three shirts with familiar faces on them!

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    Had to sit on the bench next to Pooh, Tigger, and Piglet!

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    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.

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    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!

  • Flashback Friday: Welcome Home Girls

    Welcome Home Brina and Karlie from Hospital Flashback 2005

    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)!

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    Welcome Home sign hung up on the front porch with Dargo sitting on the porch waiting for us to come home.

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    First nap together in their crib – Brina on left and Karlie on the right!

    Grandpa Russell Snuggling with Brinac

    Grandpa Russell and Brina taking a nap!

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    Uncle Josh rocking Karlie!

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    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!

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    Grandma Penny helping with the girls!

  • Love It – Magformers Set

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    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.

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    Big ball out of Magformers

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    Of course knocking it down is always a fun task to do too

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    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!

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    Magformers creation

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    She has spent hours putting together different combinations and items with this set.

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    Proud of her creation

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    Making some little items

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    So much fun

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    House

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    Karlie loves playing with them too.  She split her time between the magformers and reading some chapter books.

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    Myrtle the Turtle

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    Time to take this one apart and start on a new project

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    Having a blast

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    Neat creation

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    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!

  • Rainbow Confetti Snowman

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    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.

    Snow, Winter, Snowman, Outside, Animals, Snow Art, Colorful Snow, Animals, goats, Dog,

    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.

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    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!

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    The kids colorful snowman.  They did a great job!

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week our family had the privilege to go to Orlando, Florida with Jake.  He had a work conference and the girls and I got to spend some time exploring the area.  We found a lot of great activities to keep us busy while Jake was working.  Once Jake’s conference was over he was able to spend the rest of the week with us.  We had a blast going to the Disney parks and doing other fun activities while in Orlando.  The week went by really quickly and we packed a lot into the week.   We created a lot of great memories during our stay.  Now that we are back into the normal work and school schedule we have a lot to get done around home.   Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids – last week we didn’t read much with all the other activities going on in Florida
    2. Plan one special activity with the familywe went to Orlando and explored some of the Disney parks, the kids loved it!
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter & Spring Events (Spring is just around the corner)
    5. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure – our Orlando adventure went really well, was a hit, and we created some family memories
    6. Spend Extra Time with the Familyspent time together in Orlando and Jake joined us after his conference ended

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each daydrink a lot as it was up to 90 plus degrees a couple days we were in FL
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – my phone was burning through the battery so I didn’t listen during last week, but was already caught up before leaving on the trip thankfully

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the weekthe kids and I made and ate our dinners at the hotel while Jake was at the conference and he joined after the conference had ended.  The hotpot worked really well for easy prep items. 
    3. Clean House (Focus – Basic House Clean Up)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts – some ideas were bouncing around, but for the most part I enjoyed my time with the kids
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – some items got pushed back but hoping to get back up to speed this week

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Pay Bills & File Paperwork

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
    9. Get the kids caught back up with Homework from missing school last week while in Florida
    10. Prep for upcoming State STEM Competition
    11. Prep for upcoming Spring Break
    12. Take kids to Eye Dr and Dentist for regular Cleaning

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
    4. Clean House (Focus – Extra Laundry Done from Traveling)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Unpack All Suitcases and Put Items Away from Florida Trip)
    6. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Out the Van from the Florida Trip)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Hay for the Goats)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Medical Bills
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. 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.