Raising Multiples

  • Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

    I just finished reading the book Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls.  They were a little confused when we first started this book because they expected the next book in the series to be about the little girl Laura and her family, not about a boy named Almanzo.  Although they were unsure about it at the beginning it only took a chapter to get them hooked and back into the series.

    Farmer Boy is book three of the set we are currently reading through with the girls.  The book introduces Almanzo, Laura’s future husband.  While Laura growing up in a little house on the prairie with her parents and two sisters Almanzo was living on a big farm in New York State with his parents, one brother, and two sisters.

    The book is written from Almanzo perspective and goes through many of the things he did as a boy from chopping wood, cutting ice, planting corn, raising a prize pumpkin, training his steers, and much more!  The girls found it fascinating reading about Almanzo’s days.   They especially liked that he was found of horses.

    If you are looking for a fun book to read to your kids (both boys and girls) or have your children read themselves this is a great book.  I know the girls will be going back and reading these books again on their own after we finish with the series.  They have really enjoyed this series and learning a little bit about how Almanzo grew up fueled their excitement even more!

     

  • Travel & Vacation: Kennedy Space Center (part 2)

    We got to hear, Bob Springer, an astronaut that has been in space more than once speak and take a picture with him afterward! The girls were very excited to meet someone who has actually gone into space!

    I shared a little bit about our trip to Kennedy Space Center earlier today.  Here is a little bit more about what we did during our adventure.  Thankful for the opportunity to spend some time in Florida, tour Kennedy Space Center, and spend some time catching up with our friends too.

    Live feed of them docking!  So neat to watch it before it is posted to the public.

    After talking with an astronaut for a few minutes the girls wanted a picture in front of the live feed so they took a seat on the edge of the stage.

    Two little chickies are ready in their 3D glasses for the NASA show!

    Pausing for a moment to relax while waiting for our food.  Karlie is processing it all and so THRILLED to be finally exploring Kennedy Space Center!

    Having a BLAST at Kennedy Space Center!

    Brina having fun and enjoying her Icee treat!

  • Travel & Vacation: Kennedy Space Center

    Karlie has had a fascination with anything space related for several years now.  She loves to talk about rockets, planets, astronauts, and more!  Back when the girls were in preschool (more than 3 years ago) she received a Chic-Fil-A Kids Meal from school and inside it was a coupon for Kennedy Space Center.  She asked if she could hang the coupon up on the refrigerator so maybe sometime when we go to Kennedy Space Center we can use it. The coupon was on the refrigerator for a long time (even after it expired).  We did get a great deal online for a food package while at Kennedy Space Center (buy one get one free coupon) which covered all our food and snacks for the day.

    A few months ago we made it to Kennedy Space Center.  I still remember the day we told her we got tickets and were going to Florida.  I think she jumped up and down, clapping, and giggling for several minutes.  She was over joyed and immediately counting down the days until we would leave for Florida.

    Our whole family had a blast exploring Kennedy Space Center.  It was really neat to see all the history and learn so much about space, rockets, and everything else we could soak in that day.  We arrived at Kennedy Space Center a few minutes before it opened and left as they were closing the gates.  It was a neat experience!

    We are getting closer!

    Starting to see some cool  stuff – United States Astronaut Hall of Fame

    Karlie is on-the- edge-of-her-seat excited her dream to visit Kennedy Space Center is coming true!

    We made it!

    Daddy and girls strolling on into Kennedy Space Center, so cute seeing the girls excited and holding hands.



    They look so tiny next to the base of this rocket!

    Daddy and the girls trying it out!

    Karlie is soooo excited and has looked forward to going to Kennedy Space Center for YEARS!

    Sweet Brina had a grand time.  Even though rockets are more of Karlie’s love she had a lot of fun exploring the area with us.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week was more like our normal again after the Holidays, surgery, and everything else.  🙂  I had a lot of items on my list and was able to get a good bit done, but this week is jammed packed with a whole bunch of stuff going on that really must be done.  I am hoping to continue making steps in the right direction.  Jake had to travel to Ohio last week, so we are glad to have him back with us again.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls  – finished reading it to the girls, they LOVED it!
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    4. Attend After School Activities – last week some of these got canceled because the teacher was sick
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    6. Finish going over our 2013 goals – Jake has been so busy with work and everything else we haven’t been able to complete this one yet
    7. Doctor Appointments

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Start with my new YouVersion plan(s) – going through 2 separate plans currently
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp – this one got put on hold for the week with everything going on

    Home 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. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
    3. Email a meeting notes from Alms & Legs Ministry Team meeting

    Financial Goals

    1. For my January Grocery Budget I am replacing my typical Groceries $40 for 4 with my Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping in order to use up some extra items in my fridge, freezer, and pantry.
    2. Payoff the Van – made a payment and thrilled to see it decreasing
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – this one’s going a lot slower, but we’re making some headway

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls – we just finished Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder so I tried to get them to switch to another book to change it up a little bit, but they insisted that they REALLY wanted to continue with this series! 🙂
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    4. Attend After School Activities
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    6. Finish going over our 2013 goals
    7. Doctor Appointments

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Start with my new YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
    5. Finish reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan- going through this book with a group of friends

    Home 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. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
    3. Email a meeting notes from Alms & Legs Ministry Team meeting

    Financial Goals

    1. For my January Grocery Budget I am replacing my typical Groceries $40 for 4 with my Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping in order to use up some extra items in my fridge, freezer, and pantry.
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses

    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.

  • Roper Mountain Science Center – Animals and Activities

    Wow!  Look at all those tiny legs on this one!

    Our girls love any trips we take to Roper Mountain Science Center!  There is so much to see, learn, and explore.  Whenever possible we try to go to their second Saturday events because they are a big hit with our kids.  The second Saturday events have a theme and the kids can do anything from holding animals, crafts, participate in events, and much more.  They have everything from animals, ocean life, space activities, farming, cultural events, and more!  I have even learned a few new facts about history, animals, and space too.  🙂

    Karlie holding a snake

    Jake holding the snake.  I am not a big fan of snakes so I was okay with not holding this snake, although I did touch it briefly…very briefly!

    Look at this cool guy!

    Yes, that is a huge spider that she is holding in both her hands!  A tarantula actually!

    Brina holding a box turtle

    Karlie wanted to hold the box turtle too

    Super soft……Chinchilla!

    Is it a baby pig, baby squirrel, or baby chipmunk Brina is holding????  None of those,  it is actually baby mouse (the mouse is only 1 day old)!

  • Travel & Vacation: Parks Near Charleston We Love! (part 2)

    Karlie is our water bug. She is having a blast!

    One of the girls favorite places to visit is Charleston.  We have enjoyed finding a lot of neat parks near Charleston.  Several of the parks we found while others were recommended to us by friends and people we met along the way.  It is always an adventure hanging out with the chickies at the parks.  They have a blast and love getting a chance to play, splash around, and explore!

    Playing in the water at the park

    A soaked Brina on the run and heading straight for me!

    Chatting while Brina holds back a fountain sprayer and Karlie relaxes for a few minutes on the fence

    Two little monkeys climbing on the tube slide at the park

    Brina loves spinning in these red cups! Makes me almost sick and dizzy just watching them!

  • Travel & Vacation: Parks Near Charleston We Love!

    Hanging out at Mount Pleasant. Notice the huge bridge above them, the girls always enjoy coming to Waterfront Park.

     

    Relaxing for a few minutes

    Silly Sisters

    If you are looking for a great spot to fish near Charleston you can go on the pier of Mt Pleasant next to Waterfront Park.  The girls always enjoy seeing pictures of the fish then walking down the pier checking out all the fish the people have caught that day.

    Swinging on the pier

  • Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings (Week 4)

    We had a blast playing the 5 Second Rule game by Patch with extended family today!

    We just finished our fourth and final short week of  25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. (Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises).   It was a really busy week and I didn’t have as much time to take pictures (and a couple of the ones I took didn’t turn out).  It has been an awesome doing the daily activities and finding ways to be a blessing to those we meet.  Seriously, I feel like we walk away from an activity feeling more blessed then we did going into it because it is so much fun bringing cheer to the people around us.   What a joy it has been participating in intentional acts of kindness during the Holiday Season.

    In some cases we get to see who receives our B.L.E.S.S. gift and in other cases we will never know who is on the receiving end.  We pray that whoever receives or finds these gifts will experience joy during this Holiday Season.  Each night we take down the B.L.E.S.S. activity for the next day and read the verse and the activity then pray for those who have and will receive our little BLESS’ings.  Throughout the week we also try to find additional ways to brighten people’s days so sometimes we do multiply activities during the day.

    Our B.L.E.S.S. Activity Adventures:

    • Day 22 – went to the store to purchase a couple items for Christmas Dinner.  Spent some time talking with the cashier and person bagging our groceries, including asking them about their families and Christmas plans.   She thanked us for waiting to check out and for asking about her family.
    • Day 23 – went to church with the family and ran a few errands afterward.  We were able to run in and pick up a couple things we needed, but towards the end of our errands Jake got a phone call from work and had to head home to handle some work issues.  Every where we went we made a point to smile at everyone we met and ask them how they are doing.  A smile and kindness will go a long way during a busy day.
    • Day 24 – was able to spend some time with extended family today.  We ate a delicious dinner, played, and had the kids exchange gifts.  Thankful for our family and the opportunity to spend time together.  Sometimes the best gift or blessing you can give to others is the gift of time. 

    Shortbread cookies ready to go into the oven!

    • Day 25 – Enjoyed some time with my family.  I actually didn’t go out at all on Christmas Day so today I decided to make a special treat for my sweet, hardworking, kind, loving husband. I am thankful for him and all he does for our family.  He is my best friend and I always love my time with him.   I made him one of his favorite Christmas cookies – shortbread (with sprinkles on top)!  🙂

    It has been a lot of fun working on ways we can be a blessing to others.  This verse talked about “humility” which can be difficult at times because sometimes we want people to notice us.  We talked about why it is important to demonstrate humility.  One of the ways we decide to practice humility was by leaving gifts anonymously if we don’t know who was on the receiving end of the B.L.E.S.S. it is a lot easier to not be proud.  We all agree that leaving “surprise” gifts are one of our favorite activities because we completely leave-it-up-to-God to choose the person to get the blessing.

    It is fun be to be a blessing to others not because we anticipate any rewards or benefits from it, but because we were given the greatest gift of all.  God’s love, grace, and mercy.  He wants us to give cheerfully from the heart.

    I am super excited to see how great this B.L.E.S.S. activity is going already.  It has been a true joy sharing with others (many of whom we’ll never meet).  It has been a great experience and I look forward to seeing what will happen with our fun adventures this week.

    The main purpose of this activity is to teach our family the joy of giving and sharing to those around us.  I plan to do another update on our fun B.L.E.S.S. adventures next week.  Sometimes it’s the little stuff that can make the most positive impact.  I would love to hear how you are spreading the Christmas cheer this Holiday Season.

    To learn more about our 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activity and what we have done far check out the links below:

    Below are the printable versions of the  25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities, verses, and sheets to handout so here they are for your family to enjoy as well:

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    So thankful for my family.  We decided to celebrate our Christmas over the weekend since Jake had off and could spend more time with us.  He did get a few calls, emails, but the girls were great and were willing to take a break to play, read a book, or help make a snack whenever he had to get away for a few minutes.  Thankfully he was able to do everything he needed from home and didn’t have to go into the office.

    With the girls being out of school and the Christmas Holiday this week I am taking the time to really focus on spending time with my family.  While my goals are still important and I will be doing a lot of them throughout the week my highest priority is my family.  I love having the kids out of school so we can do more together.   It is really important that I give the kids (and husband) my attention and create memories so it will be quieter this week on the blog.  I will be back to my regular goal updates  and posts soon!

    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.

  • Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings (Week 3)

    Gifts for the girls teachers

    We are into our third week of  25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. (Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises).   It has been an awesome doing the daily activities and finding ways to be a blessing to those we meet.  Seriously, I feel like we walk away from an activity feeling more blessed then we did going into it because it is so much fun bringing cheer to the people around us.   What a joy it has been participating in intentional acts of kindness during the Holiday Season.

    In some cases we get to see who receives our B.L.E.S.S. gift and in other cases we will never know who is on the receiving end.  We pray that whoever receives or finds these gifts will experience joy during this Holiday Season.  Each night we take down the B.L.E.S.S. activity for the next day and read the verse and the activity then pray for those who have and will receive our little BLESS’ings.  Throughout the week we also try to find additional ways to brighten people’s days so sometimes we do multiply activities during the day.

    Karlie wanted to leave her dollar and card inside the candle holder box at the store.

    Here is what we have done so far and a couple pictures to share of our adventures:

    While the little one was taking a nap the older 3 cousins did their Gingerbread and Christmas Tree Craft together

    • Day 15 – Spent time watching my two nephews while my brother worked and my sister-in-law had Christmas program practice at our church.  The girls had a blast with the boys.  We played cars, built with legos, did a craft, ate a snack, and more fun stuff during the morning they were with us.  The girls played really well and were very willing to help their cousin start to get the peels off the stickers.

    Gingerbread men goody bags to hand out to classmates

    • Day 16 – We picked  up and put together items for the girls school Christmas Party.  They will share these goodies with their classmates.  Both were very excited to share with their friends.  Some of the items they picked up were cookies, cupcakes, grapes, carrots, pencils, stencils, twizzlers, stickers, balls, and a couple other some things.

    As we were sticking a deposit in our banks night drop box with left a note and candy cane for the next person!

    • Day 17 – Since we had a make a trip to the bank on the way home from another activity we decided to spread a little cheer by sticking a note and candy cane on the night drop box to be a blessing to the next person who drove through.

    Brina placed her dollar to share in the craft section at Dollar Tree

    • Day 18 –The girls went with me for a quick trip to Dollar Tree.  On the way to the store we discussed our B.L.E.S.S. activity and prayed that it would be an encouragement to someone today.  Brina chose to leave her dollar in the craft section at Dollar Tree.  Karlie’s location surprised me a little more, she wanted to leave it in the candle section so an adult would find it.   She also decided that it would be best to leave the dollar folded so the person that found it would see the note and know that it is ok to take the dollar.

    Left a note and candy cane on the pump at the gas station

    • Day 19 –The girls and I were filling up with gas earlier this week.  They decided it would be a great place to leave a candy cane surprise for someone else.  So we taped a note and candy cane to the pump.  As we were pulling out of the gas station both girls and I each prayed that God would lead the perfect person to it when they went to fill up with gas.   (a neat side story…..the person who received the note, Mary, contacted us to say “thank you”!  What a blessing it was to find out that we were able to brighten her day!)

    Christmas goodies packed up in the box for the teacher (a picture of the outside of the boxes is at the beginning of the post)

    • Day 20 – We wrapped up some goodies to give to the teachers for Christmas.  The girls picked out some of the items they wanted to give their teachers.  They gave Hand Sanitizer, Clorox Wipes, a box of Kleenex, Glue Sticks, Fresh Citrus Christmas Potpourri, and a Christmas Card with a photo.

    Left a Christmas Card and a bundle of Fresh Citrus Christmas Potpourri for our mailman

    • Day 21 – We left a Christmas Card and gift for our mailman.  He always delivers our mail with a smile.  Whenever he has a package to bring to the front porch asks how the kids are doing and stops to pet Skipper.  We’ve had the same mailman since we moved here over 10 years ago so he has delivered a lot of items to our house!   We are thankful for the people we have gotten to know a little better over the years. 

    One of our favorite verses this week went along with our Day 17 activity.

    With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.   – Ephesians 4:2

    It has been a lot of fun working on ways we can be a blessing to others.  This verse talked about “humility” which can be difficult at times because sometimes we want people to notice us.  We talked about why it is important to demonstrate humility.  One of the ways we decide to practice humility was by leaving gifts anonymously if we don’t know who was on the receiving end of the B.L.E.S.S. it is a lot easier to not be proud.  We all agree that leaving “surprise” gifts are one of our favorite activities because we completely leave-it-up-to-God to choose the person to get the blessing.

    Twizzlers and pencils are ready to be packed for the girls class party!

    It is fun be to be a blessing to others not because we anticipate any rewards or benefits from it, but because we were given the greatest gift of all.  God’s love, grace, and mercy.  He wants us to give cheerfully from the heart.

    I am super excited to see how great this B.L.E.S.S. activity is going already.  It has been a true joy sharing with others (many of whom we’ll never meet).  It has been a great experience and I look forward to seeing what will happen with our fun adventures this week.

    The main purpose of this activity is to teach our family the joy of giving and sharing to those around us.  I plan to do another update on our fun B.L.E.S.S. adventures next week.  Sometimes it’s the little stuff that can make the most positive impact.  I would love to hear how you are spreading the Christmas cheer this Holiday Season.

    To learn more about our 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activity and what we have done far check out the links below:

    Below are the printable versions of the  25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities, verses, and sheets to handout so here they are for your family to enjoy as well: