Raising Multiples
Family Outings: Ice Skating
Karlie and Brina ice skating for the first time with Daddy!
There is a local ice skating rink in our town that is open all year. The first time the girls went ice skating was for a friends birthday party and they had a blast! Even though ice skating traditionally is a “winter” sport it is a wonderful way to spend a couple hours cooling off during the heat of the summer too! If you look around you can often find tickets to your local ice skating rink as well. Who knows you may even run into a friend or two (we have) which makes it even more fun!
Here are some pictures from another fun ice skating adventure!
Brina skating backwards?! No just turning around to look at Mommy
Karlie getting around on her own….with a little help from the wall!
Daddy pushing his girls around the ice skating rink
Daddy and Brina skating
Mommy pushing Karlie around the ice rink!
Family Activities: Roller Blade Fun in the Basement
Karlie roller blading downstairs….I wonder if she’ll do the splits!
It was hilarious watching as the girls started to learn how to roller blade. Roller blading is a fun indoor activity both on the cold winter or hot summer days! The first few times we had them try out the roller blades on the carpet to make sure they could at least keep themselves upright. It was a little easier to move on the tile but also much easier to fall down too. They had plenty of falls, splits, and crashes that first time but eventually started figuring out how to move so they could stay upright.
Brina working on her roller blading, much more serious and focused on keeping her roller blades together.
As with any new skill your learning you may “crash”! Karlie giggling about her fall.
Brina getting back up after one of her crashes!
Someone’s having too much fun…..Karlie trying to scare me as she coasts across the room on her roller blades
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Jake had to travel last week for work so we tagged along with him since the girls were out of school. We spent a fun week in Charleston swimming, playing, exploring, reading, and enjoying some extra time together. We even made it to the beach which was a special treat! Hopefully this week I will have a chance to get back up to speed with my goals and household obligations. The pets were happy to see us come home too. You will notice that some of my goals have shifted to reflect my priorities over the summer, it is more important to me to spend time with my family while the girls are on summer break then to ignore them so I can meet all my other goals. Yes, I will continue moving forward with those goals as well but my highest priority the next couple months will be family since we have more time together.
Last week’s goals:
Family Goals
Connect with each family member at least once a dayEnjoy time doing one fun activity with the girls every day– spent a lot of time at parks, swimming, and spending time together in CharlestonRead at least one book to the girls every dayListen to the girls read at least one book to me or Jake every day– the girls read through a whole bunch of books at parks, in the hotel and in the car, thrilled to see them get even more excited about readingSpend some extra time catching up with family and friendsFinish 1/3 of the Summer Reading ProgramSpend time at the pool playing with the kids
Personal Goals
Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week– walked with the girls in the parks and went swimming everydaySpend quality time with my kids & Jake– spent time together in CharlestonFinish reading Am I Messing Up My Kids by Lysa TerKeurst- Finish reading More Than Enough by Dave Ramsey – started it
Home Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day- Weekly Dinner Menu & Schedule planned out for the week – the dinner menu was based off of Jake’s schedule and whatever coupons we could find for the Charleston area so not every dinner was planned with us being out of town (
but every lunch was planned) Plan Summer Organizational SchedulePay all upcoming bills
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – did as much as I could remotely
- 1o minutes a day Cleaning / Organizing my desk – wasn’t able to do this since I was in Charleston
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch- Email the updated schedule to our Community Group – didn’t get the email out but prayed for and tried to connect with each girl in our group
Financial Goals
Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4– actually stayed under with us being out of town, just brought items from home for some of our lunches, dinner, and snacks (breakfast was included with the hotel)- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses – temporarily on hold as we save for another family car
- Save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled – working on it
- Put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes – on hold while until we get another car
My goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Read at least one book or a chapter in a book to the girls every day
- Listen to the girls read at least one book to me or Jake every day
- Participate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the Kids
- Take the girls to Vacation Bible School – VBS
- Get to the 1/4 Goal Mark (500 Hours) on the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading Hours)
- Go to the library with the kids
- Go on a Date Night with Jake
Personal Goals
- Exercise – at least 5 days this week
- Finish reading More Than Enough by Dave Ramsey
Home Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu & Schedule planned out for the week
- Start My Summer Organizational Schedule
- Pay all upcoming bills
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- 1o minutes a day Cleaning / Organizing my desk
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
- Email the updated schedule to our Community Group
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses
- Save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled
- Put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes
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
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
The girls are officially out of school and on summer break now we have two 2nd graders in our household! I am super excited to spend some extra time with the kiddos and have a lot of fun activities planned. This week didn’t go quite as planned….Jake got in an accident so I am a little behind on some of the goals and had to rearrange other ones but thankfully he is okay and healing well.
Last week’s goals:
Family Goals
- Connect with each family member at least once a day
Final Prep for Summer BreakRead at least one book to the girls every dayListen to the girls read at least one book to me or Jake every daySpend some extra time catching up with family and friendsConfirm the Schedule / Flights for upcoming Family Reunion
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – didn’t get this one done
Update my goals- Finish reading Am I Messing Up My Kids by Lysa TerKeurst – time was spent in other areas this past week
Home Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayWeekly Dinner Menu & Schedule planned out for the weekSpend 30 minutes every day picking up & cleaning the house
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attention1o minutes a day Cleaning / Organizing my desk
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch- Email the updated schedule to our Community Group – didn’t get the email out this week
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – went over budget again
- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses – still saving up
- Save money for upcoming trips – put on hold with the accident this past week
- Put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes – temporarily put on hold with the accident
My goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Connect with each family member at least once a day
- Enjoy time doing one fun activity with the girls every day
- Read at least one book to the girls every day
- Listen to the girls read at least one book to me or Jake every day
- Spend some extra time catching up with family and friends
- Finish 1/3 of the Summer Reading Program
- Spend time at the pool playing with the kids
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
- Spend quality time with my kids & Jake
- Finish reading Am I Messing Up My Kids by Lysa TerKeurst
- Finish reading More Than Enough by Dave Ramsey
Home Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu & Schedule planned out for the week
- Plan Summer Organizational Schedule
- Pay all upcoming bills
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- 1o minutes a day Cleaning / Organizing my desk
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
- Email the updated schedule to our Community Group
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses
- Save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled
- Put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes
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
Travel & Vacation: Trip to the Pirate Park & Charleston Creamery
Stopping to refuel…..so thankful the girls both travel so well!
We have been on some long trips with our kids (over 40 hours of drive time) which makes us very thankful that they both love to travel. They get excited when we tell them they will get to “sleep” in the van. The girls love it when the road trip is more than 5 hours because that means Daddy will put in the DVD player for them to watch movies while we drive. They stay entertained when we we take the 2 or 4 hour trips as well with books, games, music, and more. It is always an adventure no matter where we go and the girls love exploring different areas as well as going back to our favorite parks or places we have visited in the past. The pictures in this post are from our winter trip to Charleston, South Carolina. Love seeing their smiles, watching them play, and thankful that they had a chance to relax for a few days.
Karlie relaxing on the bench and blowing some bubbles.
Brina checking out the pirate treasure chest full of sand at the “Pirate” Park on Daniel’s Island.
Karlie (she is wearing the black shirt in the middle of the ship) is checking out the big sunken pirate ship
Brina climbing the lighthouse at the pirate’s park
Look out…..here comes Karlie!
Look out BELOW!!! I can hear Brina giggling as she comes zipping down the slide.
Getting ice cream from their favorite ice cream store – Charleston Creamery! In this picture Karlie is choosing her 1st topping. After they select their ice cream flavors and toppings a robot puts it together for them. The girls LOVE it!
The robot is getting ready to make the ice cream.
Mesmerized by the robot making the ice cream!
Ta….Da……the ice cream treat is now ready to eat! Thanks Robot! 🙂 The robot only serves soft serve ice cream but you can get one of their many homemade flavors in a cup, cone, or shake!
Charleston Creamery has a place for the kids to sit and play with toys while you enjoy your treat too. It’s a great family owned ice cream store. It is one of the girls favorite places to visit while in the Charleston area. For more information about their store, location, upcoming events, specials, or their newest flavor of ice cream you can find them on Facebook!
The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax. 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!
Travel & Vacation: Hanging Out on Daniel’s Island
One of our favorite places to visit….Daniel’s Island (near Charleston)!
Happy Brina Bee, she loves our trips to Daniel’s Island!
As I was going back over some of our pictures from the last several months I realized I didn’t share with you our winter trip to Daniel’s Island. The beautiful part about going to Daniel’s Island in the winter time is the weather is awesome. Majority of the time you don’t even need a jacket. The only thing the girls were disappointed about our winter visit is that the pool was closed (but that was only for a split moment)!
Karlie thrilled to be back in Daniel’s Island at the “turtle” park
Brina and Karlie hanging out in the white boat at the park
Oh boy……Karlie caught something and is bringing it over to show me, love the silly smile on her face as she brings the surprise!
Some serious discussions going on about how to take care of their big turtles
Brina and Karlie put together mini pizzas for our lunch together
Delicious Pizza! I snapped a picture before she wiped the pizza sauce off her face, but she’s all smiles after lunch!
Caught Brina doing twirls around the room after eating lunch….I think she’s ready for our next adventure!
Karlie loves spotting all the USA Flags. She insisted that I take a picture of the one flying over the tennis stadium.
Brina and Karlie standing in front of the “astronaut” in TGI Friday’s!
Brina played so hard today on Daniel’s Island she crashed instantly
Karlie is asleep with a smile on her face after a fun day
The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax. 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
Our family was able to spend some time in Florida, visiting friends and seeing the area! We got to go to Kennedy Space Center, Sea World, and Disney Magic Kingdom! We had a blast visiting the amazing places and spending time with our friends. Thankful for the awesome opportunities to create memories!
Last week’s goals:
Family Goals
Connect with each family member at least once a day- Prep for Summer Break – working on it 🙂
- Read at least one book to the girls every day – didn’t do this every day we were on vacation
Listen to the girls read at least one book to me or Jake every dayPlan & go on at least one family Adventure– went on a adventure to Kennedy Space Center, Sea World, and Disney soooo much fun!Spend some extra time catching up with family and friends
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – almost made it
Review my upcoming goals- Finish reading Am I Messing Up My Kids by Lysa TerKeurst
Finish reading No One to Call Me Home by Rev James J. Close
Home Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day- Work on Spring / Deep Cleaning the House – work in progress
- Weekly Dinner Menu & Schedule planned out for the week – didn’t get home until the middle of the week and with everything going on so didn’t get this done
Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attention1o minutes a day Cleaning / Organizing my deskWork on upcoming speaking engagement
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or LunchBe a blessing to a total stranger this weekEmail the updated praises, prayer requests, and schedule to our Community Group– emailed the updated schedule and information
Financial Goals
Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses – working on it
- Save money for upcoming trips – starting it
- Put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes – work in progress
- Save money for upcoming home projects – on hold temporarily
My goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Connect with each family member at least once a day
- Prep for Summer Break
- Read at least one book to the girls every day
- Listen to the girls read at least one book to me or Jake every day
- Attend the Girls First Grade Program
- Spend some extra time catching up with family and friends
- Swimming Lessons for the Kids
- Confirm the Schedule / Flights for upcoming Family Reunion
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
- Update my goals
- Finish reading Am I Messing Up My Kids by Lysa TerKeurst
- Finish The Hunger Games by Susan Collins (recommended by several friends)
Home Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu & Schedule planned out for the week
- Spend 30 minutes every day picking up & cleaning the house
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- 1o minutes a day Cleaning / Organizing my desk
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
- Email the updated praises, prayer requests, and schedule to our Community Group
- Feed & Serve Homeless – 1 John Ministry
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses
- Save money for upcoming trips
- Put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes
- Save money for upcoming home projects
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
New Upromise eCoupons for June 2012
Upromise has posted their new eCoupons for the month of June 2012. Remember to activate your eCoupons to get additional savings. If you have not yet signed up for Upromise you can get more information regarding on our experience or directly at the Upromise website.
This month they have 41 coupons you can activate for bonus savings. Once you activate your eCoupons all you have to do is scan your rewards card or purchase the items at the store and the cash will be added to your account. You don’t even have to carry any coupons to get the rewards!
You can go to their website for more information on the Upromise program, it’s free to join.
Kids in the Kitchen: Ham & Pasta Casserole Recipe
The girls made dinner for us this week. They wanted to try a casserole so Jake found a recipe from Better Homes & Garden and adapted it for the girls. They got the items out of the fridge and pantry, measured, and added them to the casserole. I did help with getting it in and out of the oven but otherwise they put the casserole together on their own. It turned out really well!
Ham & Pasta Casserole:
- 1 1/2 cups Milk
- 1 can Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (10 3/4 oz)
- 2 cups diced cooked Ham
- 1 cup dried Elbow Macaroni
- 1 can sliced Mushrooms (4 oz)
- 1/2 cup chopped Onions
- 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
Grease a 8 x 8 pyrex dish and preheat oven for 375 degrees. Mix the milk and cream of chicken soup. Stir in the ham, macaroni, mushrooms, and onions. Cover the casserole and bake for 40 minutes or until the noodles are tender. Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the casserole and bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes prior to serving.
Creative Kids: Toy Bucket Ride
Brina and Karlie emptied the toy buckets and took them for a spin around the room
Life is never boring with kids around. While playing they often come up with some creative ways to find a little extra entertainment. The other day as I was busy getting some stuff done around the house I heard a bunch of giggles. As I go to check out what they are up to I found that they had emptied their toy buckets and were rolling around the room in them.
Karlie giggling and spinning in circles in the toy bucket
It was pretty funny watching them spin in circles around the room all tucked up in the buckets. Their hair was completely crazy with static and there were plenty of giggling going on too. It is amazing how something so simple can entertain the kids for a long time.
Brina with very static hair but having a blast rolling around in the empty toy bucket
This fun activity entertained the kids for quite some time. After their adventure of rolling around in the buckets they put the toys back into the buckets. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to tuck our bodies in a bucket and spin around the room!
Karlie having a blast rolling around in the empty toy bucket
Sometimes it is the simplest things in life that can provide the most enjoyment and you probably have the items right in your house. I love it when the girls use their imagination and come up with fun activities on their own. Life is short and sweet so why not have a little fun too! What creative entertainment have your kids come up with recently?
