Events & Holidays
Flashback Friday: Happy 3rd Birthday!
Happy 3rd Birthday Girls!
Today’s Flashback Friday goes back to 2008 for the girls 3rd birthday! We did a Garden & Bug theme for this birthday party. It was neat seeing them getting excited as we decorated for the birthday party. They had a blast! It is amazing how quickly they are growing up.
The family is ready to celebrate at their 3rd birthday party! WooHoo!
Grandma Kay made the delicious birthday cakes for the girls. Brina had a bumble bee, Karlie had a ladybug, and the big cake was a flower garden. They looked adorable! Jake’s Mom makes some amazing cakes!
Brina and Karlie with Grandma Kay right before the birthday party!
Watching the candles as the guests sing Happy Birthday! So excited!
Checking out the candles and their cakes!
Karlie eating little bits while Brina digs right now!
Brina’s ready for clean up…I think it’s Jake turn to hose her down, ha!
Karlie eating her cake and enjoying the fun!
Snacking on their yummy party food!
When they were little we pulled the cooler up the counter so they could stand on it and “help” us cook. Food is ready now the party can begin!
Opening their birthday gifts!
Beautiful SC Sunrise
Gorgeous Sunrise!
The kids and I enjoyed this beautiful sunrise earlier this week. It’s not every day we see these great sunrises in South Carolina. Our drive to school was perfectly timed with the sunrise on this special morning.
Thankful for a chance to share this with my kids. All of us were glad that we got stopped at the stoplight that morning so we could soak in the beauty around us. It’s the little treasures throughout each day such as a beautiful sunrise that remind us of the many blessings in our lives.
What a great way to start a new day!
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Happy 10th Birthday Brina & Karlie! We Love You!
Happy Birthday Brina & Karlie!
Wishing our two beautiful daughters a very special 10th birthday! Today is a bitter sweet day. They now in the double digits which feels like such a big step in them growing up. We are so excited to be celebrating our twin daughters 10th birthday, but at the same time we are in shock that they could be turning 10 already. The time has gone by way too fast and our babies are growing up!
Thankful for these two amazing blessings in our life. There is not a day that goes by that we do not thank God for giving us these two precious gifts. God has richly blessed our lives with these sweethearts.
Brina and Karlie both fill our home with excitement, laughter, and a lot of fun activity. While they were born on the same day they could not be more different. Thankful for the gifts and talents God has given each one. Brina has a big heart for animals and Karlie has dreams of one day blasting off into space! We are proud of them and look forward to watching them grow up into beautiful young ladies.
Praying that God will continue to work in their hearts and lives this year as well as give us wisdom as parents in raising them. Wishing them a year packed for awesome memories, growth, good health, and so much more! Happy 1oth Birthday Brina and Karlie! We LOVE you more than you can imagine!!! Hope your birthday is truly OUT OF THIS WORLD!
We LOVE you!!!
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Package Full of Goodies
My cousin knows us well….the perfect tasty, practical, and fun gifts!
We recently received an AMAZING package from my sweet cousin Renelle! It was packed full awesome items for all of us! The girls were super excited to open it. They were very impressed with how much she was able to fit into the box. Lots of “Ohhs…Ahhhs…” throughout the unpacking process, followed by “Wow, Aunt Renelle is so creative!”
Renelle was the closet “sister” I had growing up in a family with 3 brothers. We had a lot of fun hanging out over the summers and various Holidays during our childhood years. Unfortunately, now that we are older and many more miles apart we don’t get to see each other as often as we like. We try to get together as often as possible and thankfully we are able to stay in touch regularly throughout the year.
The package arrived packed full! So exciting!
Going through Aunt Ren’s goody package and reading all the instructions!
Jellyfish air plant! So cool!
Putting the dirt in the pots for their plants!
Enjoying all the fun goodies from the box!
Awesome name tags for the furry critters – Snowball, Skipper, and Oreo!
Beautiful key chain rings for the girls! They were super excited to put these on their book bags for school!
Always love a delicious chocolate bar!
Super fun Face Paint craft for the girls! Love it – even if that means I have to be the canvas at times!
Bread N’ Boards – the person who made this cutting board, Sears Trostel (a locally owned custom wood shop) donates their proceeds from the sale of this item to a local Food Bank in Larimer County, Colorado! Such a cool way to help those in need in the local community. I love the cutting board!
Amazing White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Coffee – freshly roasted in Fort Collins, Colorado by Jackie’s Java! Delicious!
Ren’s famous homemade Peach Raspberry Jam (it’s AWESOME) and a new flavor of hers I haven’t tried before, but is yummy too – Grape Apple Jam!
Gorgeous plant clippings from Ren’s plants! So far I have been able to keep them alive! So cool!
Some of the amazing items in our package! Thanks Ren! Including a cutting board, cutting more oil, body scrub, local coffee, homemade jam, and more!
Now we are ready for our next pedicure with scented polish and pebble picture crafts for girls night!
Hanging jellyfish air plant! The girls call it the “Wild Hair Day” plant!
Celebrating Valentine’s Day!
Heart cinnamon rolls to start off the Valentine’s Day weekend! Friday’s breakfast!
The girls did not have to go to school the Friday before Valentine’s Day which was really nice. My parents were also visiting us from Kansas that weekend. The first couple of days they stayed at my brother’s house and the last half of their stay at our house. It was great spending time with family over the Valentine weekend.
Valentine goodies from Grandma Kay!
Opening their gift. Lots of great school supplies and some sweet treats too!
Brina is ready to have some fun!
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
Our first priority is eating up the leftovers from the previous weekend with my parents and brothers family visiting. We have several items I want to incorporate into our menu and finish up so we don’t waste them. Thankfully my family enjoys leftovers and it is a great way to help fill in the menu while making sure not to waste the food already in our fridge. It will be a simple menu this week and may not be exactly on target with our usual schedule, but hopefully we can catch up on items. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Smashed Baked Potatoes with Bacon Crumbles, Fresh Lettuce Salad
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Ham Sandwiches, Fresh Fruit Salad, Green Bean Casserole
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Special Event – Kids Birthday Celebration
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Roast, Mashed Potatoes
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
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Flashback Friday: Let’s Have a Ball – 2nd Birthday Party
Having a “ball” in the swimming pool ball pit!
Today’s Flashback Friday is about Brina and Karlie’s 2nd “Having A Ball” Birthday Party! In case you haven’t noticed for this month my flashback posts have primarily been about the girls early birthday parties. We had balls every where in the house! The kids loved it!!!
It is really cool to look back at the pictures and see how much they have grown. It has been a lot of fun seeing some of the great activities from the past. Thankful for the blessings of these two treasures in my life. They make me smile!
Look out here comes Brina, watch your toes!
Balls emptied out of the pool and filled with books. The girls are having a grand time.
Brina all smiles!
Karlie very concerned about her cake being on fire while Brina is digging in regardless of the candles.
Eating their birthday cakes – Karlie eventually ate her cake once the candles were removed.
Grandma Kay made two delicious birthday cakes for the rest of the group celebrating – a baseball one and beach ball!
What happened to our front door!?
Karlie having a grand time!
Our cousin Sam! So adorable!
Playing in the pool ball pit with Jack!
The only picture we shot of all four of us at this birthday party. Guess we got busy with the celebrations!
Loving their musical birthday cards from Grandpa Russell and Grandma Penny. They listened to them over and over again!
Jake looks like he is up to mischief…..wonder what he is planning to do with that big purple ball?!
Grateful for family and friends who joined us in celebrating the girls 2nd birthday!
