Summer Activities
Fun at the Lake in Connecticut!
Brina hoping to catch something in the lake!
Our family was able to stop for a few hours in Connecticut this summer. Jake’s Dad lives in CT and we wanted to catch up since we were driving through on our way back home. The girls were excited to spend some time with Grandpa Tim and the rest of the crew at the lake. It was a beautiful sunny day and the lake was gorgeous. The perfect day to hang out at the lake! We had a wonderful time visiting, playing at the lake, eating delicious food, shooting off the cannon, and more! It was great getting a chance to hang out for a few hours!
Karlie was determined to catch a fish with her net. They were really fast though!
Splashing around in the lake while Grandpa Tim cools off!
Jake and Karlie went for a ride in the canoe
They did a great job out on the lake, but they got a little wet when trying to dock. I didn’t get a picture of them flipping out of the canoe when they were getting out because I was trying to help, but it did provide some good laughs watching them!
Grandpa Tim sitting up the cannon! Oh boy! Super excited to watch the cannon fire.
Grandpa Tim wanted to try out these cool shots that he got at a garage sale. At first we thought they were duds…..however, a few seconds after the initial shot there was a huge explosion and water came spraying up from the lake. I would say they were really well! Better make sure the lake is clear before firing another one!
Grandpa Tim was standing right next the cannon when he reached back to pull it back up the hill by the string a little bit, but instead set the cannon off making another big and loud explosion in front of us on the lake. He was surprised, but thankfully not hurt (other than the ringing in his ears from being so close to it when it went off). Once everyone knew Grandpa was okay everyone was laughing hysterically. The expression on Grandpa Tim’s face was priceless when he unexpectedly set off the cannon. Thankfully, everyone was okay and it is something we can laugh about now!
Karlie’s turn to shoot off the cannon! The girls loved the cannon! They haven’t set one off before so it was a lot of fun for them!
My Little Pony goodies, the perfect gift for the long road trip home! Thankful for a wonderful day with family in CT.
Greenville Drive Baseball Game & Fireworks
Greenville Drive Game
Jake’s company hosted an event at the Greenville Drive. We ate delicious BBQ and enjoyed one of the best Greenville Drive Games we have been to in our area. The girls had a blast watching the game! Since it was a Friday night they had fireworks after the game as well which are always a big hit with everyone! Greenville won with a 13 point spread.
Daddy and Brina watching the baseball game!
Karlie is very excited!
Awesome fireworks!
Great way to end the night at the baseball field
A few fireworks even hit the stadium lights!
Beauitful!
Thankful for our fun evening together!
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
I am hoping to get through a bunch of the tasks, but with the girls at home I am not going to stress about it too much if something else fun comes along the our way. My biggest goal for the summer break is to have fun, create memories, be flexible, and enjoy the little moments together!Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Read White Fang by Jack London to the girls– read a good chunk of it while walking a sick goat and finished the last couple chapters this past week
Plan one special activity with the familyPlay a board or card gamePrepare for Upcoming Summer EventsSpend some time Monday – Friday having the girls read & do workbooksPrep for a big weekendRide bikes with the kidsTake the kids to Horse Camp– they had a blast and always love going to “Welcome Ranch”!
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day- Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – I have gotten a little behind with everything going on this summer but hoping to catch up this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayPay all upcoming bills- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week – with all the activities this week I didn’t plan the whole week out in advance, but I did plan out at least the day to day menu so I was prepared before dinner time arrived.
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients– got some projects finished
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Vehicles – made another payment on the car this past week
- Pay medical bills in full – finished paying off one of the medical bills, now only have the big one left to go
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle to the girls
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a board or card game
- Prepare for Upcoming Summer Events
- Spend some time Monday – Friday having the girls read & do workbooks
- Prep our next big adventure
- Ride bikes with the kids
- Take the kids to park
- Go on a picnic with the family
- Play in the pool
- Explore a new place or go on a new adventure with the kids
- Go to the dentist (not my favorite place to visit, but kind of necessary)
- Go on a short “road trip” adventure with the kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Pay all upcoming bills
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Vehicles
- Pay medical bills in full
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
Our family enjoyed celebrating July 4th and spending some time with long time friends over the weekend which was a wonderful blessing and a lot of fun. We also had to say “goodbye” to one of our sweet pets “Toasted Coconut” last week too which was very difficult. We had the vet out earlier in the week to treat him and then brought him back in late in the week. The vet was really surprised that he made it so long with all the problems he was having. We spent hours last week playing, walking, feeding, watering, and taking care of him the hardest part is there was nothing we could do to help him any more other than to let him know how much we love him. The girls (myself included) had a tough time, but it also opened up many conversations about life, death, and taking the time to enjoy what we have been given if only for a season. One of Karlie’s comments made me both laugh and cry – “I think Jesus has a field of beautiful dandelions up in heaven just for all his pet goats”. Brina’s comment “At least when we get to heaven there will be no pain, death or goodbyes, instead we can celebrate and have fun together.” Although last week didn’t go as planned I am thankful we had time to cherish moments and memories with loved ones, friends, and even our pets. I am hoping to get through a bunch of the tasks, but with the girls at home I am not going to stress about it too much if something else fun comes along the our way. My biggest goal for the summer break is to have fun, create memories, be flexible, and enjoy the little moments together!
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Read Superfudge by Judy Blume to the girls
Plan one special activity with the familyPlay a board gamePrepare for Upcoming Summer EventsSpend some time Monday – Friday having the girls read & do workbooksPrepare for a big weekend- Ride bikes with the kids – it rained every day last week and every time we could ride it was raining, but we did run and splash in the puddles for a couple hours one day (the kids loved it)!
Celebrate July 4th with Family & FriendsGet upcoming plane tickets
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day – it was a stressful week and I spent a lot of extra time outside with the furry critter who was sick so although I didn’t track my water amount I know by how I was feeling it wasn’t enough
Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayPay all upcoming bills- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week – last week didn’t go quite as planned
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts – several items got put on hold last week
Keep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Vehicles – made another payment (with a little extra) on the van last week.
- Pay medical bills in full – paid off one bill now have to get the bigger one paid down
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read White Fang by Jack London to the girls
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a board or card game
- Prepare for Upcoming Summer Events
- Spend some time Monday – Friday having the girls read & do workbooks
- Prep for a big weekend
- Ride bikes with the kids
- Take the kids to Horse Camp
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Pay all upcoming bills
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Vehicles
- Pay medical bills in full
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
Jake is home from his month long work trip to India!!! YAY!!! I am “over the moon” excited to have him back home again. Last week I accomplished a lot, but I did take some time off from blogging since it was so busy with my man being back in town. There are many fun activities as well as long list of projects on the agenda this week, so I am hoping to get through a bunch of them while having fun along the way!
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Read Imagination Station: Secret of the Prince’s Tomb by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 7)
Plan one special activity with the familyPlay a board gamePrepare for Upcoming Summer EventsSpend some time Monday – Friday having the girls read & do workbooksGo to Science Camp– the girls LOVED WeDo Lego’s robotics camp at Roper Mountain Science CampPrepare for a big weekendRide bikes with the kidsTake the kids to VBS
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue my YouVersion plan(s)
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayPay all upcoming bills- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week – this week was a little crazy with Jake getting home from India and VBS in the evening
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Vehicles – made payments
- Pay medical bills in full – making payments
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read Superfudge by Judy Blume to the girls
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a board game
- Prepare for Upcoming Summer Events
- Spend some time Monday – Friday having the girls read & do workbooks
- Prepare for a big weekend
- Ride bikes with the kids
- Celebrate July 4th with Family & Friends
- Get upcoming plane
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Pay all upcoming bills
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Vehicles
- Pay medical bills in full
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.
Life on the Farm: Pigs, Cows, & Planting Tomatoes….Oh My!
The girls had to go check out the pigs. Thankfully they were really tame because they were pretty big!
Our girls love animals and always enjoy spending time with ANY animal they come in contact with…yup including the pigs, ha! During our recent trip to the Midwest to see family the girls spent some extra time on the farm. The guys happened to be working cattle so they got to watch some of that process as well as hand feed the pigs. The girls quickly discovered that there was only one barn cat (out of the 15) that would even let them get close enough to pet it!
My cousin Renelle was in town from Colorado so in between hand feeding the farm animals and exploring with the kids we planted tomatoes for Grandpa Verlyn and Grandma Doris to enjoy later this Summer. I am thankful that the girls got an opportunity to spend time on the farm as well as some time getting to know their grandparents and great grandparents a little better. We have a lot of great memories of our time in Kansas!
To Brina hand feeding the pigs and petting at the same time.
This pig’s got it made….lounging in the shade being hand fed grass from Karlie! What a life!
Hand feeding the pigs
Giving the cows a special snack!
They couldn’t feed the cattle fast enough as soon as they brought a handful the cows pulled it through and were munching away on it.
Travel & Vacation: Spending Time with Family in Kansas
The plane was delayed due to rain, but now we are ready to go. Two little chickies all buckled in….one snacking and the other one with her nose already in a book. Thankful that the girls travel well.
The girls and I recently flew out to Kansas to spend some time with my family. We stayed at my parents house, but thankfully we were able to catch up with quite a few people while we were out there visiting. While we were in Kansas Jake was traveling with work so he was managing to stay busy too.
The girls even got in on the last part of my parents church’s VBS, which included getting wet with water balloons. I think the highest temperature I saw during out week and half in Kansas was 113 while it was hot the wind helped make it more tolerable.
A cooler full of mammoth water balloons for VBS game time the next day!
Lots of little water balloons too! I think by the end the count was somewhere around 300 water balloons. The kids loved it!
Karlie picked a variety of flowers from Grandma Penny’s gardens and displayed the flowers in a pie dish. They actually lasted almost the entire time we were out there!
Brina made a blue cat while Brandon is working on some blueberry cookies!
Karlie is busy socializing and creating play dough goodies too! Grandma Penny made some homemade play dough for the kids. They loved it (and were asking me to make some a couple days ago)!
Beautiful purple flower along the road in Harlan, Kansas
Some of my Great Grandma Viola’s rose bushes were blooming near the Kelly’s Store and the Post Office in Harlan, Kansas where she used work. She planted the roses many years ago and yet they continue to bloom every year! Grandma Vi had an amazing green thumb (something I did not inherit, by the way)! She loved flowers and I thought it would be appropriate to stop to snap a quick picture of one of her pretty roses while I was in the area!
Brina and Brandon hanging out in their giant tent they built downstairs in Grandpa Russell and Grandma Penny’s basement!
Three silly kiddos hanging out in their fort tent while chomping on some “spicy” candy Aunt Renelle brought for them to try!
One of the girls favorite places to visit when in Kansas! A view of my parents house from the top of Windy Point.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
The girls and I were able to spend some extra time with my extended family in Kansas last week. The time went by too fast and now that we are back home (and mostly unpacked). I hit the ground running this past weekend when we landed in South Carolina and don’t think I’ll be stopping any time soon. There are many fun activities as well as long list of projects on the agenda this week, so I am hoping to get through a bunch of them while having fun along the way!
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Read Imagination Station: Problems in Plymouthby Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 6)
Plan one special Activity with the FamilyPlay a board gamePrepare for Upcoming Summer Events- Spend some time Monday – Friday having the girls read & do workbooks – we had a travel day in there but otherwise we did pretty well (and we even did some while traveling too)
Spend time with extended familyGo to nephews baseball game
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue my YouVersion plan(s)Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp– thankful for some down time on the airplane so I could finish this book!
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayPay all upcoming bills– had a stack of them when we got home
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attention- Work completed for clients – took time off last week since I was visiting family
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Vehicles – working on it
- Pay medical bills in full – making payments
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read Imagination Station: Secret of the Prince’s Tomb by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 7)
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a board game
- Prepare for Upcoming Summer Events
- Spend some time Monday – Friday having the girls read & do workbooks
- Go to Science Camp
- Prepare for a big weekend
- Ride bikes with the kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Pay all upcoming bills
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Vehicles
- Pay medical bills in full
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
Last week was better even if I am running a couple days late with my weekly goal updates. The girls and I traveled a little last week so we could spend time with extended family. It has been nice catching up with Great Grandparents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Nieces, Nephews, Cousins and more! This week I have a lot I want to do, but the schedule will be a little different from the normal routine.
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Read Imagination Station: Problems in Plymouthby Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 6) – we’ve been busy and a little off schedule with the traveling last week
Plan one special Activity with the FamilyPlay a board gamePrepare for Upcoming Summer EventsCelebrate the Girls Last Day of SchoolSpend time with extended family
Personal Goals
- Exercise at least 5 days this week – didn’t get any official exercise done, but I was really active
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day – on the day the girls & I traveled I did not stay up on my water
Continue my YouVersion plan(s)Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz– finished and returned it, now need to type out all my notes!
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week – traveled part of the week so didn’t plan out those days
Pay all upcoming bills
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Vehicles – made another payment
- Pay medical bills in full – making payments
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read Imagination Station: Problems in Plymouthby Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 6)
- Plan one special Activity with the Family
- Play a board game
- Prepare for Upcoming Summer Events
- Spend some time Monday – Friday having the girls read & do workbooks
- Spend time with extended family
- Go to nephews baseball game
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- 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
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Vehicles
- Pay medical bills in full
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.
- Read Imagination Station: Problems in Plymouthby Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 6) – we’ve been busy and a little off schedule with the traveling last week
Greenville Drive Baseball Game & Fireworks
Greenville Drive Baseball Game
The other night as we were talking about summer the girls brought up the Greenville Drive and how much fun they had going to the games. There is just something about watching a game in person that makes it extra fun. It’s a great family summer activity too. Plus, if you time it right on certain nights they do fireworks (that is always a big highlight for our kids)! 🙂
We try to go to at least once (maybe more) to a Greenville Drive Baseball game each summer. Also, the past two summers the girls have earned rewards for doing the summer reading program through the local library which includes free tickets to a Greenville Drive game. Way to go girls!
As I was thinking about our conversation I came across some pictures of our last Greenville Drive Game and thought it was a good time to share. If your starting to think about summer break and planning some fun activities for your kids you should check into your local sports teams! For those of you who live near Greenville, SC you can check out the Greenville Drive’s 2013 Schedule online.
Brina and Karlie pausing for a brief moment from watching the game so I could snap a picture.
Fireworks after the Greenville Drive game are always a hit!
