Vacation
Great Wolf Lodge – Water Fun and Story Time
Brina had to do one more round of the Big Foot Pass the first night. She zipped across really quickly too.
Karlie was entertaining to watch bouncing from log to log!
Brina all smiles!
Jake having fun!
They all three stood on the edge of the mushroom where the water was pouring down. Hilarious expressions!
Karlie loving her time at Great Wolf!
Karlie liked to fill up buckets and then convince me to stand next to her so she could dump them on me. Silly girl!
Going down the River Canyon Run one more time before we call it a night. Karlie…..”I can’t look, it’s too dark……”
Karlie’s got her eyes open now and ready for the next twist and turn down the slide.
Brina was a little concerned. They liked it a little bit better in the daylight, the tunnels were pretty dark at night.
Story time at Great Wolf!
Checking out the arcade.
Listening to the animals and trees telling a story. The girls thought this was fascinating!
We packed a lot of water fun into the first day we were at Great Wolf. The girls went on all the rides, tried out all the pools, and activities. We had a BLAST! Everyone should sleep good tonight!
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.
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.
The Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry
Heading to the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry
While we were in Charleston over Spring Break we made a trip to the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry. We haven’t been there before so the girls were very excited. We headed out first thing Wednesday morning to downtown Charleston so we could be there when it opened to go exploring. The girls had a blast playing in all the rooms from being creative in the art room to checking out all the nooks and crannies in the castle, splashing around in the water wise room, experimenting with golf balls using Newton’s Laws, steering the pirate ship, shopping for groceries, and all the neat games outside too.
We had only been there for a little while and McCown Bridges came to welcome us as well as let us know about the upcoming events. If you are in the Charleston area and want a fun place to take the kids you should check out the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry! Here are some of the highlights of our trip to the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry.
Karlie having fun exploring the castle room!
Brina and Karlie having fun
Brina and Karlie at the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry
What things happen in Spring?
Walking the plank
Brina steering the pirate ship
Our little Karlie pirate!
One of Karlie’s paintings. Both girls loved hanging out and doing several crafts & paintings in the art room
Brina really liked the art room and the colored rice
Travel & Vacation: Nighttime Fun at Walt Disney World
Still going strong!
The girls were still going strong after a full day at Disney! We had just watched the Electrical Parade & Firework Show and the girls still wanted to do some more. So we decided to keep on going and we ended up staying until midnight when the park closed! They had a blast, but crashed immediately after they got into the van. For more posts about our Disney adventure you can go to Walt Disney World or Rides & Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade or Walt Disney World (part 2) or Disney’s Electrical Parade & Firework Show posts.
Karlie riding the train, it was a quieter ride after going on Space Mountain
Brina going for another ride on the train
Someone’s having fun!
Pull harder!
Hanging out in Eeyore’s house
One more ride on the carousel, this time at night!
Travel & Vacation: Disney’s Electrical Parade & Firework Show
Disney’s Electrical Parade
Another one of the highlights at Disney was their electrical light parade and the firework show. The girls LOVED it (so neat)! I can see why so many people stay for this event! Thankful for a chance to spend the day at Disney with family and friends. For more posts about our Disney adventure you can go to Walt Disney World or Rides & Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade or Walt Disney World (part 2) posts.
Watching the Disney’s Electrical Parade, super cool!
Fireworks at Disney
Amazing fireworks over the castle
Beautiful fireworks
The castle changed colors throughout the firework show
Watching fireworks at Disney
The firework show at Disney is awesome!
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: Walt Disney World (Orlando, FL – Part 2)
Enjoying a funny show at Disney
We had a blast taking the girls to Walt Disney World for the first time. Thankful for a great time with both family and friends. There were a lot of fun rides and shows as well as a walk through the Swiss Family Robinson tree house which we finished reading to the girls awhile ago. You can read more about our trip in the Walt Disney World or Rides & Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade posts.
Getting a lift to the next activity
Riding the big carousel
Karlie checking everything out and loving it!
Exploring the Swiss Family Robinson tree house
All the kids checking out the cool items in the Swiss Family Robinson tree house.
Daddy & Karlie in a Honeypot
Awesome family behind us in their honeypot!
Having fun at Disney
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: Rides & Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade (Orlando, FL)
Karlie having a blast shooting laser during the Buzz Lightyear ride
We went on several rides at Disney with the kids and had a lot of fun! We were thankful for friends who guided us in the right direction and recommended certain rides for the kids. There were some hilarious shows we went to as well. A few rides the kids loved so much we went on them several times! 🙂 You can read more about our trip in the Walt Disney World post.
Mommy and Karlie’s screen shot from the picture they took during our first game, hilarious!
Daddy and Brina’s screen shot from the picture they took during the first game!
What did the four older ones get themselves into now!? Such fun exploring the place with friends!
It threatened to rain as the parade was starting but we were prepared with disposable ponchos
Disney – “Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade!”
Mickey and Minnie Mouse – Your Invited, Celebrate Today!
Travel & Vacation: Walt Disney World (Orlando, FL)
We made it to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida
A few months ago we had the opportunity to go visit friends in Winter Park, Florida. While we were there we took a day and explored Walt Disney World – Where Dreams Come True. The girls were so excited! Jake and I still have passes leftover from our honeymoon (which was my first time to see Disney World) so we only had to get tickets for the girls. It was so neat taking the kids and seeing their reactions to all the amazing rides and adventures at Disney World. We arrived right about opening time and stayed until they closed the park at midnight. It was a full day packed full of great activities and amazing memories!
Three girls watching all the people in front of us get onto the Frontier log ride
My seat buddy Karlie is loving the ride. Smiling the whole time but not taking her eyes off all the stuff around her.
Brina mesmerized by all the stuff to look at. Was the wolf scary B?! Good thing she has Daddy to protect her!
Karlie found a small purple flower that had dropped off a tree and gave it to me. Sweet girl!
Our family at Disney World
Ready for the next adventure, this time we need our 3D glasses!
Daddy and the girls in front of the Disney Castle. It was bright, hot, and crowded, but we managed to snap a quick picture!!
