Birthday
Travel & Vacation: Celebrating in Vermont
Birthday cake! Doesn’t the birthday cake look beautiful?! Grandma Kay made the cake and did the main layer of frosting and Brina added all the colorful frosting and goodies to the cake. It looked pretty and tasted delicious! 🙂
The girls had a four day birthday weekend since they didn’t have school on Friday or Monday so we made a quick trip up to Vermont to spend some time with Jake’s Mom and grandparents. We celebrated the girls birthday during our visit which was a lot of fun. The girls enjoyed spending time with their grandparents. It was a great trip packed full of a lot of good memories. Grandma Kay gave Brina some good tips on cake decorating which Brina loved (she was tickled pink that Grandma let her decorate their birthday cake).
Brina decorating her and Karlie’s birthday cake
Karlie all smiles. While Brina was decorating the birthday cake Karlie was happily picking up the toys and cleaning.
Brina loves helping in the kitchen, decorating the birthday cake was a big hit with her
Karlie discovered a cool toy in Grandma’s stash while cleaning up! She thought the helicopter was pretty amazing!
Grandma Kay showing Brina how to do another neat trick with the frosting!
Sweet girl having fun
Brina so proud of her decorated cake
Karlie having fun!
Brina had extra frosting so Grandma let her decorate some cookies. Daddy eating one of the cookies Brina just frosted.
Happy Birthday Sweet Girls!
Look whose eight! Grandma Kay found some really cool number 8 balloons that the girls loved!
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week was busy with Jake being out of town part of the week in Charleston and special events I think we were only home together one night the whole week. Hoping this week is more productive for me.
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Read By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls– finished and they are ready to start the next one!Read Imagination Station: Voyage with the Vikings by Marianne Hering– read most of this book while in the doctors office with the girls and finished the rest later that evening
Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforeDaily School Activities & Homework CompletedAttend After School ActivitiesPlan one special Activity with the FamilyPrepare for the Girls Birthday
Personal Goals
- Exercise at least 5 days this week – didn’t do 5 days
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayStart with my new YouVersion plan(s)- Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp – paused reading this book because another took priority, hoping to read more this week
Finish reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan- going through this book with a group of friends
Home Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week – Jake was in Charleston or had other events in most of the evenings, we had a special event with the girls one night too so the menu just didn’t get done
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 LunchWrite and Send Out Community Group EmailEmail a meeting notes for Alms & Legs Ministry Team meeting
Financial Goals
For my February 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.– I finished up over 7 weeks of No Grocery shopping, we are starting to low on a few items so I will need to make a grocery run soon- Payoff the Van – made a payment this week
- Pay medical bills in full – paying on them
- Complete 2012 Taxes – working on it
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls (Book 6)
- Read Imagination Station: Attack at the Arena by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 2)
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
- Attend After School Activities
- Plan one special Activity with the Family
- Celebrate at Girls Birthday Party
- Volunteer One Day at Girls School
Personal Goals
- Exercise at least 5 days this week
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
- Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read)
Home Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- 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
- Write and Send Out Community Group Email
Financial Goals
- Groceries $40 for 4
- Payoff the Van
- Pay medical bills in full
- Complete 2012 Taxes
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.
Happy Birthday Brina & Karlie!
Happy 8th Birthday Brina and Karlie! We love you sweet girls more than words can say! Wishing you both many more amazing years packed full of great memories! 🙂 We are thankful for the our beautiful girls and the many rays of sunshine they bring into our lives! We are so blessed to be your parents!
Lots of LOVE & HUGs,
Dad & Mom
XOXO
Celebrating Another Year!
When I came home one day this tower of goodies from Harry & David was sitting on my front porch from my Mother-in-Law! The girls were thrilled to help eat the goodies with me! 🙂
I recently celebrated my birthday (on Thanksgiving Day). The year flew by so quickly it was hard to believe I was yet again celebrating another birthday. I have so much to be thankful for in my life. What a wonderful day to celebrate and reflect on the many blessings over the past year.
Cute candle from Karlie
The night before Thanksgiving we had a Game Night with some family and friends. That night my sweet husband brought out an ice cream cake to share. I am not one that thrives on big celebrations and being put in the center of the spotlight so this was the perfect way for me to celebrate with close family and friends.
Brina ready to play the new game (In A Pickle) her and Karlie got me for my birthday.
On Thanksgiving day we had an amazing dinner and relaxed playing games (even a new game the girls picked out for me), reading books, and having fun together. It was so sweet getting the phone calls, texts, birthday cards, and other goodies to remind me of yet another great year.
My Handsome Man reading the directions so we can play the new game!
Then this week once life had calm down (a little bit, maybe) a great of girlfriends got together for a Girls Night Out to celebrate my birthday. It was nice to get out for a little bit and hang out with friends. Thankful for the neat people in my life.
Thanksgiving morning opening my gifts from the girls.
They had a blast picking out their gifts and wrapping them all by themselves!
It is my hope and prayer that this next year will be another year packed full of great memories. May God use me to make a difference in the hearts and lives of my husband, kids, family, friends and people I encounter from day to day. Even though I am another year older I feel like I still have so much to learn. May it be a year of learning, growth, and wonderful experiences!
Book: “Super Red Racer” by Dave Ramsey
This is one of Dave Ramsey’s kids books that the girls enjoy – The Super Red Racer The story is about a boy named Junior who really wanted a red bicycle. He learned that by working hard for several weeks on a local farm rather than expecting his parents to just give it to him was a rewarding way to earn enough money to purchase the bike for himself. The story carries a great lesson for children about working hard, earning money and patience.
If you are trying to teach your children more about finances, including working hard to save so they can buy something big this is an excellent book. Our girls have both read and listened to this story several times over the past few months. It has helped encourage them to save more too!
Book: “Fix It Duck” by Jez Alborough
This is one of the books the girls have requested many times, it is called Fix It Duck by Jez Alborough (aka Mr Fix It Duck book in our household). The girls always get a real kick out of reading this book. Duck has a leak in his house and he goes to his friends to borrow something. When they mention a problem they are having he tries to “fix it” for them. Somehow when he tries to fix it he ends up making things worse instead of better for his friends. It is a fun story to read with your kids with great illustrations.
Happy Birthday to My Handsome Man!
Wishing Jake a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
I am so thankful for my amazing husband and all he does for our family. He is generous, kind, and loves me despite all my craziness. Wishing him many more awesome years packed full of great memories. I am looking forward to celebrating this special day with him.
Another really cool part about Jake’s birthday is he shares it with two other family members – his Grandpa Conklin and my Uncle Rick! Happy Birthday to Grandpa and Uncle Rick! May it be a wonderful birthday for both of you!
Book: “Belle” by Elizabeth Mills
Both of our girls LOVE horses! Their grandparents gave them several horse books which have quickly become some of their favorites. One of the ones they enjoy is Belle by Elizabeth Mills. The book is about a girl named Emmy who moved from the country into the big city. Emmy loves horses and misses her home in the country but soon finds a stable were she can go riding in the park. The horse she rides is named Belle who helps her adjust to living in the city. If your child is starting to read independently and enjoys animals (especially horses) they will probably like this book.
Book & Pony Set: “Misty of Chincoteague” by Marguerite Henry
Book Misty of Chincoteague (couldn’t find a picture of “Misty” and “Phantom” that came with the girls set)
Book & Pony Set – Misty of Chincoteague (with “Misty” and “Stormy” similar to the one we got, but couldn’t find a picture of the first book with the ponies)
My girls are very different in many ways, even though they are twins, but they do have two things in common that they both love…….books and horses / ponies. While I was in India my Mom came to stay with the girls and she brought their birthday gifts. She gave the girls the book and “Misty” & “Phantom” ponies. They were so excited when I got home to show me their book and ponies that went with it. After we finished reading the current book they were going through they both agreed that the next book should be Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry. Every time I would read the book the girls would get out the ponies and each of them hold one while I read. They loved this story about a little boy and girl who worked hard to buy and raise these ponies. It was a cute story that our family enjoyed.
All the incidents in this story are real. They did not happen in just the order they are recorded, but they all happened at one time or another on the little island of Chincoteague. All the characters in the book Misty of Chincoteague really lived on Chincoteague Island. – Marguerite Henry
The part that was really neat about the story is it was based off a real family and event “Pony Penning Day”. After getting into the book you quickly grow to love the Beebe family. The grandparents dialogue is a little choppy to read but otherwise it was a wonderful story to share with your kids especially if they love horses or ponies!
Book: “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The girls and I just finished reading the Children’s Illustrated Classic The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. They LOVED it! It was a good story with enough of an adventure to keep them asking me to read “just one more chapter tonight, please Mom”!
The story is about a little girl from India named Mary Lennox. She was spoiled by everyone and had very little interaction with her parents. When her parents died she was sent to live with her Uncle in England, Lord Craven. Her Uncle was a sad man who was still mourning the death of his wife from 10 years ago and really did not want to have anything to do with Mary other then to make sure she had the food and necessities she needs. Mary learns to love life in England and has grand adventures exploring the manor’s gardens. As she continues to explore outside, learns how to garden, and meets new friends Mary was able to keep more then one hidden secret that took those living in the large manor by surprise.
The girls really enjoyed having me read this book out loud to them. The pictures and story really came alive for them as we processed on through the book. If you have you girls (or boys) and you are looking for a good book to read to them you should check this one out!
