Family Fun
Teaching Our Children: Spring Into Reading
Our filled reading tree
Last year I started a reading tree for the girls in the Spring and we continued to fill it with leaves through the Summer. I wanted to find a way to encourage the girls to read. They had blast adding leaves to the reading tree. It was a great visual way for them to see how much they were reading. Each member of the family had a different color leaf to hang up when a book was read. The girls also did a summer reading program through our local library and one online as well.
Spring into reading tree full of leaves!
As the school year ends in a few weeks and as summer vacation is getting closer it is now time for me to come up with another fun reading activity for the kids. I have a couple ideas for this summers reading adventure and will be sharing it with you soon. What ways do you encourage your children to read throughout the summer vacation?
Song: “A Mother’s Prayer” by Celine Dion
In celebration of Mother’s Day this week I picked out a song about Mother’s. This song is about the prayer of a Mother for her children as they grow up. I am thankful for my Mom and everything that she has done in my life. She is still an encouragement in my life.
Being a Mom is one of the most rewarding yet challenging roles I have in my life. The girls are an amazing blessing, however, I find that they tend to stretch my character a little bit too. It is my prayer that I will be the best Mom I can be for my children and that they will not only see past my faults and failures but more importantly that they will learn to rely on Jesus (who never fails) for their strength and portion every day.
Travel & Vacation: Golconda Fort – Hyderabad, India (Part 2)
At the top of Fort Golconda looking down on the front of the fort and the old city of Hyderabad
The highest point on Fort Golconda is approximately 394 feet and the exterior wall is 6.2 miles in circumference. There are four smaller forts within Fort Golconda.
Fort Golconda had a lot of huge boulders, these two were on the top of the temple area. The wall in front was a 10 to 15 foot wall and the trees were large.
Fort Golconda had cannons, drawbridges, royal chambers, temples, mosques, stables, markets, and many other things to see.
Large India coachroach was running along the wall beside me as I was going down the stairs…..ewww……
The bottom sole of someone’s shoe laying with some other trash along the path in Fort Golconda.
I am convinced that some people literally wear their shoes until the walk right out of them….all that is left laying on the side of the path (in several areas) are the bottoms of their shoes. Just shoes how random things can be!
Looking down onto the a section of the Fort Golconda, it was a huge fort!
Yes, I walked down several flights of those stairs. The stairs were steep and uneven but it was a neat experience. I cant count the number of times Jake and I were stopped inside the Fort to shake someone’s hand, talk with them, and let them take our pictures. Many of the people we met had never talked or seen with anyone from “The United States of America” and were super excited. It made me chuckle but also gave a lot of great opportunities to talk with people from the area!
Looking up to the area where the royalty chamber overlooks the rest of the city
The rock wall that you see next to the picture is full of many stones, several of them coming lose. On one of the stairways one of the stones broke lose when Jake was walking by and fell out.
These are a crazy set of stairs and these are just one set.
I cannot imagine all the soldiers during the old days running up and down these stairs in their full gear. I kept thinking if I fall….I am going to bust out all of my front teeth out.
The place where the women in the fort went to worship, beautiful!
It was pretty amazing to look at, I can only imagine how beautiful when it was full of people.
Ladies Mosque, the men and women had separate places to worship.
Most places we went you had to take off your shoes prior to going into a temple. I am assuming “chappals” must be sandals?
Men’s place of worship, it looks awesome even after many years!
Picture taken with ones of the guys we met in Fort Golconda.
This picture was after going through the part of the fort that had bats flying around and whispering through the channels in the walls. Several of the people we met showed some neat parts of the Fort (well….maybe not the bats)
Delivering the goods in the fort with a tractor
The clapping portico is a place in the fort that when you stand in a specific spot and clap your hands you can be heard throughout the entire fort.
If you stand on this tile and clap everyone in the entire fort can hear you.
The place this tile was put allowed noise to travel quickly and easily throughout the entire fort even all the way to the top where the royalty chambers were located. This was one of the ways the soldiers would communicate and alert the royalty of danger.
We were told that Golconda Fort now does an amazing “Light and Sound” show in the evenings. They use light, sounds, and narration to tell the history and stories of the Golconda Fort. Jake and I decided to not go after several friends recommended that we avoid it at night because mosquitoes and bugs were really bad during the evening event. It would have been neat to see but we figured staying healthy and not getting munched on by bugs was a better choice for us.
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: Golconda Fort – Hyderabad, India
Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, India. The external walls of the Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, India and my “tour guide” (aka Jake) waiting patiently for me to snap a picture.
Jake and I were able to spend one Saturday and see several places in Hyderabad. Thankfully we had a great driver that got us from place to place, there was only one spot he wouldn’t let us go by ourselves. The Golconda fort is over 400 years old and was once famous for its diamond mines. It is said that the world-renowned “Kohinoor” diamond came from this fort.
A map of the Golconda Fort, the girls are fascinated with maps!
We had many people offer to give us a tour of the Fort (some were quite persistent too) but since Jake had gone with a guide previously he knew enough of the details and history to show me around. The Golconda fort is built on a granite hill and has 8 gates (or Darwazas as they are called in local language).
Inside the main gate (called Fateh Darwaza )at Golconda Fort
In the 16th century the Qutub Shahi kings built the Golconda Fort. The fort was originally called “Golla Konda” in Telegu which is the official state language of Hyderabad.
Place where they set up a farmer’s market in the fort
The area next to the market was the gardens where they would grow fruit trees and other vegetation. When we were there it looked like they had replanted several trees in the gardens.
The view as we were hiking up Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, India
The story regarding the fort has been told many different ways and has variations like any piece of history….. Around 1143 a shepherd boy found an idol in the rocky hill called ‘Mangalavaram’ which was given to the king, Kakatiya, who built a mud fort. Over the next 60 plus years the Qutub Shahi rulers transformed the original mud fort into a beautiful granite wonder. Golconda Fort remained a marvelous granite fortress until the Mughals invaded and plundered the fort.
The “Queen’s Pool” at Golconda Fort.
Pretty massive pool, not sure if it was used as a pool or a water retention for the rainy season or both. We went to the first in the early morning because while we were in Hyderabad the temperatures were getting over 100 degrees with humidity and not always any breeze. Thankfully they had trees planted along the way so we could enjoy a little bit of shade as we hiked up the fort.
Looking through the fort to the city of Hyderabad below us
It was pretty amazing thinking about how much time and energy it must have taken to build this huge fort. The fort overlooks the old city of Hyderabad.
There are stray dogs everywhere and since one of Jake’s co-workers got bit by a wild stray dog (and had to go to the hospital) I decide it was safer to give the dogs a pretty wide path….you never know!
This dog was actually looked pretty healthy but I wasn’t taken any chances.
Entrance to the Sri Jagadamba Mahankali Temple inside Fort Golconda
The sign lists the people on the “trust board” for this particular temple. The temples were one spot that I didn’t notice any litter and seemed to have people in the area watching the activity going on in the temple.
Jagadamba Temple inside Fort Golconda
We had to take off our shoes to go up to see this temple. The guy is currently lighting the candles and preparing the area for the next worship. It broke my heart seeing people praying, worshiping, and giving to this idol (and to many other idols throughout our trip)…..they have to work hard to “earn favor” and good standing from this idol made out of rock.
An altar where they burn incense and hang items to bring good luck before entering the Jagadamba Temple.
Seeing this brings tears to my eyes. The people I met were amazing, kind, and generous yet this altar is a reminder of how traditional Indian religion affects many generations.
I was amazed at all the liter inside the Fort which is a historical monument.
This made me appreciate those who work hard to keep our national parks and monuments clean. On the flip side there were not a lot of places to dispose of your trash. Many of the local people will go completely barefoot even on the hot stones or rocky ground. I lost count of the number of shoe soles I found laying along the paths like the person literally walked in their shoes until they fell off their feet.
Entering the royalty chambers of Fort Golconda.
I bet it was pretty amazing during its height season, wouldn’t it be neat to get a glimpse of what it looked like during that time!
India wild “squirrel” oh how Skipper would have loved to chase this one scurrying around looking for food in Fort Golconda
Aw….we found a trash can with the words “Use Me” written on it….funny part is there is trash all around it but not much in it!
Hyderabad has several official languages, one of them being English. Thankfully almost everyone we met could speak English so it was fairly easy to have a conversation with people and they were eager to talk with us too. I did notice that the men and boys would walk right up to us shake our hand and talk. The women and girls were much more reserved, often times I would feel someone looking at us or hear giggles, if I made eye contact or extended the invitation to start the conversation only then would the majority of women speak to us.
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
It has been a wonderful, crazy, and memory packed few weeks since I last updated my weekly goals. Recently I have had the opportunity to travel to several amazing places both in the USA and overseas including Qatar, India, Charleston and more! Plus we have had family and friends visiting with us from around the world too. Life has been a bundle of adventures and memories. There is so much to catch up on…. It has been several weeks since I had a “normal” week I am not sure what it looks like anymore, nevertheless, I need to re-focus and stay on top of the goals I have set for myself this year. Thanks for hanging in there with me during this time of travel and a house full of guests! I have started posting some pictures and tidbits on my adventures these last few weeks and will have more to share soon! Since I have family guests from Indonesia staying with me this week I tried to make the list short so I can spend the extra time with family.
Here is the update on last “months” goals:
Family Goals
- Connect with each family member at least once a day – there were a few days that I was not able to Skype with the girls when I was overseas
Write and mail cardsSpend quality time with Jake– I had an amazing time catching up, exploring, and traveling with my man overseasDate Night with JakeVisit extended Family– we had the opportunity to go visit Jake’s cousin Matt and his family while we were in India, we had a BLAST!
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – ummmm….I did a lot of walking and sightseeing but never really kept track of it
Finish reading Who Got Peanut Butter on My Daily Planner by Cindy Sigler Dagnam– finished reading it on the airplane- Keep an up-to-date written & photo log all the adventures this week – I took a lot of pictures, but I didn’t stay on top of the writing piece
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attention
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or LunchTake time to talk, listen, and encourage the people I encounter this weekBe a blessing to a total stranger this week– I probably could have done even more, there were so many little things that I enjoyed doing for others during my travels. Here’s one example – I gave out several disposable toothbrushes to several fellow travelers on my journeys. A couple times while I was using the Colgate Wisps someone would ask me, “where did you get that?” and after telling them I brought it with me from home I would offer them one, it was amazing how many people appreciated this simple gesture.
Financial Goals
- Stay on track with budgeted amount for the week – need to get our budget back up-to-date and back on track
Here are my goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Connect with each family member at least once a day
- Spend quality time with our Guests
- Spend quality time with Jake
- Date Night with Jake
- Participate in a fun kid activity (go to the park, play, or explore)
- Do a creative craft with the kids
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
- Finish reading How We Love Our Kids by Milan & Kay Yerkovich
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
- Take time to talk, listen, and encourage the people I encounter this week
- Be a blessing to a total stranger this week
Financial Goals
- Stay on track with budgeted amount for the week
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
One good friend is better….
Book: “Who Got Peanut Butter on My Daily Planner?” by Cindy Sigler Dagnan
One of the perks of traveling is that I get to catch up on some of the books I have been wanting to read. One of the books I read on a recent trip was Who Got Peanut Butter on My Daily Planner by Cindy Sigler Dagnan. The subtitle is organizing and loving your days as a Mom. It was a fun and lighthearted book that I enjoyed reading. The girls loved the cover of the book with the little boy spreading peanut butter on the planner. While I don’t do as much with my paper planner these days, everything has gone more digital for our family so we can keep up with everyone’s schedule, many of the principles the author talked about still apply.
She made a lot of great points about the choices we make as parents, especially as Moms. Even if I could afford to pay someone to do all the tasks I do, I could not pay them enough to love, spend time with, nurture, or share my values with my children I love this quote from Cindy Dagnam’s book because raising kids is not always easy nor do we did it perfectly but no one else can raise our kids like we do.
Every day we make choices of what to do with our time, energy and talents. While not everyday is productive it is important that we continue to invest in the lives and hearts of our children. While we as parents are raising our kids together it is also healthy for us as Moms to establish friendships with other Moms. The author gave some examples such as Women’s Bible Study, MOPS group, Girls Weekend Away, Book Club, Moms Play Group, and more.
Cindy Dagnam discussed many topics that were good reminders for me:
- Perfectionism is a load you can drop
- Ask God to help you recognize your kryptonite tendencies….rather than attempt so many things in your own strength
- God placed you in this home with this family for His purpose
- Be flexible and build extra time into your plans. Children don’t like to always be hurried.
- Memories are even more important to your children than a spotless house.
- Live your priorities and the rest will fall into place
These were some of the ones that really stood out to me because they are areas I need to work on more in my own life. At the end of each chapter there is a study and reflection section which includes questions, scripture reading, action plan, journal, and a verse to memorize. If your a Mom of kids, especially young ones this is a wonderful book to read. The author does a good job of reminding us that we are not perfect but with a lot of prayer we can still make a positive impact on our husband and children.
Travel & Vacation: First Day in Hyderabad, India
Alligator made out of bread at the breakfast buffet in the hotel. Some of the animals they made out of bread everyday were pretty amazing.
I was so excited to finally see Jake again after being apart for almost a month! He was waiting patiently at the airport when I arrived at 2 am in the morning in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. It took me over an hour to get through security, customs, and find my luggage. Jake had to work that day so after breakfast together at the hotel I was left to entertain myself. It was pretty easy to stay entertained, there are so many things to see. I literally could have stood at the hotel window and watched all the activity on the street below with all the cars, trucks, people, rigshaws, auto-rigshaws, stray dogs, and everything else it was quite mesmerizing.
I explored a little bit but stuck near the hotel, went swimming, and tried to keep myself awake so I could adjust to the different time zone. India is 9 1/2 hours ahead of our time here in South Carolina. Thankfully Jake didn’t have to go in until later that morning and he had a driver come pick me up late that afternoon to take me to his place of work so I only had a few hours to entertain myself. Here’s a few pictures from my first day in Hyderabad:
I loved the Hotel’s packs of sugar, each sugar pack had little ants printed on it.
It was so much fun to meet the people Jake had been interacting with for several weeks. The guy that brought us coffee the first morning I was there for breakfast always had one waiting for us at our table before we sat down. A couple of the hotel staff said it was great to finally meet me, Jake had talked about me and they had seen me on Skype. The service and people at the hotel were amazing.
The hotel had a beautiful roof top pool.
After exploring for a little bit I decided to get my vitamin D and go for a swim. It was refreshing and relaxing, I only saw two other people in the pool the entire time I was at the hotel maybe it was the time of day or just not a popular activity. It was a very peaceful place to hang out.
Watching traffic from the hotel, the red box looking item in the back right of the picture is a police box (you can actually see the police officer sitting in it).
You see these a lot at busy intersections in town that don’t have traffic lights. During rush hour the police officer will come out into the middle of the street and direct traffic. It looks pretty crazy seeing a person standing in the middle of cars going every direction. As you can see in this picture cars, motorcycles, auto rigshaws and everything else are sharing lanes. There were many times I could have rolled down the window and touched the person next to me because the vehicles get so close in traffic (especially the motorcycles) and many times there are no lanes marked or you’ll meet a vehicle going the wrong way. With all the traffic there is also a steady stream of honking even during the night.
A lot of construction going on in HiTech City, Hyderabad.
Jake was even there when the first McDonald’s in the HiTech City of Hyderabad opened. These are just a few of the buildings going up next to the hotel where we were staying.
Guards at the gate outside the hotel, before a car can enter the hotel property it must be checked by the guards.
Twenty-four hours a day they had a set of guards on the outer perimeter at the gate and another check point with guards prior to entering the hotel. See the shiny rectangular object in the middle of the picture, that is a mirror they use to check under the cars for bombs. Every car had to be checked prior to entering the property.
Taking a few minutes to relax and catch up on all the news in India on my first day in Hyderabad! The Times of India newspaper – March 16, 2012
Pepsi was in India but it looked and tasted different.
I am not a huge soda (or pop as some call it) drinker but I noticed in Hyderabad Pepsi appeared to be more popular. The can looked different and when I snagged a sip from Jake the taste was noticeably different too. Another interesting thing I noticed is that our cans are 12 oz cans the ones I saw in India were 11 oz cans.
Jake received a beautiful boutique of flowers upon his arrival in Hyderabad. By the time I arrived several weeks later the flowers had dried but they were still really pretty!
It was a really sweet and thoughtful gesture from the people he worked with overseas. The people we encountered during our time in India were very gracious and hospitable.
Part of Jake’s team in Hyderabad. It was really neat to meet everyone and spend a little time with them.
I came over towards the end of the work day and was able to talk more with the different team members over their evening snack. Two of the workers gave Jake & I their snack so that we could see what it tasted like. This is just another example of the kindness and generosity we experienced while visiting India.
Jake’s office in Hyderabad
Even though we saw this office many times on Skype during our time apart it was nice to see it in person!
Catching up on my current events with “India Today” while waiting a few minutes in the lobby for Jake.
We ended the evening with a quiet, romantic, and delicious dinner together.
After a busy day of trying to stay awake so I could adjust to the new time zone this was the perfect way to relax and catch up. The food was amazing and the service from the restaurant staff was excellent! Jake was so thoughtful, he had picked out and bought a pearl necklace for me which he gave to me that evening. I didn’t realize until reading about it but Hyderabad is also called “Pearl City” and well known for its pearls.
Just as we got back to our room at the hotel a beautiful display of fireworks started going off outside our window, talk about perfect timing! A lot of times on Friday evening during a Holiday (and I arrived on a Holiday week) they will celebrate by lighting off fireworks. I arrived on the weekend of the Hindu “Ugadi” Holiday which is celebrated as New Year’s Day and the celebration of Spring.
It was a great first day in Hyderabad. I am thankful for the opportunity to travel and experience such an awesome culture!
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: Flying Overseas with Qatar Airways – Doha, Qatar
The airplane was huge! I was not able to get a picture of it because I boarded at night, this picture was taken the next morning and yes that is ice frozen onto the window! Beautiful views from the airplane!
Recently my husband spent a month in India working. Thankfully I was able to go over to spend some time with him and visit family. My parents were sweet enough to watch the girls for us and take them to school so I could fly over and see Jake. I was super excited to see Jake after being apart for almost a month. I am not sure how military and other families handle all the travel time because a month was a very long time for us to be apart and there were some tough days. Being apart a week here and there has been fine but by the time it came for me to spend two days traveling I was a little nervous going through several different airports and countries by myself but it was worth it knowing Jake was on the other end. I was gone for two weeks, went through 12 airports, and thankfully my luggage never got lost! Aww….there is so much that has happened over the past couple months, looking forward to sharing with you!
Traveling on Qatar Airways was very pleasant considering how long we were on the airplane. The “moving map” was probably my favorite thing to keep up on my TV screen as I was reading I would occasionally look up and see all the details of the flights.
This screen shot shows:
- Local Time at Origin: 9:41 am
- Local Time at Destination: 4:41 pm
- Outside Air Temperature: -44 degree Celsius
- Ground Speed: 568 mph
- True Airspeed: 561 mph
- Altitude: 35000 feet
Since we were going to several different locations we actually were traveling on several different airlines – US Airways, United Airlines, Qatar, Kingfisher, and IndiGo. Kingfisher was the only one that we had any major complications with and that was because the government froze all its assets and it went bankrupt the week we were flying with them. All our scheduled Kingfisher flights got canceled, at one point they re-routed our flight to a different city, the schedule had to be juggled around, and we had to switch airlines for one of the flights but otherwise it was pretty smooth trip. Qatar was my favorite, which is good since it was the longest leg of our trip both ways. They had bigger seats that reclined more, individual TVs, headphones, pillow, blanket, delicious meals, and a goody bag (with items like ear plugs, socks, toothbrush & toothpaste, a blind fold). I flew coach the entire way and it was a great experience for me.
When you look at the map it really doesn’t look too far, until you realize you just flew halfway across the world! The longest part of the trip was from Washington, DC to Doha, Qatar.
What an amazing blessing it was to fly overseas. I met some of the most wonderful people from around the world during my trip. I was able to share stories and experiences, learn about many different cultures and families, laugh with other women over silly stuff even though we couldn’t understand everything each other was saying, give out disposable toothbrushes to fellow travelers, and so much more. Even though a couple weeks have passed since traveling I am still processing all the great things about the trip. I am thankful for the wonderful opportunity and the people I was able to meet during my trip. It really was a true joy just talking with people from around the world and I pray that through my conversations, actions, and interactions that I made a positive impact on the lives of the people I met.
Almost to the end of my long flight! On the map you can see Ad-Dammam, Bahrain, and Qatar. It is my first time in Doha, Qatar!
Even though I traveled over on my own it was a really pleasant experience. I am thankful for the many people I met. I sat next to really neat and thoughtful people. Only one person had a panic attack in flight which was a really “interesting” experience. The guy having a panic attack was in the back of the airplane (row 37 and I was in row 13 with my headphones on watching a movie) and I could hear him yelling. He was yelling for one of the guys sitting next to me. Thankfully the stewardess didn’t have to restrain him but I did have a several different people that I sat next to since the stewardess had to juggle around some passengers. My heart went out to all the families with small children as they tried to keep them content for so long, they must have been exhausted by the end of the trip. There were many exciting stories and crazy little things that happened along the way which made the experience a fun adventure!
The girls are convinced they are ready to go overseas now! They really want to go this summer but since we were just there, they don’t have their passports yet, and the summer is already full we told them maybe the next time we travel overseas they can come. I think the best part of the flight, according to the girls, was that they served us ice cream for a snack (they’ve never had ice cream on a plane before)!
My family loves to travel, both flying and road trips. Over the years (and after many trips) we have discovered ways to make the trips more enjoyable for whole family. Do you travel overseas a lot? What airlines have been your favorite? Do you have any tips for flying with your family?
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!
Easter Celebrations
It has been a super busy 2012 with all the traveling and activities. I am thankful for the opportunity to spend time with family and friends, but I have been a little behind with my blog updates. Easter week we spent part of our time in Charleston since it was the girls Spring Break and the other part in Greenville. Here are a few highlights from our 2012 Easter Celebrations:
Easter Eggs being dropped by a Hot Air Balloon at Rock Springs. It was fascinating to watch all the eggs falling from the Hot Air Balloon.
We were in Charleston the week of Easter so we went to an Easter story time at the small “village” library in Mount Pleasant. It was a cute little library and the people were super sweet. The girls loved listening to the librarian read Easter stories!
Our neighbors brought over these super cute Easter goodies for the girls when we got back from Charleston. It was a little toy and candy combination which was a huge hit with the girls. It had a bunny rabbit on a bicycle carrying an egg full of jellybeans. Thankful for our neighbors, it was a thoughtful gift. The expressions on Karlie and Brina’s faces in this picture crack me up!
Easter basket goodies! Some fun socks, games, candy, and goodies to celebrate the Holiday.
Trail of Easter Eggs from their bedroom door through the kitchen all the way to the table. The girls were so excited to discover them that morning. You know your kids are getting older when they “ask permission” before picking up and opening the trail of Easter eggs.
Neat craft the girls did in Sunday School. They took a bowl added some dirt, used a twisty tie and sticks to make a cross, a rock, and half an Easter egg. They planted grass seeds in the dirt too. It was a wonderful Easter craft for the kids! Both girls could explain the significance of the cross, tomb (egg), and the rock. The girls loved this activity and I give whoever came up with this idea a double thumbs up!
Karlie on focused on hunting Easter eggs
Brina found a blue egg hidden in the grass
The extra special “car” eggs had a surprise in them…..loose change!
We had fun coloring eggs together as a family on Easter Sunday, here’s one carton full of eggs we did. Thankful for a time to relax and enjoy some time with the family while celebrating the Easter Holiday.
