Family Fun
Flashback Friday – General KaDargo
Dargo sporting some Christmas wrapping paper!
Today we are flashing back to Christmas 2004! General KaDargo was the first dog Jake and I had together after getting married. We called him Dargo for short. His name was taken from a character on the Farscape show. We got Dargo a couple years after we had been married.
He was a big black lab, but a real sweetheart. In this picture Jake had wrapped him in Christmas wrapping paper. He was being good sport while silently begging me to help him get it off! The kids were pretty little when he got cancer, but we have a lot of great memories with this wonderful dog. It is amazing how quickly animals can become one of the family!
Yes, That’s What My Kids Do During Their Free Time!
I love my kids! Sometimes the activities they do during their “free time” make me smile. The other day as I was walking through the dining room the dry erase board caught my attention. During their free time earlier that day they decided to work on some fun math skills. They enjoy pretending to teach school to their sibling or stuffed animals.
The best part of this play time is it provides additional learning opportunities for the kids. They get a chance to practice more of their skills therefore helping them solidify the multiplication facts more clearly. While they do not do this every time they have free time it is a fairly common occurrence at our house. I am thankful for kids who love to learn. Hope they continue to foster that love of learning for their entire life.
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Recipes: Ham & Rice Stir Fry
Jake made this delicious Ham & Rice Stir Fry for dinner the other day. He made this out of leftovers we already had in the fridge. It was a hit with the family. Thankful for a husband who is great in the kitchen!
Ham & Rice Stir Fry Recipe:
- 2 cups Ham, cubed
- 2 cups Fresh Vegetables (broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and onions)
- 4 cups Steamed Rice
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Canola Oil
Heat the Canola Oil on medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook for 2 minutes. Mix in the fresh vegetables. Cook for additional 5 minutes. Add the rice and soy sauce. Gently mix together for additional 5 minutes and serve hot.
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Soda Pop Top Ribbon Bracelets
Two of the “Soda Pop Top Ribbon Bracelets” we made!
The girls have been collecting Soda Pop Tops from my husbands aluminum soda pop cans for the last few months. The other day we got all the soda pop tops out and made a bunch of cool bracelets. It was a lot of fun! We came up with some neat bracelets that we made out of the recycled soda pop tops!
These are super simple to make even for the kids to do themselves. There are so many variations you can make with these bracelets. Attached are pictures of four different types of bracelets we made that day. The kids also made decorative belts for themselves and a matching belt for their baby doll out of the recycled soda pop tops too!
You can use any ribbon you want! For this simple Soda Pop Top Ribbon Bracelet we choose white with red hearts. This would be a great Valentine’s Day goody your kids can make to share with their friends at school.
The bracelets were adjustable – wrap it around your wrist and weave the leftover strand of ribbon into the next one or two soda pop tops to lock it in place. It was very easy to take it on or off. With the ribbons we used the bracelet stayed on really well, we didn’t have any problems with them slipping off. If you have a thinner more flexible ribbon you can tie the two ends together in the back instead of weaving it through the pop tops.
Here’s another example of the Soda Pop Top Ribbon Bracelet with the simple weave as well,but with gold ribbon. The gold color really popped out against the silver pop tops!
This one was fun too! We used the same ribbon, but on this one we overlapped the pop tops and only weaved the bottom row which gave this bracelet a more 3D look which was super cute!
This Soda Pop Top Ribbon Bracelet turned out really well. We weaved the ribbon through a double layer of overlapping pop tops. The bracelet was thicker, but still comfortable and fun to wear.
The blue double layer soda pop top bracelet! They kids has a blast putting together all kinds of cool bracelets in various colors and styles. It was fun to see them use their creativity. They have worn these bracelets several times already and get a lot of compliments. These bracelets are simple and unique which make them fun to wear.
First Lego League: Robotics STEM Competition – Solar SySTEM!
Very excited! Their team won a 1st place Trophy and a Gold Ticket to the SC State Robotics Competition!
The girls Solar SySTEM Lego Robotics STEM Club team went to the regional competitions this past weekend! It was a long and busy Saturday day. We left the house before sun up so we could be in Seneca by 7:20 am and didn’t get home until after 6 pm that night. The girls team had several rounds at the competition. They were scored in multiple areas and did well!
Three rounds of their robot completing tasks on the map which they scored pretty high on. Another part of the competition was their core values which is their team spirit and how they interact with the other teams. They have to give a presentation on this piece as well in front of the judges. Another piece of the competition was their research, project, and presentation which the kids presented in front of the judges on their own. They won the first place trophy in this category (on their research, project, and presentation).
The work is done by the students from the logo design, research, development, presentations, and so much more! The team worked so well together and put in a lot of hours working on their research, development, robotics, and project. They do the majority of their work in front of the judges with no coaches or parents in the room (we can’t even watch, but thankfully they had it video taped). The only piece the parents and coaches can watch is the one when they do their robotic map missions otherwise they are on their own once in the room and in front of the judges.
The team pick a solar system theme. They named their team the Solar SySTEM and the catch phrase is “Stay in Orbit”! The research project they decided to do was to build a computer game that would help kids learn more about the solar system. They named their robot, SpaceBot!
It was a super busy and long day for the kids, but they were awesome. There were 21 teams competing that day so it was a real honor to win a trophy and get the opportunity to move forward. Their hard work really paid off with the trophy and qualifying for the SC Competition! WooHoo! Very proud of the girls and their team!
Playing a hangman game before competition starts!
Karlie all smiles after the first robotic map round when they scored all 100 points!
Their robot going through the tasks on the map!
Brina hanging up their spirit posters.
Their team going through the tasks on the robot map!
Watching carefully to make sure the robot goes through all its tasks!
Gathering some of the props for their presentation!
Karlie ready to go speak!
Coming back after their presentation! They rocked it and got the 1st place trophy!!!
Getting their trophy!
Karlie with Mrs. Johnson one of their coaches who also teaches STEM Lab and her GT class!
Solar SySTEM team and coaches! They did AWESOME!!!
“Thinking of You” Star Balloon!
One of my daughters had a minor surgery (she got a set of tubes put in her ears) a couple weeks ago. Her sister wanted to pick up a get well balloon for her for after the surgery. We went to the Dollar Store and she picked out a balloon that she thought would “make her smile”.
Instead of the traditional get well balloon she got a star balloon because her sister loves anything related to space. The balloon was a big hit and is still floating above her bed even now. It amazes me how long the Dollar Tree balloons can stay up!
This little gesture of kindness, from sister to sister, reminds me of how thankful I am for kids who are thoughtful and loving (most days) towards their family members. Sometimes it’s the little things you do or acts of kindness that make the biggest impact on the lives of others. We need to do more acts of kindness to show we care for our family, friends, and those around us. It only takes a little effort from us, but it may go a long way in lifting someone’s spirits, much like this balloon lifted my daughter’s spirits.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
It was a great week. The girls had a crazy schedule with Lego STEM Robotics competition (FLL – First Lego League) and extra practice this week on top of all the regular activities. They did a FANTASTIC job at their regional competition! Their team won the 1st place trophy for their project, research, and presentation. They also won the GOLD TICKET which means they are going on to State Competition! WooHoo! Very proud of the kids and all the hard work they have done this year. Go Solar SySTEM!!!
I had a few extra external activities this week, but was able to make some good progress on other projects at home. Starting to feel a little better so hoping to resume the majority of my normal activities and get a lot accomplished. Although, I over did it one day last week and I paid for it for 2 days afterward so hopefully I can make a lot of progress forward without over doing it with my neck. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows to the kids – continuing to read it to the kids (didn’t get to read every night with all the extra activities and homework)
Plan one special activity with the familyPlay a Game with the KidsPrepare for Upcoming Winter EventsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforeSTEM Competition
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day- Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – narrowing down plan options
Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – it took me a little over a day with all the activities
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the weekUse up food items in our pantry and freezer- Clean House (Focus – Basement) – made some progress
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Pantry) – working on it
Yard Cleanup (Focus – Clean Up Old Storage Shed)Pet Care (Focus – Find a New Location for Skipper’s Doghouse)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep 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 Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)- working on it
Pay Bills & File PaperworkGo grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
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
- Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
- Clean House (Focus – Master Bedroom & Master Bathroom)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Kitchen)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Leaves)
- Pet Care (Focus – Fix the Goat Fence)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- 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 Car
- Sale Some Items No Longer Using on Facebook / Craigslist
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
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.
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