Events
First Day of School 2012
Karlie and Brina ready for their first day of school 2012
How is it possible that school is already starting again?! It seems like summer vacation just started and in a blink of my eye it is now gone. The girls started school this Tuesday. They were sad to say goodbye to summer and all the fun adventures that we had together but at the same time they were excited to start school again too.
They each picked out their own backpacks, school supplies, and clothes that they wanted to wear on the first day of school. This is the first year that they have separate teachers. So far they have been thrilled with having different classrooms. It has been more work for Mom and Dad because even though they are in the same grade the teacher policies, homework, and many other activities are different.
Karlie’s all ready to go!
Brina is ready for me to finish taking pictures so she can go to school!
I am praying that this school year is an amazing time of growth for both of the girls. It is hard to see my baby girls growing up so quickly. They are an amazing blessing in my life and I love them dearly. I look forward to seeing all the awesome things they will learn this year!
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week we went with Jake to Charleston. It was great spending time together! The girls had a blast in Charleston….it was their last week before school starts again. Thankful for a great summer with our girls.
Last week’s goals:
Family Goals
Read regularly to the girls and have them read to meParticipate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the KidsSpend time with family before the kids go back to school– went to Charleston with the familyGet the girls items packed for schoolGo to the pool / beach– went to the pool, park, and beachDoctor Appointments complete before school starts– had a lot of appointments (teeth, eyes, ears, etc…)
Personal Goals
Exercise at least 5 days this week– went to the pool, park and beach this week!
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 – didn’t get it done with all the traveling this week
- Prep for my Fall Organizational Schedule – wasn’t able to get it done
Pay all upcoming bills
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 Lunch
Financial Goals
Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses – temporary on hold
- Car Fund – save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled – working on it
- College Fund – put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes – on hold momentarily
My goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Read regularly to the girls and have them read to me
- Participate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the Kids
- Girls Packed and Ready to Start School on Tuesday
- Get into the School Routine
Personal Goals
- Exercise at least 5 days this week
- Attend a Beth Moore Conference with friends
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
- Prep for my Fall Organizational Schedule
- 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
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
- Prep for upcoming Alms & Legs Meeting
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses
- Car Fund – save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled
- College Fund – put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes
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.
Hug in the Mail
Karlie sending a hug in the mail to Daddy!
When Jake was away on a trip the girls wanted to send him a hug since they couldn’t hug him in person. If you cannot read the card it says:
Since we cannot be there to “hug” you in person we are sending you a “mail hug”. I love you Babycake! Spread out the hands in the card and that is the biggest hug the person who did it can give you. XOXO
Laying down with her arms spread out as wide so she can give Daddy the biggest hug possible! I traced her hands on the paper and cut a string of thread the length of her arms and taped it to the back of the hands after she decorated it.
Karlie showing off her giant hug!
Karlie’s Message – “I love you Daddy. You are the best. Good is fun. I love you.”
Brina decorating her mail hug for Daddy!
Brina showing off her hug that she is sending to Daddy!
Sending my Handsome Man a hug in the mail!
Gift Giving: Welcome Home Basket for My Sweetheart
Basket full of goodies for my handsome man!
When Jake goes away on a business trip I try to have something special for him when he gets back home. Recently I had this basket full of goodies waiting for him on the couch upon his return. The basket included:
- Love Note
- 2 bags Original Chex Mix
- 2 pack Hand Sanitizer
- Sheets Energy Strips – Cinnamon and Berry Blast
- Peanuts
- Rolo’s wrapped in a red Love Note
Inside the wrapping paper – “I love the way you roll!”
I am thankful for a husband who loves me, works hard to provide for our family, and is an amazing Daddy to our girls. These little gifts are just one of the ways I love to remind him of how much he means to us. The kids have a blast helping pick out something special to “welcome” Daddy back home whether it is a balloon, a favorite food, special drink, sign, drawings, cards and more. Every time I try to do a different surprise and in various locations in the house to mix it up a little bit for him. I have a lot of fun doing it for him and I know it is appreciated too.
Family Activities: Date Night Wish Lists
Found one of Brina’s Date Night Wish lists from earlier this year!
Jake and I try to routinely go on a Date Night with the girls. He’ll take one out and I will take the other girl out on a Date. Sometimes we’ll ask them to write out a list of some fun activities they would like to do during Date Night. As I was going back over some things I came across these two lists from earlier in the year. They made me smile reading them and remembering all the fun memories. Many of the activities are free they just require some extra time and attention.
Karlie’s Date Night Wish List for her Date with Daddy
We like to request these lists every few months because it gives us a good idea of what is important to our kids. So often we think the big elaborate activities are the most fun but after talking with them and reading their lists sometimes they would rather sit down and read a book with you, look through the telescope, picnic in the park, play ball, go look at animals at the pet store, or even a trip to the library. Just reading these lists again make me thankful for my girls and the little activities that make an big impact on their hearts and lives. Spending time together one-on-one and as a family is more important then all the trinkets in the world. These date nights are priceless memories that have opened up many wonderful conversations with our girls. They always look forward to their special date nights!
Do you plan one-on-one time with your children? If so what activities do you enjoy doing together?
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!
Travel & Vacation: We Made it to Bangalore! (part 2)
A little critter on their porch…..thankfully the little lizard is on the outside of the house! One of them did make it into our room but thankfully Jake and the kids were able to catch it quickly.
A little critter on their porch…..thankfully the little lizard is on the outside of the house (at the moment)!
Fresh watermelon stand, you can buy a whole watermelon or a slice from the box.
Burning the fields and underbrush, you see this often in India! You will often see a pile trash burning on the side of the road or paths.
A village near Bangalore
Monkeys on the side of the road!
A lady walking on the side of the road carrying a pile of sticks on her head. A common sight in India!
Two ladies carrying potted flowers on their head.
PVP Indus Day 2011 – 2012…..Respect, Love, Discipline, Empathy. The kids school put together an amazing presentation. It was really neat to watch all the performances that the kids had worked so hard on over the past couple of months.
Rachel dressed as the wind!
Erica all pretty in her beautiful costume!
David up on stage
Mike up on stage as a panda bear….his class did Noah’s ark!
Rachel on stage as the wind!
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!
Song: “The Marriage Prayer” by John Waller
This week Jake and I celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary! YAY! It is hard to believe it has been 12 years it has gone by so fast! We have created so many amazing memories together and I look forward to making many more as we journey through the years together. God has been good to us and faithful even in the storms. I am very thankful for a wonderful husband. Jake has been extremely loving, kind, and patient with me even when I don’t deserve it. I am very blessed. As I was thinking about all our years together I wanted to find a song in celebration of our anniversary week. I want both our marriage to continue growing stronger as well as our personal relationships with God and this song says it well.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
The girls are excited about getting to go to Grandpa and Grandma’s VBS program. We are all looking forward to spending some time with family this week at the family reunion.
Last week’s goals:
Family Goals
Read regularly to the girls and have them read to meParticipate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the KidsGet to the Final Goal Mark (2000 minutes) on the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading minutes)Spend time with extended family- Narrow down what type of vehicle we want to get – still working on it
Personal Goals
Spend extra time helping and making memories with my extended family
Home Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day- Work on My Summer Organizational Schedule – didn’t get much done with all the travel last week
Pack for upcoming family reunionPay all upcoming billsClean house prior to traveling
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork on projects with the family business
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses – will work on it more once the car is purchased
- Car Fund – save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled – still saving for a new vehicle
- College Fund – put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes – on hold temporarily until we purchase a new car
My goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Attend Family Reunion
- Read regularly to the girls and have them read to me
- Participate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the Kids
- Plan out the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading minutes) Grand Prize for Completion
- Spend time with extended family
- Narrow down what type of vehicle we want to get
Personal Goals
- Spend extra time helping and making memories with my extended family
Home Management Goals
- Put mail on hold for when we are away
- Line up someone to come by and check on the house / pets while we are away
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work on projects with the family business
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses
- Car Fund – save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled
- College Fund – put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes
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.
Travel & Vacation: Quick Trip to Nebraska & Kansas
Brina having a blast swimming at the pool in Nebraska
Earlier this year our family made a quick trip out to Nebraska and Kansas for a conference. During the trip we got to spend some time hanging out with family too. While Jake and I attended the conference the girls got to hang out with Grandma Penny. They had a blast swimming, going to the Children’s Museum and more.
Watch this! Karlie preparing for her next dive! Love the blue goggles and floats, she cracks me up!
Crashed after a fun day with Grandma…..can you guess whose wearing the “heart” pjs and who is wearing the “rockets”, ha?! I think it is hilarious that they have a queen bed with covers yet they are laying on top of the sheet and barely even using a pillow. You can tell from this picture which one wiggles around the most in her action packed dreams.
Slumber party in the living room at Grandpa and Grandma’s with the cousins
One of the best parts about going to Kansas is seeing family. The girls always love hanging out and playing with their cousins Nathan and Brandon. The kids have a blast together!
Grandma set up a craft for the kids. They were super excited and it kept them entertained for quite some time. It was fun listening to them chitchat while creating their cool designs.
Kids being kids….doing jumping jacks, playing Simon Says, and having fun
Early morning Kansas Sunrise (taken through the car window on our way back to the airport). Kansas has some pretty amazing sunrises and sunsets.
The girls were concerned that the girls bathroom also served as the “Tornado Shelter” for the Grand Island airport. It was a really nice and small airport, thankfully no tornadoes came while we were there.
Hanging out at the kids section burning off extra energy before our next flight out of the Dallas Airport. This picture was taken only a few moments before Karlie spit out her lose tooth. She has a thing with traveling and losing her teeth for some reason because most of the ones that have fallen out have been away from home (in the Dallas airport, at a hotel in Charleston, eating a tomato at VBS, etc…). I am thankful for the fun times and great memories with family! I am already gearing up for next fun adventure to the Midwest which will be here before we know it.
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!
