Events

  • Family Outings: A Walk in the Park

    Brina and Karlie pausing “briefly” on our walk so I can snap a picture!

    Every once in awhile when the girls are off school and it is a beautiful day we get to meet Daddy for a quick picnic and walk in the park.  Legacy Park is pretty close to Jake’s work so he can pop over and meet us over his lunch hour.  I think the girls get more excited about going for a walk around the park then eating, ha!

    Legacy Park has paved paths for walking, biking or jogging plus a playground for the kids, beach volleyball, and a big open field perfect for flying kites or playing soccer.  On those hot days they have plenty of shade and restrooms (which are very nice for little kids).  I treasure these moments when we get get together over the lunch hour to grab a bite to eat, walk, talk, and play together as a family.  I think it is important to have some relaxing times built into our schedules.  Not only do we get a few extra minutes together as a family we get fresh air and some exercise which is beneficial for all of us!

    Do you have a park you enjoy going to for a picnic or to play?

  • Family Fun: Rocket Sprinkler

    One of the benefits to living in South Carolina is you still have warm days even in the Fall and Winter. Yes, last week it got down to 14 degrees at night but the by the end of the week we were enjoying 60 to 70 degree weather.  To help everyone think “warm” thoughts this cool winter I decided to post a fun warm weather activity that you can look forward to doing with your kids before long.

    Rocket Sprinkler blasting off!  Jake had a sprinkler similar to this one growing up (his was a clown).  At the end of summer we bought this rocket.  Since we have a girl that LOVES rockets when this sprinkler went on clearance for a couple dollars I decided it was worth trying it out!

    The rocket sailing through the air!  The girls love spending time outside playing.  The sprinkler provides a great source of entertainment (when it is warm enough).  It might be a few more weeks….

    Brina and Karlie running around in the sprinkler and getting ready to shoot the rocket off again.

    The girls have a fun time playing in the yard splashing around in the water, climbing on the jungle gym, running around with Skipper (our black lab), drawing with chalk, riding bikes or many of the other fun outside activities.  I am thankful to have a yard were they can run and play.  I am looking forward to even more fun activities as we move closer to Spring and the weather continues to warm up, maybe even a couple “snow” days too. 

  • Family Activities: Enjoying Time with Extended Family (Part 2)

    There are so many things I have to be thankful for in my life with family being one of the top on the list. As a child I had the privilege of knowing and having wonderful memories with all four of my Great Grandma’s.  All four of my Grandparents are still healthy and are now able to be a part of my girls lives.  It is exciting to see my girls spend time and with their Grandparents and Great Grandparents because I know these precious times together are memories they will cherish.  I posted a few other pictures in an earlier post.  Here are a few pictures from our most recent visit with our Grandparents, Great Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles in South Carolina.

    Great Grandpa CE reading books to Karlie and Brina.  The girls were super excited about all the fun playing and book reading while everyone was visiting us. 

    Uncle Josh helped the girls put together a huge marble mazes!  They were quite impressed with his building skills and loved racing the marbles through the maze.  Karlie is racing her marbles while Uncle Josh helps Brina put hers together.

    Grandma Penny coloring with Brina.  Thankful for a time to relax and enjoy spending time with family.  Brina’s was thrilled to have some time coloring with Grandma Penny.

    Karlie is quite pleased with the lego, marble maze, and horse farm that Uncle Josh helped her put together.

    We had a blast with everyone visiting for several days.  The time flew by quickly and before we knew it everyone was leaving.  The girls did pretty well with saying goodbye to everybody but as they watched the car drive away they started crying…..  When asked why they were crying Brina said “I had so much fun I wasn’t ready for them to go yet.” and Karlie said “It went by too fast…I don’t think it was really 4 days…”  I am thankful for the opportunity to spend time with family; these moments spent together become treasured memories for the entire family.

  • Family Activities: Enjoying Time with Extended Family

    I was going through some pictures (from the 2011 Fall Season) and realized I never posted anything about our visit from extended family members. My parents, little brother and grandparents were able to come out for a few days and spend some time with us. We were blessed to have some time with everyone. The girls LOVED having Grandpa Russell, Grandma Penny, Uncle Josh, Great Grandpa CE, and Great Grandma Willa staying at our house.  It reminds me of how important it is that we spend time with those we love whenever we have the opportunity to get together.

    Playing outside with Grandma.  Brina and Karlie blowing bubbles on Skipper while Skipper looks at me as if to say “do you see what I have to put up with!”

    Brina and Karlie giggling as they chase Skipper across the yard.

    No sleeping in Uncle Josh, it is time to play!  They don’t give him much of an option to rest with all their “Uncle Josh, let’s go…..Uncle Josh will you play with me, Uncle Josh…….”  Brina’s ready to go roller blading and Karlie has a lot of fun stories to tell!  Brina and Karlie have fun when Uncle Josh is over reading books and playing. 

    Convinced Uncle Josh to read them a few books.  Here they are reading a book from the library called “Hot Fudge”

    Playing a round of Wits & Wagers with Dad, Josh, Grandpa CE and Grandma Willa.  We received this game as a gift and since then have gotten several other family members and friends hooked on the game.  If you are looking for a great family game with a bunch of fun facts check out Wits & Wagers!

    It was a fun extended weekend with family.  We played games, read books, spent time outside, celebrated my nephew Nicholas’s first birthday and enjoyed great fellowship together.  I am truly grateful that the girls have the opportunity to spend time with not only their grandparents, but great grandparents as well as Aunts and Uncles.  It was a fun weekend full of great memories for everyone! 🙂


  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    The week started off with some one-on-one time with Jake and I as the girls returned to school followed by some fun family time together.  It is rare to have several hours at home alone with Jake so we spent some quiet time talking, relaxing, playing games and working on projects together.  Having those few hours together was refreshing which helped jump start our 2012 year.  I am ready to pick back up on speed with setting and following my goals, thanks for your encouragement and keeping me accountable.

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Spend extra time with my family while the girls are on Christmas Break!

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – didn’t quite make it this week
    2. Listen to Dumping Debt by Dave Ramsey

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Pay off remaining debt – We made it, the final payments are being made on the last two items!  Now we can start working on saving for  our 3 month Emergency Fund

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
    4. Set up a Date Night for Jake & I and a Date Night for the Kids
    5. Thank You notes written and sent for the Christmas Gifts

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday
    3. Finish reading The 60-Minute Money Workout by Ellie Kay
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the office

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Plan new implementations for blog
    5. Schedule client meetings at least 2 weeks in advance

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Write and send out Meeting Notes from our January Alms & Legs Team Ministry meeting

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – start saving 3 months worth of living expenses

    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

  • Family Recipe: Great Grandma Miller’s Ultimate Cheesecake

    Jake’s Mom shared Great Grandma Miller’s Ultimate Cheesecake recipe with me before we were married.  I love that this recipe has been in the family for years and it is a great base to many amazing cheesecake recipes.  You can top the cheesecake with cherries, chocolate, strawberries or anything that you enjoy with cheesecake.

    Great Grandma Miller’s Ultimate Cheesecake:

    • 1 cup crushed Graham Crackers or Chocolate Cookies
    • 1 tablespoon melted Butter
    • 5 (8 oz) packages Cream Cheese
    • 1 3/4 cup Sugar
    • 3 tablespoons Flour
    • 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla
    • 5 Eggs
    • 2 Egg Yolks
    • 1/4 cup Heavy Cream

    Mix crushed graham crackers and melted butter then press into a 9 inch springform.   Mix cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla at high speed.  Beat in eggs and yolks one at a time until smooth.  Beat in cream.  Pour on top of the crust.  Bake at 450 for 10 minutes and one hour at 250 degrees.  Cool on rack for two hours.  Top with your favorite cheesecake topping (strawberries, cherries, chocolate, blueberries, etc…).

    Photo Credit

  • Teaching Our Children: Teamwork and Manners

    Playing outside with the neighbor kids. Karlie and Brina working together to push their friend up the driveway!

    Our neighborhood is pretty small and currently we are the only family on the street that is not retired.  I am thankful for our neighbors and we have grown to really enjoy them over the past few years.  A year ago another family lived on the street with kids about the same age as the girls and they would come over a couple times a week to play.  They only moved a few miles away and since their grandparents still live in our neighborhood they come over every couple weeks or so to play.

    If it is a nice day the kids have a blast outside running, swinging, riding bikes, and playing together.  I am thankful for the opportunity to spend a few minutes with our neighbor and the kids love being able to play with their friends.  The picture above was taken a few weeks ago when their friends come to play.  The kids took turns riding the “go cart” as the girls call it down the driveway and pushing each other back up the driveway.  As I was watching the kids play together I was reminded of the importance of having friends over to play.  There are many valuable learning benefits to having friends over to play, here’s just a few:

    • Taking Turns – it teaches the kids the importance of taking turns so everyone has the opportunity to enjoy playing.
    • Sharing – a toy may have been given to your child, however, when friends are over your child will learn how to share those toys and have fun.
    • Teamwork – when siblings or friends work together it is pretty amazing what they can do.  Even though this “go cart” is pretty heavy for one kid to push up the driveway when they work together they can get it up the driveway more quickly thus giving the kids more turns to ride the go cart.
    • Friendship – having guests over allows your kids to learn valuable characteristics in a friendship.
    • Conflict Resolution – When you have a group of kids for an extended period of time something is bound to happen (someone’s not taking turns, a child is losing a game, a toy gets broken, someone skins a knee, etc..)   Sometimes you need to step in and play referee during the event and other times it is best to speak with your child after the activities once the friends have gone home.  Life doesn’t always go perfectly which allows great teaching moments for children.

    Next time your children have friends over don’t worry about the mess, instead focus on making that time a learning opportunity for your children.  When everything goes well thank them for playing nicely, using their manners, and being a true friend while their guests were over.  If something happens (not taking turns, sharing, showing characteristics of a true friendship) take the opportunity to talk about what happened and how to do better next time.

    These activities with our children provide great reminders for us as parents as well.  Are we being a good friend / hostess to guests who come into our homes?  When our children see how we interact with our friends we are giving them an example of what manners and friendship characteristics are acceptable.  Our actions speak volumes to our children so make sure your are practicing the principles you want to your child to learn.

  • Family Activities: Bubble Trouble

    Brina blowing bubbles and Skipper chasing them across the front porch trying to pop them.

    One of the best parts about having a pet is the entertainment they provide the family.  Brina and Karlie LOVE blowing bubbles outside because Skipper has a blast chasing and popping the bubbles.  It is hilarious seeing Skipper twist, turn, and jump trying to pop the bubbles while hearing the girls giggle and blow more bubbles.  Thankful for two kiddos and one furry four legged puppy that bring laughter to the family.  She is a great dog and companion for the girls plus a good squirrel hunter and protector of the home front.

    Skipper popping bubbles from Brina and Karlie.

    Living in South Carolina has its perks too.  Even though our cooler winter months are in December, January, and February there are days when it is warm enough we can go outside and play.  There have already been several days in the 70s this winter.  I am  thankful for those days when we have beautiful weather so we can have fun outdoors.  The girls love playing outside with Skipper and I would rather have them playing outside getting some fresh air.

    Karlie in the midst of a sea of bubbles as she tries out her bubble blower.

    Even though we didn’t get a white Christmas, like last year, the girls are still hoping that we get a few days of snow this winter so they can play outside.  They have fun making snow angels, snowmen, sledding and all those fun activities too.  I am fine with having a mix of both warm and cool days because it makes the Winter months even more entertaining for the family!

  • Happy New Year 2012 – Start where you are….

    Happy New Year! 

    Thank you for helping make my 2011 an AWESOME year! As I think about the 2012 year getting started I am reminded of the many blessings I have in my life.  At the same time I think about the many areas that need major improvement.  Starting 2012 means we get a fresh beginning to a new year with a lot of potential for fun, memories, and adventures.   Let’s make the most of this time and set new goals for ourselves starting today.

    I think the quote above is simple yet direct because as much as I like to think everything will magically change as I start 2012 the  reality is that I am very much the same as I was yesterday.  The good news is as I continue to implement changes, reach goals, get organized and put my priorities in line I will slowly start seeing those amazing results.  When my priorities are in order it gives me clearer picture and more opportunities to make a positive impact on the lives of my family, friends, and others.

    Wishing you a FANTASTIC 2012 full of wonderful blessings!

  • Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings (Week 4)

    We have finished our fourth and final week of our 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. (Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises).  It has been a real joy doing these fun events everyday.  In some cases we get to see who receives our B.L.E.S.S. gift and in other cases we will never know who is on the receiving end.  We pray that whoever receives or finds these gifts will experience joy during this Holiday Season.  Each night we take down the B.L.E.S.S. activity for the next day and read the verse and the activity then pray for those who have and will receive our little BLESS’ings.

    Here is what we did this week with a couple pictures to share of our adventures:

    Candy Cane left for the next person to enjoy at the gas pump.

    • Day 19 – Bought and donated canned goods for the Harvest Hope food drive that helps feed families in our local community.  The girls were so excited about helping fill up the barrel of food.  It reminded me of times that were tight in our lives and the many blessings we have including food to eat.
    • Day 20 – Left quarters taped to a local vending machine for the next person to enjoy a snack.  The girls had fun “guessing” what they thought the next person might get for their snack.
    • Day 21 – Taped a Candy Cane to the gas pump for the next person who fills up with fuel to enjoy.  The girls giggle at the thought of the next person pulling up and getting the special treat.  As we were pulling out of the gas station they started clapping and cheering as someone drove up to our pump! 🙂
    • Day 22 – Wrote a “Thank You” note and left goodies for the Hotel Maids who cleaned our room.  The neat part is one of the maids recognized us from an earlier trip this year and was excited to see the girls again.  It reminded me of the importance of leaving a positive impact on the lives of others no matter where you go, even when you are on vacation or a work trip (you never know who you may run into or see again).  We prayed for each person that was cleaning our hall at the hotel that day. 
    • Day 23 – Sharing special Christmas treats with a friend.  The girls were eating a snack while we were running errands when we ran into a friend and without hesitation they gave away the remaining goodies in their bag to their friend so that she could enjoy them.
    • Day 24 – Gave the extra cash we had leftover after paying for our purchase back to the cashier so she could apply it to the person’s purchase behind us in line at the store. 
    • Day 25 – Spread Christmas cheer to Family and Friends.  We did not go out on Christmas Day because we felt that it was important to spend time with our family that day so we decided to take the time to call, text, and talk to family and friends to wish them Merry Christmas and let them know that we love them.

    One of our favorite verses this week went along with our Day 21  activity. 

    Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. – Hebrews 13:16

     

    Thank you note written from the girls to the hotel staff.  “Thank you for cleaning our room!” (with lots of hearts)

    I was not able to snap as many pictures as we were doing the activities this week with the traveling and I felt like it was more important to participate in the activities then to get the “perfect” picture.  The main purpose of this activity is to teach our family the joy of giving and sharing to those around us.

    My favorite day was Day 22 because the girls really did do most of it on their own.  I asked if they would like to leave a special treat for the hotel staff and they went to work writing notes and coming up with ways to spread Christmas cheer.  It was so amazing to see not only their excitement to do the activity but to hear them praying for the staff that would find the little treats and notes that they had left out for them.  Since the items were left on the table as we left the hotel it was the easiest one to capture pictures of as well.  I am thankful for the opportunity to do these wonderful activities with the family.

    This activity has taught our family a lot this year about the joy of giving to others.  It has been fun taking time every day to spread Christmas cheer and to pray for those who have received our goodies.  Sometimes it’s the little stuff that can make the most positive impact.  This may become a tradition in our family for future years as well because it was such a great way to make ourselves specifically think about, pray for, and do something for others each day during a busy time of year.  I would love to hear the ways you spread Christmas cheer this Holiday Season.

    Karlie’s “1st Poem” written specifically for the hotel staff (the girls gave them a fish sticker).  The note said – “A fun fish for you for fun.  I love people.”

    To learn more about our 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activity and what we have done far check out the links below:

     

    The girls came up with most of this idea, love that they are putting together B.L.E.S.S. activities pretty much on their own.

    I have been asked by a number of people for a printable version of the 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities, verses, and sheets to handout so here they are for your family to enjoy as well: