Events
A Little Purple Flower
Those who know me have heard this story many times. The other day as I was reflecting on my life and the many blessings in it my thoughts drifted back to this moment several years ago that so deeply stirred my heart. I want to share this story with you to provide encouragement for those tough days.
When I was in college I had an experience that left a lasting imprint on my heart and life. Sometimes God uses the “tiniest” blessings to uplift and encourage us. It had been a rough week at college with a lot of projects, tests, work, and activities. I was a little more stressed than normal and homesick. I had just checked my mailbox and once again it was empty. As I quietly walked back to my dorm room I noticed a group of preschool children from the daycare nearby coming my direction walking in a single file line with their teachers. The kids were talking, laughing and full of life. Right as I was walking past them one little boy yelled “STOP!” The whole line of kids, teachers, and myself stopped as he bent over at the edge of the sidewalk, looked at the ground, then started jumping up and down while yelling excitedly “LOOK I FOUND A PURPLE FLOWER!” What he had found was the tiniest little purple flower attached to a weed on the edge of the sidewalk.
Everyday that week I had walked by those purple flowers but yet I was so focused on my own life, problems, and thoughts that I had failed to stop and notice the little purple flowers in my life. Those purple flowers represent a multitude of blessings God sends my way to remind me (even in the tough times) that He loves me. Often he uses the beauty of His creation to capture my attention but it could be many other blessings in my life that I didn’t stop to appreciate. I never walked down that sidewalk again without looking for a purple flower and this moment has been etched in my mind as a reminder for me to continue looking for those purple flowers.
There have been seasons in my life since that time when I had to look closely at the weeds (metaphorically speaking) to find a beautiful purple flower in the midst of the trial. It was a simple illustration of God’s love shining through that little boy to remind me how truly blessed I am. This moment made a priceless impact on my life and even though life isn’t always easy I know God cares enough to send even a tiny purple flower across my path.
I want to encourage you if you are going through a rough season. It’s okay to have tough days, God still loves you, cares about you, and is reaching out to show you blessings (no matter how big or tiny) everyday. Although, you may have to look harder for those little purple flowers on the side of the walkway in the middle of the weeds you can rejoice in those little miracles of encouragement. Take a moment today to reflect on the purple flowers in your life.
Photo by donjd2
Family Celebrations: “Welcome Ranch” Birthday Party
This year did the girls birthday party celebration at Welcome Ranch. It was our first year doing their party outside of the house and after calling several locations we made the decision to do it at Welcome Ranch. Brina and Karlie’s personalities and tastes are very different (one of the many joys of having twins), however, they both LOVE animals especially horses. Jake and I booked the party and when we sat down to tell the girls they were thrilled. They were okay that we wouldn’t be decorating the house since they would be riding horses for entertainment this year. I think every day after telling them they would ask “Is it this week?” When the day finally arrived they asked every few minutes “How much longer until we can ride the horses?” Thankfully we had another activity planned with friends earlier that day so that distracted them for a couple hours. They were very excited when we were on our way to the horse ranch to celebrate. Here are a few pictures from our day at Welcome Ranch:
The sign at the entrance of Welcome Ranch said "Happy Birthday Karlie 6 & Brina 6" The girls were thrilled to see their names on the BIG sign at the entrance of Welcome Ranch! “We have never had such a BIG sign to wish us Happy Birthday!” They were pleasantly surprised and excited!
Brina and Karlie listening carefully to Ms. Lisa's instructions! Lisa did a wonderful job of getting the kids (and parents) attention while making the whole experience fun for everyone. She even got a few laughs when explaining the rules. Brina and Karlie were listening carefully so they wouldn’t miss out on anything! They picked out their ranch hats earlier that week at Wilson’s Five & Dime store on Lauren’s Road. I was surprised they wore the hats the entire time!
Karlie and Brina leading the way with Ms. Lisa to the horses! On our way to ride the horses! Karlie and Brina led everyone with Lisa to the horses. They were ready to ride!
Brina talking and riding Montana! Loving it! 
Karlie all smiles riding Chocolate their miniature horse! 
Brina having a blast at Welcome Ranch! 
Karlie riding with Daddy on Montana! Hang on tight kiddo! 
Brina LOVING her time with the horses! 
Karlie riding on Mickey! 
Brina riding like a pro on Mickey!!! 
Brina and Karlie riding together on Montana! 
Karlie riding on Chocolate! 
Mommy and Brina riding Montana! 
Karlie volunteering to ride again! Always ready for another turn on the horses! 
Brina going for another ride on Mickey! 
Brina and Karlie on top of the Firetruck!!! 
Karlie putting out the fire! 
Brina putting out the fire! 
Firetruck at Welcome Ranch 
Daddy putting out the final flames! 
One of their signs at Welcome Ranch, love it! 
Happy Birthday Brina and Karlie!!! 
Karlie and Brina taking the candles out of their cake! 
The birthday girls enjoying a slice of delicious cake - Brina and Karlie! 
The girls liked their cat - Supervisor! They thought his name was very funny! 
Karlie had so much fun she crashed in the van on the ride home, too funny! 
Brina playing with her toys on the way home, love the crazy hat hair! 
Skipper joining in the birthday fun by wearing Karlie's hat! The girls had a wonderful birthday party at Welcome Ranch! Lisa, her Mom, and the crew did an amazing job. The kids loved riding the horses petting the animals (goats, donkey, dogs, cats, etc…) eating pizza, drinking ice tea, koolaide, a delicious cake and enjoying time with their family and friends. Thanks to Welcome Ranch for making their birthday extra special and memorable. We had a lot of fun celebrating with everyone that came to their party.
Happy 6th Birthday Brina and Karlie!
WE LOVE YOU!!!
Vacation: Swimming with the Turtles in Barbados
Swimming with the turtles was an incredible experience! This guy was so close several times I could have reached out and touched him! On our sixth day of the cruise we had the opportunity to visit Bridgetown, Barbados. Today was one of my favorites because we were able to relax together as a family and we were able to experience some amazing new adventures for the first time. Like many of the other Caribbean Islands we had visited on our trip Barbados was a plantation culture, cultivating primarily tobacco, cotton, and sugar cane. The English settled Barbados after the Arawaks were gone with the primary agriculture crop being sugar cane. They built an amazing defense system of 26 forts along the coast of Barbados. Barbados gained their independence from Britian in 1966, however, the British influence remains evident. There are a lot of great activities to enjoy while on the island of Barbados from touring the wildlife reserve to seeing the home of the Green Monkey to snorkeling with turtles, sting rays and more in one of the great locations around the island to shopping or relaxing at the beach. Barbados had beautiful turquoise blue Caribbean Island water that you could look down and see to the bottom of the ocean floor. It was a great place to swim, snorkel, and see all kinds of neat sea life.
We had a more relaxing day planned in Barbados. It was our day to spend at the beach swimming, jet skiing, snorkeling, relaxing, and more. I didn’t learn as much history about Barbados since we basically took at taxi ride from the boat to Blue Monkey beach (which is not on the tourist map if you go to Barbados but I highly recommend the beach). Jake, Amber and I swam out a little further from the swimming area and had the opportunity to swim with turtles, sting rays and a variety of other fish. It was such a neat experience looking down or beside you and seeing a turtle or sting ray swimming right next to you. There were several times I could have reached out and touched the turtle. I am thankful for the water camera we had (thanks honey) with us so we could share these pictures with Brina and Karlie. We have had fresh water turtles at home before but to swim with one in the ocean was a memory that I will never forget. I do have to admit the swim out to see the turtles, sting rays and fish was easier then the swim back to the beach. If you decide to go to Blue Monkey Beach and swim out a little further to snorkel on your own I recommend you take at least one or two other people for additional fun and to have someone to swim with you.
It was nice spending time swimming and relaxing at the beach for several hours. Another activity we did while were were at the beach was ride on jet ski’s. We had three jet ski’s with Lee and Becky, Josh and Amber, and Dad and I riding on a jet ski. After being out for only a few minutes we looked over to see Amber hanging off the jet ski quickly followed by her and Josh crashing, it was an interesting to watch. We found out that flipping a jet ski in the ocean was not a simple task, but we managed to get it back upright. It took us a little bit to figure out how to steer with the waves and not crash but by the end I think everyone had a better handle on it. I think Lee and Becky were the only ones that didn’t crash their jet ski. Dad and I felt the jet ski tipping over one time and bailed off so we didn’t have to flip it back over in the water. We had fun racing each other. You can get the jet ski’s going pretty quick. Bouncing off the waves, feeling the wind in your hair, and the spray of the water hitting your face was a lot of fun. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed speeding across the ocean on a jet ski. Having an opportunity to experience the adventure with family made it even more memorable.
If you ever have a chance to go to Barbados check out Blue Monkey Beach and what it has to offer. The jet ski’s were a little more expensive but we only had to paid $5 to rent a snorkel mask to swim out to the turtles and sting rays. Here are a few facts about the beautiful island of Barbados:
- Capital: Bridgetown
- Population: 254,000
- Climate: Temperature 75F to 90F year round, typically 8+ hours of sunshine a day
- Geography: Caribbean Island – 21 miles x 14 miles. Barbados on the West & South have the calm Caribbean sea and beaches. On the East is rugged cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean
- Language: English (with a broad dialect)
- Currency: Barbados Dollar (US $1 = BDS $2)
- Time: GMT (no daylight savings time in Barbados)
A Vacation To Remember series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed. 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. Go with a good attitude and looking 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!
Fact information received from Barbados.org
Vacation: “Sky Safari Zip Lining ” – Basseterre, St. Kitts (Part 2, Pictures)
The following are some pictures from our day in Basseterre, St. Kitts!
We arrived in Basseterre, St Kitts! We had a fun time exploring the capital of St Kitts. Basseterre was a neat place to walk the streets and meet people. They had monkeys you could take pictures with after getting off the port, if you wanted a picture with the monkey you had to pay $20. You learn quickly to say “no, thank you” because there can be so many people asking for your attention.
Dad getting an aloe massage! While the rest of us were walking through the shops Dad sat down for a few minutes at a table and ended up getting an aloe massage. The guy said he looked 20 to 40 years younger after the massage, it was pretty funny to watch!
Sailboat Cruise Ship, really neat! There was a sailboat cruise ship at Basseterre, St Kitts. We encountered a lot of amazing boats during our vacation!
Coca Cola appeared to be a universal soda of choice in many of the islands! Coke was a popular sign no matter where we went. Here is one of their advertisements painted on the side of a building in St Kitts.
Building a house in Basseterre, St Kitts! A construction crew working on a home. Often times they would go ahead and run the pipes before building the next level that way they had a head start when they were ready to build again.
Beach at Basseterre, St Kitts St Kitts had beautiful turquoise water and white beaches. We didn’t make it to the beach that day because we went on the Sky Safari but we heard a lot of great feedback from other people on the ship.
Catch of the day, Basseterre, St Kitts! The catch of the day! The fish were almost as big as the fisherman carrying them. One of the big industries in St Kitts is fishing. These guys are rinsing off some of their fish they caught earlier that morning.
We made it to our Sky Safari Zip Lining Adventure! We arrived at our excursion. They took us by bus to the Sky Safari Zip Lining adventure! It was a beautiful place and soooo much fun going on the zip lines.
Standing in the Botanical Gardens overlooking the town and ocean! Amazing view while standing in the Botanical Gardens and overlooking the town and the ocean. It was a breathtaking site, absolutely beautiful!
Fresh coconut in Basseterre, St Kitts Fresh coconuts were hanging in the trees all over the island. They had a spot where there were so many coconuts they just couldn’t eat them all. Almond trees were in abundance as well.
Beautiful flower in the Botanical Gardens, St Kitts! Beautiful flowers in the Botanical Garden in st Kitts! They had interesting flowers, trees, and artists to see!
Fresh Fruit on the trees in St Kitts! A tree loaded with fresh fruit, I think these were the goya fruits. Very popular in the islands!
Local artist in St Kitts demonstrating how she uses wax, paint and canvas to create her paintings. A local artist showing us how she does her paintings with wax and canvas. Each color takes a day to paint and dry some paintings take days before they are complete. Very interesting to watch.
Flowers & Bench at the Botanical Gardens in St Kitts! Beautiful white bench with flowers peeking through at the Botanical Gardens on St Kitts! They had plenty for flowers, plants, and trees to see or you could just relax on one of their benches.
Neat "Wagon" Wheel Bench in St Kitts! I really thought this wagon wheel bench was pretty neat. The Botanical Gardens had great stuff to see or you can take a moment to relax and enjoy the surroundings while we were visiting.
A friend running past in the Botanical Gardens! We saw several lizard or iguana type animals during our excursions. Although it was neat to see them running around I was thankful they wanted to keep their distance from everyone. I think our guide called them ground lizards.
Old Sugar Mill in St Kitts Sugar Cane was once very popular industry on St Kitts (and many of the other islands). This sugar mill was no longer active but was very neat seeing how they use to make the sugar from the cane.
St Kitts form of Poison Ivy! This is St Kitts form of poison ivy, none of us volunteered to touch. We decided to take our guides word for it on that one. No one was wanting any type of poison ivy reaction on our vacation.
Apples growing in St Kitts This is a St Kitts apple growing in their tree. Almost everywhere you walked you could see fruit growing in trees. Even though the apples are not the same as ours I am sure they are delicious. They don’t eat the skin on their apples.
Very thorny tree in St Kitts! This tree was near the Sugar Mill in St. Kitts, in the past it was said that when slaves first came to the islands they were tied up to these thorny tree for several days. I didn’t even want to touch it because the thorns were so sharp, ouch!
Jake's all geared up for the Sky Safari zip lining adventure! Jake all geared up and ready to go. My handsome man helped me get all my gear on as well. The hats and harness were pretty comfortable and everyone had a blast on the zip line. Fun times together with family!
Basseterre, St Kitts Goodbye Basseterre, St. Kitts hope to see you again! It was wonderful spending a day with you and we enjoyed all the fun adventures on your island!
A Vacation To Remember series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed. 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. Go with a good attitude and looking 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!
Family Celebrations: Girls Birthday!
Happy Birthday Banner for Brina and Karlie!!! The girls had a blast celebrating their sixth birthday! We made the day special for them and had fun! It is still hard to believe that they are growing up so quickly. Here are a few shots from our adventures on their birthday!
Birthday Breakfast - Blueberry Bear Pancakes & Banana Pudding with Star Candles 
Brina and Karlie LOVE writing in their notebooks. At breakfast they got a pretty princess notepad with purple fluffy pen! Super exciting and cute! (Even better is I found them on clearance at Walmart.) 
Karlie playing with her little pony at TGI Friday's 
Brina playing with her little pony at the restaurant - TGI Friday's 
We celebrated their birthday dinner at TGI Friday's! 
Brina and Karlie enjoying their caramel & chocolate ice cream birthday sundae's at TGI Friday's!!! So delicious they got it all over themselves! 
Karlie and Brina using their gift certificates at Toys R Us! 
Brina picked out a pink & white puppy and baby doll supplies at Toys R Us! 
Karlie and Brina sharing their birthday goodies! 
Daddy helping Karlie putting together her Hot Wheels truck! 
Brina LOVES her horses, the stable, and books! We read one right away then put the horse and book back in the stable! 
Karlie so excited about her Stomp ROCKET! She even blasted a few off in the house that night! 
Brina and Karlie coming downstairs for some more birthday fun! 
Brina having a blast riding the go cart in the front yard! Peddle FASTER!!! 
Look Out MOM!!! Karlie's driving fast and you're in the way! Use the breaks!!! I have been very blessed with a sweet family. Even though I am still in shock that my baby girls are 6 years old I am thankful for them and the privilege of watching them grow up. Wishing them many more awesome years together!
Vacation: “Sky Safari Zip Lining ” – Basseterre, St. Kitts
Sky Safari Zip Lining Adventure in St. Kitts, our gear is on and training complete, whose ready for some fun..... The fourth day of the cruise we stopped at Basseterre, St Kitts. Basseterre is one of the oldest in the eastern Caribbean and was originally part of the French colony. Then in 1727 the British made Basseterre the capital of St. Kitts. The island is known for its rich volcanic soil, tropical climate, and almost 70 sugar plantations. Although the peek years for sugar plantations have past you can still see the old plantations, sugar cane fields, abandoned fortresses, city squares, and architectural structures. The volcanoes are dormant on St Kitts and the mountains are a great place to take a hike.
Our excursion today was AMAZING!!! The whole group went on the “Sky Safari Zip Lining” adventure. We went on a zip line that was 1,400 feet long, 25 stories above ground, and up to 40 plus miles per hour. There were four zip lines all at different spots on the mountain. On three of the zip lines we went one at a time and on the last line we raced a partner….I raced with Jake. We both thought that Jake won but when we got the pictures it looked like I made it to the platform first, interesting! The zip line clipped into a harness and was super easy to learn how to do. On the way down we were up so high the boats in the ocean seemed tiny plus our feet were hitting the tops of trees as we flew along the zip lines, it was awesome!
We had a blast in St. Kitts! If you have a chance to go sometime, we definitely recommend you check out the Sky Safari Zip Lining.
Facts about St. Kitts:
- Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II
- Governor-General: Sir Cuthbert Sebastian
- Prime Minister: Denzil Douglas
- Capital: Basseterre, St. Kitts
- Total area: 65 square miles
- Population: 49,898
- Monetary: East Caribbean dollars
A Vacation To Remember series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed. 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. Go with a good attitude and looking 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!
Information on St. Kitts found on Info Please.
Family Celebrations: Valentine’s Date with My Man!
Winter Jam 2011 at Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, SC! Jake and I had the opportunity to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Friday, February 11, 2011. We had friends swap babysitting duties with us so we knew the girls would be in good hands while we were out for the evening. While we were brainstorming fun and unique ways we could spend our Valentine’s Date we realized that it was the same night that Winter Jam 2011 was coming to Greenville. Since neither of us had ever been to any concerts before we decided to give it a try since it only cost $10 per person to get in.
After deciding what to do we talked with a couple friends and realized that the concert usually sells out so we had backup plans just in case. That night Jake picked up Subway sandwiches and we ate while standing in line to get into the Bi-Lo Center. When we arrived the lines were pretty defined but after only a few minutes it soon became a crowd with standing room only. I am not a tall person and thankful that I don’t get claustrophobic in large crowds standing because every one was standing close together.
We made it into the Bi-Lo Center and managed to get front row balcony seats! When I went to the restroom Jake left a small pretty gold package on my chair…… I hadn’t realized it but he had saved up his money to buy me a necklace that I could wear with the other one he gave me for our 7th Anniversary for dressier events! He is so sweet and thoughtful! I share will with you in a later post a little more about the necklace!
We have never been to a concert much less a Christian Concert with so many people and artists! It was neat hearing their songs and testimonies throughout the night. The night starting off with Chris Sligh who is from Greenville, South Carolina. We also heard songs from Chris August, Sidewalk Prophets, NewSong, Red, Francesca Battistelli, Kutless, David Crowder Band and the NewsBoys. Tony Nolan gave an encouraging and challenging message and KJ-52 was an entertaining MC. Here are some pictures from our Date Night. It was a neat experience and moving to see so many people in attendance worshiping together.
Chris Sligh from Greenville, SC started the Winter Jam 2011 evening. 
Chris August at Winter Jam 2011 
"Sidewalk Prophets" started with their backs to us! 
"Red" had neat fire and smoke shooting through the air at various times. The speakers were blown on our side after their performance, it was pretty loud! 
KJ-52 was a great MC at Winter Jam 2011! 
"Newsong" at Winter Jam 2011! 
Francesca Battistelli at Winter Jam, neat songs and her husband plays the drums in her band! 
Tony Nolan sharing scripture & his testimony with everyone at Winter Jam 2011 
David Crowder Band at Winter Jam 2011 
Winter Jam 2011 - "Kutless" performing! 
"Newsboys" drummer at Winter Jam 2011! 
Newsboys singing at Winter Jam 2011 
Newsboys on risers at Winter Jam! 
Winter Jam 2011 was a sold out crowd at the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, SC! Happy Birthday Brina & Karlie!!!
Today is my little ones birthday! It seems like it was yesterday we were in the hospital and NICU with them. Even though their due date was in April they decided to come 7 weeks early. They have brought so much joy and laughter to our life! It has been wonderful watching them learn and grow. We pray daily that God will continue to develop them into beautiful young women with a heart for Him.
Happy 6th Birthday Brina & Karlie!!!
Our sweet girls - Karlie and Brina! This picture was taken a couple months ago. Now both girls have glasses!
Vacation: “Catamaran Adventure” on Philipsburg, St. Maarten (Part 2 – Pictures)
We enjoyed visiting the beautiful island of St. Maarten!
Here are some pictures we took during our excursions that day!
A map of St Maarten in the port! When we got out at each port there were maps of the location and usually a lot of people offering to “help” us see the island. We had our excursions planned the day before so it allowed us the freedom to say “No Thank You” to all the offers. Plus one of the many benefits to going on an excursion that was through the cruise line was that they guaranteed that you would arrive back on the ship in time or they would hold the boat for you. When you go on an independent excursion if you don’t make it back to the port on time they just leave you!
Mom and Dad in St Maarten! Mom, Dad, Jake, and I walked through the town. It was neat seeing all the different shops and talking with the people that lived on the islands.
Spending time together in St. Maarten! (Jake & Bridgette) It was difficult getting a picture near signs without having other tourists in the middle of the shot. This sign was further on away from the port so we were able to get pictures without a group of random people being in it. This picture was taken on the edge of a little park in Philipsburg.
Huge private boat docked at the same port! We were told that it was Steven Spielberg's boat! This boat was huge and docked near our ship, it was Steven Spielberg’s boat (or so we were told)! You know a private boat is big when they have garages on their boat for smaller boats!
Snorkeling near St Maarten, somehow I was one of the first people in the beautiful water! Snorkeling was a fun adventure! It always takes some time getting use to the gear but everyone had fun swimming around!
We saw some schools of Black & Yellow striped fish and pieces of metal during our snorkeling adventure! Our camera is waterproof so Jake was able to bring it into the water and take some pictures of the fish. They were a little harder to see with all the sand in the water but we still found a few.
We saw several beautiful and huge boats on our excursion! We saw some amazing ships while on the catamaran. I had no idea that there were so many private boats. It was a beautiful place to visit.
The airport was so close to the beach it literally looked like the airplanes were landing on the beach with all the people! It was really neat watching an airplane land in St Maarten. The plane really looked like it was going to land on the beach with all the people.
Helicopter that had crashed on the port....now retired! We saw this helicopter on the port on our way back on the catamaran. It had a rough life that ended in a crash and was being stored on the pier. We knew our little one who enjoys cars, trucks and planes would get a kick out of seeing this one.
One of the Beach Taxi Boats going back and forth all day! If you are planning on going to the beach these Beach Taxi Boats were a great choice. You could ride them as much as you like all day for $6. They went back and forth every few minutes. You could spend the morning at the beach go to the boat for lunch then come back to the beach and hang out for the rest of the afternoon.
A Vacation To Remember series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed. 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. Go with a good attitude and looking 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!
Family Celebrations: Valentine’s Day
We had a blast celebrating Valentine’s Day together as a family. The day was so packed full of fun that I didn’t have time yesterday to post what we were up to so I am doing it today! Here are little snip-its of our family celebrations!
Brina and Karlie's Valentine Breakfast Goodies While Brina and Karlie were getting dressed for school we set out a little box of sweethearts and heart necklaces for them to enjoy. They ate heart shape blueberry pancakes and saved their candy until after school. Although they did wear their heart necklaces ALL day!
Special Valentine's Surprise on my Steering Wheel! Jake went with the girls to pick out something special for me. They left these little goodies on my steering wheel. When I got into the van to drive Brina and Karlie to school I noticed my Valentine’s surprise. They picked out a flower, kitten candy and a Valentine’s Day card. They each wrote their names and drew me a picture. In my card I had a heart family of four, so cute!
Valentine's Day Gifts Daddy and the girls each received a package of “Nerf Darts” for Valentine’s Day. Now when we have our little nerf wars we won’t be knocking each other over to get a dart, hopefully. Karlie was so excited she hugged the package, spun around, and ran out of the room (to get her nerf gun, of course). Brina had her nerf gun loaded first and Mom was the primary target since I was cooking and couldn’t defend myself, don’t worry I got them back!
Expression of "love"! I had a package of Starbursts so I spelled the word “Love” on the table. The girls thought this was so neat. They were excited that they could read the word and could barely wait for Daddy to come home so they could eat the word!
"I Love You" Balloon I picked up an “I Love You” balloon at Dollar Tree for $1. The girls thought this “ape” was so adorable and managed to drag it almost everywhere they went for the rest of the night!
Brina celebrating Valentine's Day with her class! I was able to help with the girls Valentine’s Day party. The kids had a lot of yummy treats to celebrate the day. Brina was so excited to have me come spend time with her in the classroom.
Karlie enjoying chips during thier Valentine Party! Karlie ate all the non-sweet goodies first, including a yogurt and Doritos, as you can see from her orange mouth she really enjoyed the chips. She was telling all her classmates that I was her Mom and that they should wish me “Happy Valentine’s Day”!
Homemade heart shape Valentine's Day white pie pizza! I made homemade heart shape white pie pizza with mushrooms and olives on top for supper! The girls thought it was funny the pizza was a heart and the slices were different shapes from “normal” pizza. It was a fun and easy way to spread the Valentine cheer!
Minor casualty, nerf dart was shot into the oven! I was pulling the pizza out of the oven in the middle of a nerf dart storm and this little guy didn’t survive. It managed to hit the hot oven, when I went to pull it off the dart tore. The girls were sad that a dart was broken but it gave me an opportunity to demonstrate why they shouldn’t be aiming in my direction while cooking!
It was a super fun day with the family. Having children have makes the Holidays even more of a special treat, they get excited about celebrating. I am thankful everyday for my family and the memories we create together.
