Family
Easley Baptist Hospital Festival of Trees
Around the world….loved the globe on top of the tree!
Every year during Christmas Season the girls and I try to swing by our local Easley Baptist Hospital to look at the Festival of Trees. They have the main hall packed with a variety of trees. The trees are sponsored by local businesses and people in the Easley community. Some of the trees are decorated by the same businesses while others are decorated by somebody else. It is a neat way to get in the Holiday spirit, see some beautiful trees, and have a fun adventure with your kids. The amount of trees is not too massive so it is easy get through the whole section in 20 to 40 minutes. The girls look forward to it every year.
Standing in front of the tree their school decorated!
SeaLevel Systems sponsored the tree that the Crosswell Art Students decorated!
Frosty the Snowman, simple yet beautifully done!
Baby Jesus in a manger!
The “I Promise….” Tree, neat concept. You could write on a card something you promise to do in 2015 and hang it up on the tree.
Some of the “I Promise” cards hanging on the tree.
Brina made an I Promise card too!
Loved the possum up on top of this tree! Creative!
Simply, beautiful, and true message!
Thought this one was pretty cool and patriotic!
Lovely!
The manger scene above the reception desk to the hospital!
Brina checking out the tree!
Awesome clock made from old license plates!
Karlie really liked the “clock” tree!
“For God So Loved the World…..”
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
I was able to accomplish a good bit of items the first half of the week! On Wednesday I got my second epidural steriod shot for my herniated disc so I was not able to do as much after that day. Thankfully, this time around I bounced back much quicker and did better. By the end of the week I was up and going again with some extra soreness and stiffness, but otherwise doing better. Hoping that this week with be even better. I am looking forward to spending extra time with the kids now that they are out of school for the Christmas Holidays.
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Read the book The Cat Who Came For Christmas by Cleveland Amory to the kids– decided to switch to a different Christmas bookPlan one special activity with the familyPrepare for Upcoming Holiday EventsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before- Play a Game with the Kids – we weren’t not able to do this one due to the extra time of healing
Take the Kids to the Library to pick out books to read over the Holidays- Send out Christmas Cards – this is the first year in a LONG time I did not send out Christmas Cards, at first I felt really guilty about it (and still do some days), but Jake told me that with everything that has been going on these past couple of months I need to just let some things go because I cannot do it all, unfortunately this was one item I did not get done (my apologies to family and friends), hopefully next year we will be able to get back in the Christmas card groove again.
- Complete Our Christmas Shopping – still working on it, hoping to be done before Christmas if not I guess we’ll just spread it out a little bit more
- Finish Wrapping Gifts – working on it, Jake has pitched in and helped too (thanks Handsome)
Ship Out Grandparents GiftsDeliver Neighbor Gifts– the girls helped make the gifts and delivered them all to each of the neighbors, thankful for all their help this year! Even though we live on a small street we still have 7 neighbors (all who are related except us) plus our mailman!
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue my YouVersion plan(s)– almost done with my 2014 bible reading plans!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 – still haven’t been able to complete everything in one day, but I am getting closer!
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the weekClean House (Focus – At least 15 minute daily “pick up” to keep the house clean as we prepped for the Holidays)- Organize Chaos (Focus – Get Gifts Wrapped, Mailed, or Ready to put under Christmas Tree) – getting closer
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Leaves) – my handsome man worked on this for us! Isn’t he AWESOME! There are still some on the side yard, but at least the front and back are done now!
- Pet Care (Focus – Skipper a Bath) – she has managed to escape a bath with the cooler weather!
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – need to focus more on this specific task
Keep 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 Paperwork- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went only 1 day, but went to 2 stores and went over the budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read a variety of Christmas and Library Books my Kids Picked Out from Home and the local Library
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Prepare for Upcoming Holiday Events
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Spend Extra Time with the Kids
- Complete Our Christmas Shopping
- Finish Wrapping Gifts
- Celebrate our Family Christmas
- Make Cookies and Goodies with the Kids
- Do a craft with the kids
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
- Clean House (Focus – At least 15 minute daily “pick up” to keep the house clean as we prepped for the Holidays)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Get Gifts Wrapped, Mailed, or Ready to put under Christmas Tree)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Finish Leaves)
- Pet Care (Focus – Skipper Dog Food Bought & Bin Refilled / Snowball’s Collar Battery Changed)
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
- 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.
Free Ebooks: 40+ Cupcake Recipes, Green Cleaning, Barrier Reef Animals, Top 50 Salad Dressing Recipes, Homemade Mixes, Solar System, Homemade Body Scrubs, Granola Recipes, Raising Backyard Chickens, and more!
The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading). The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
Download a free copy of 40 Cupcake Recipes by Cheryl King
Download a free copy of Green Cleaning – Nontoxic Homemade Cleaning Recipes by Family Traditions Publishing
Download a free copy of 12 Great Barrier Reef Animals! Kids Book About Marine Life – Fun Animal Facts for Kids with Native Wildlife Photos by Leanne Annett
Download a free copy of Salad Dressing – Top 50 Tasty & Easy Salad Dressing Recipes That Everyone Will Love by Maya Ashley
Download a free copy of Homemade Mixes – Make It Yourself and Save by Hillbilly Housewife
Download a free copy of Homemade Body Scrubs – Body Scrub Recipes You Can Make and Give by Family Traditions Publishing
Download a free copy of Solar System! A Kids Book About the Solar System – Fun Facts & Pictures About Space, Planets, and More by Alexander G. Michaels
Download a free copy of Granola Recipes – The Ultimate Guide by Kelly Kombs
Download a free copy of Raising Backyard Chickens For Beginners – Simple Guide to Keeping Happy & Healthy Backyard Chickens by Brad Callan
Download a free copy of Muffin Tin Recipes From Planet Yum by Martha Schultz
Download a free copy of Planet Earth! A Kids book About Planet Earth – Fun Facts & Pictures About Our Oceans, Mountains, Rivers, Deserts, Endangered Species, and More by Alexander G. Michaels
Download a free copy of The ABC’s of Nutrition – Learning the Alphabet the Healthy Way by Robert Orchanian
My Little Chef: Christmas Sugar Cookies
A plate full of yummy egg and dairy free sugar cookies to enjoy!
I love having my kids home for the Christmas Break! It is always nice having extra time with them to have fun, relax, and do creative activities together. Brina wanted to make Dairy and Egg Free Christmas Sugar Cookies so she make a batch, rolled out the dough, cut out the shapes, cooked, frosted, and sprinkled the sugar cookies. The only thing I helped her do was get the hot pan out of the oven, but otherwise she did it on her own. So excited to see her start doing more in the kitchen! Yes, the cookies were delicious too!
Earlier that day Brina asked me to braid her hair! She wanted to wear it that way all day so she can have a crinkly hair style! Plus, it is probably a good hair style to wear when cooking in the kitchen.
Frosting the sugar cookies!
She made one giant cookie with the last bit of cookie dough and put the phrase “I Love You” on it!
Decorating the cookies!
Pausing for a split second to look up for a picture!
Greenville: Journey to Bethlehem Event
Roman Solider on the outside of the gate to Bethlehem
We went to the Journey to Bethlehem Event with Jake’s cousins family a couple weeks ago. It was a really neat event by the Greenville Nazarene church. When you arrived you signed in and received a token to pay your taxes to the Roman soldiers once you arrived at the city of Bethlehem. Before going into the city you watched a short video sharing the history behind the event and preparing you for what will happen once inside the city. The event is free and well worth going through with your family. They do it every year.
They had about 12 booths that you could go to each one doing something different. At each booth you got a treat (like bread that would be eaten during that time) or bead to put onto your necklace or you made something (like a toy from that era). There were animals you could pet, hot chocolate, a manger scene, and so much more. We have wanted to attend this event for the past few years, but always had a conflict on the weekend they did it. Thanks Luke and Kristen for inviting us to come with you. We had a great time and it was a wonderful learning experience for the kids too! It was really nice to attend an event that reflected on the original meaning of Christmas. This event had to take a lot of time and energy from many people to make happen. Thank You!
Eating a homemade cookie and listening to the lady tell a story!
Making a toy out of wood and string – fascinating!
As always the animals were a hit with the girls!
Angels making the announcement to the shepherds.
A live camel, the girls really wanted to go for a ride or at least pet it!
My Sweet Family Bringing Surprise “Get Well” Wishes!
Balloon and poinsettia plant from my husband and daughters!
It has been a little more challenging these last few months with the herniated disc in my neck. It gives me a whole new appreciation on many things in my life. I am very blessed to have a loving husband and caring kids that have pitched in numerous times on items I usually take care of these past couple of months (cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, wrapping Christmas gifts, and so much more)!
Earlier this week I had my second epidural steroid shot in my neck. The last shot had two weeks of side effects and I had a tough time bouncing back from it so I was really nervous about getting another one a week before Christmas. Thankfully with the help of the doctors this second shot has been much better! I was able to take nausea medicine as soon as the nausea hit me so I didn’t get as sick from the shot. Also, we figured out after the procedure that I had an allergic reaction to the adhesive from the tape they used during the shot. Thankfully, we now know what caused the reaction so we can treat it accordingly. Jake and the girls surprised me with a balloon, plant, tasty treats, and Dunkin Donuts this week after my shot. So sweet and thoughtful of them! Love my family!
Even though I am more tired, stiff, and sore after the shot I can already tell it will not be as long of a recovery this time around (thankfully). I am praying that this will be the last epidural shot I will need to completely heal my neck. I am ready to get off the pain medicine and start living life normally again. I have come along way since October and hopefully I will be back to normal soon. I am truly grateful for all the family and friends who have prayed and encouraged me throughout this journey, you mean more to me than you will ever know!
The girls brought home a “Get Well Soon” balloon for me. Thankful for their thoughtfulness!
The red poinsettia plant is beautiful and festive this time of year!
Since I wasn’t as nauseous this time around Jake surprised me with Dunkin Donuts for breakfast the morning after my shot! Thanks Babe! You’re the BEST!
Dunkin Donuts to share with the family! Can you tell I like chocolate from his selection!?
Free Ebooks: Homemade Christmas, Gorgeous Natural Gifts, How to Use Evernote to Organize & Simplify Your Life, Cool Kids Cook, The Practice of Practice, Frugal Family Activities, My Dad is a Superhero, 100 Key Herbs with All Their Uses as Herbal Remedies for Health and Healing, and more!
The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading). The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
Download a free copy of Homemade Christmas by Tawra J. Kellam and Jill Cooper
Download a free copy of Beautify Your D.I.Y. – A Guide to Gorgeous Natural Gifts by April Anderton
Download a free copy of Evernote – How to Use Evernote to Organize & Simplify Your Life by Andy Williams PhD (Side note regarding the Evernote program itself – Our family has been using Evernote for several years now to share our grocery list as well as gift ideas and lists of books we are looking for so everyone in the family can see it. That way if my husband is already at the store he can see what we need and pick up items from that store without me making an extra trip, it’s really nice and convenient to use! It also comes in handy at the used book store to check to see if there are any books available that you have been looking for. So if you are looking for this type of program to help you get organized and save time this may be a great book to read!)
Download a free copy of Cool Kids Cook – Gourmet Everyday by M. L. Obermaier
Download a free copy of The Practice of Practice by Jonahton Harnum
Download a free copy of Frugal Family Activities – How to Keep the Children Busy All Year Without Spending a Fortune (More for Less Guides Book 13) by Annabelle Stevens and Carolyn Stone
Download a free copy of My Dad is a Superhero by Lily Lexington
Download a free copy of Herbal Medicine – 100 Key Herbs with All Their Uses as Herbal Remedies for Health and Healing by Christine Adams M.D. PhD
Download a free copy of Mangia! Classic Italian Recipes by Gabriella Lepore
Download a free copy of Meet Amazing Americans Workbook 40 by Like Test Prep Meet Amazing Americans
Download a free copy of Homemade Jelly and Jam Recipes – 35 Recipes to Make Delicious James and Jellies from Scratch by Hillbilly Housewife
Download a free copy of Janie and the Magic Box Christmas by Julia Dweck
Holiday Gift Giving: FoxMind Presents the Gift No One Else Can Give – Time In A Box
What does every child want? An I Pad? Xbox? Maybe, but what is the one thing that every child wants, needs and deserves? At FoxMind Games they believe they know the answer and today announced the international availability of its new Time in a Box.
The new product, the brainchild of child psychologist and writer Rute Moreira, is more than its contents. It’s a gift of dedicated time; an opportunity to try new things; a way to explore art and science; a chance to plan for the future and to consider the past; and a way to tell a child in your life that they matter to you – more than anything!
David Capon, President of FoxMind, explained, “The benefits of Time in a Box extend beyond the product itself because it creates uninterrupted quality moments with the family and reinforces social-emotional connections. It also aims to reinforce the child’s feeling of connection to a larger community such as the neighborhood or the town where he or she lives.”
When you give Time in a Box, (MSRP $17.95 for 2 players ages 6 and up) you are offering a child you care about the gift no one else in the world can give them: your time. Inside the box you’ll find 96 activity cards that allow a child to momentarily shift your priorities and focus on doing a special activity together, such as playing a board game; solving a puzzle; starting a family tree; making a blanket fort; or carrying out an act of kindness that will bring a smile to a stranger’s face. Time in a Box includes a simple written agreement between you and the child that sets the ground rules by which you’ll both abide. Adults should switch off their smart phones and get ready for some quality time!
“Season-by-season, Time in a Box is a gift that inspires activities that provide a wealth of ways to make memories together and the unique and beautiful box can serve as a memory chest where pictures and notes can be collected and treasured,” Capon said.
Order your Time in a Box Game today on the FoxMind website today. While you are there check out FoxMind‘s many other great games too!
Josh & Megan’s Wedding Reception (New Harmony, IN)
Josh and Megan at the reception in New Harmony, IN
After the wedding we headed over to New Harmony, Indiana to celebrate more at the reception. As the bridal party was getting some outside pictures taking the wedding guests made their way to the reception hall. They had a photo booth, kids coloring station, and other fun things to do as we waited for the bride, groom, and wedding party to wrap up the last few pictures. The food and cake at the reception was delicious!
Reception table sign! Neat idea!
All the adult guests got a jar of jam made by Megan (YUM) and the kids got crayons – super fun!
Mouth full of cake! They were nice and didn’t make a big mess during this exchanging of cake tradition!
Our family with the good looking groom and lovely bride at the reception. Thankful that we were able to be a part of their special day!
The kids chatting around the coloring table!
Busy kiddos coloring their pictures! Great idea having a kids coloring table at the reception!
Brina and my adorable nephew Nicko coloring!
Time for some sparkler fun to send off the happy couple!
There they go! Congratulations! Hope you have a fun and relaxing honeymoon!
Watching the rest of the sparkler burn down.
Important sparkler lesson learned via Karlie…once the sparklers are done, the wire is still very hot. After the reception clean up we headed to Walgreens for some burn ointment this picture was a couple days later after it started healing. Poor kiddo, glad it wasn’t any worse. Although she will probably be more careful the next time around sparklers!
A quick picture at the photo booth after a busy day of wedding celebrations.
You can see they are getting tired, but they were troopers through all the activities. They were a big help with cleaning up after the wedding and reception too!
The “Hendrich” banner behind the bride and groom!
Rehearsal Dinner Decorating & Rehearsal Event (Mt Vernon, IN)
Josh and Megan’s table at the Rehearsal Dinner
Thankfully my Mom and Dad had all the prep work done prior to the rehearsal dinner. All we had to do on Thursday evening is help set up and put out all the decorations. With the help of family and friends it didn’t take long and it turned out well. Glad we were able to celebrate with Josh and Megan on their special weekend. The “Congratulations” sign was made out of corrugated tin and looked pretty cool hanging above their table.
A big “H” for Hayes, nope not this time it is for “Hendrich”!
One of Josh’s old toy combines on the table full of freshly cut corn. Made the perfect table decorations plus the kids loved having toys to play with at the rehearsal dinner!
The table decorations were perfect for Josh and Megan’s rehearsal dinner!
My Mom put together these beautiful vases of Sunflowers, Roses, Wheat, Milo, and Baby’s Breath! They were bright and gorgeous!
Great Grandpa CE playing a game with the girls. I never had a chance to play but it was set up on a huge table and had several balls involved. They seemed to enjoy it!
Great scripture quote hanging on the wall for the rehearsal dinner – “And the greatest of these is LOVE!” Corinthians 13:13
The mason jar bases of the flower and crop arrangements were filled with fresh corn, brilliant idea!
Josh’s John Deere cap
It turned out well, now just waiting for the rehearsal practice to finish so we can have the rehearsal “party”!
Rehearsal practice!
Rehearsal went smoothly now to party!
The highlight of the rehearsal dinner for the girls was the roasted pig! They were FASCINATED!!! It was delicious too!
Table full of fun kids!
Megan and Josh handing out bridal party and parent gifts!
Karlie was super excited the caterer let her have the apple straight from the pig’s mouth! Crunchy…Munchy!
Hanging out with my girls!
Jake and his girls! Thankful for my family and the opportunity to celebrate with my brother and his new wife (AKA my new sister! Yay!)
