Family

  • First Day of School “Love Notes” for the Kids

    Brina and Karlie’s first day of school love notes

    Every year on the first day of school we write a “love note” to the girls.  They always look forward to receiving and reading their notes.  It is something simple to do on the first day of school but it helps remind them of how much we love them especially on a busy day every year.

    Love notes for the girls on their breakfast bar stools

    In our family we try to do as much prep work (make lunches, lay out clothes, set out plates / bowls for breakfast, vitamins) the night before.  The girls know exactly where to find any breakfast notes or surprises.  I have found that by having items laid out the night before the mornings go much more smoothly.  The kids get a great start to each school day and it is less stressful for me.

    The girls always like to read their notes on the first day of school

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

     This past week the girls started school again and yes Mommy shed a few tears.  I had a blast with the girls this summer, it went by too fast (my babies are growing up).  They both were excited about starting school and had a great first week.  I was able to go on a “big” girls weekend away trip to hear Beth Moore speak in Charleston.  Thankful for the opportunity to get away with friends and be refreshed spiritually.  Thank you Jake for watching the girls while I was away this weekend, your the best.

    Last week’s goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Read regularly to the girls and have them read to me
    2. Participate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the Kids – we squeezed in a couple more before school began
    3. Girls Packed and Ready to Start School on Tuesday
    4. Get into the School Routine – its started but not sure if we are completely adjusted yet, ha

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Attend a Beth Moore Conference with friends – great weekend trip!

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu & Schedule planned out for the week – got it planned out but had a make a couple alterations during the week
    3. Prep for my Fall Organizational Schedule – it was a crazy busy week didn’t get it done
    4. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Prep for upcoming Alms & Legs Meeting

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – went over budget as I stocked up on school lunch food
    2. Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses – on hold
    3. Car Fund – save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled – we found a car! WooHoo!!!!
    4. College Fund – put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes – on hold temporarily

    My goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Read regularly to the girls and have them read to me
    2. Greenville Drive Baseball Game with Family
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    4. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    5. Doctor Appointments
    6. After School Activities
    7. ENT Surgery & Recovery

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Finish reading Our Boys by Joe Drape – I started this one a couple years ago and never finished so starting over.  It’s about the Smith Center, Kansas football team (it has been interesting reading the book so far because I know some of the people in it since my parents live near Smith Center)

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Prep for my Fall Organizational Schedule
    4. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Get caught up on blog items

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out  Alms & Legs Team Meeting Notes

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van

    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.

  • Book: “Very Charleston” by Diana Hollingsworth Gessler

    Our family loves traveling together and whenever Jake goes to Charleston for work we try to tag along (works better when schools out).  We have a lot of great memories in Charleston, South Carolina.  Over a year ago we got the book Very Charleston: A Celebration of History, Culture, and Lowcountry Charm by Diana Hollingsworth Gessler.   This book has been a huge hit especially with the kids.  It is packed full of great information about Charleston.  The illustrations are detailed in beautiful watercolors.

    • Historical facts – Civil War, Citadel, Slavery, Crafts and more
    • Places of Interest – Forts, Beaches, Churches, Museums, Plantations, Shopping and more
    • Popular Local Festivals
    • Interesting People from Charleston
    • Famous Places to Eat & Traditional Charleston Recipes
    • PACKED full of great tidbits of information about the Charleston area

    This is an excellent book if you are planning on traveling (or moving) to Charleston.  It’s enjoyable to read and you’ll learn pieces of history too.  Every time we go to Charleston we bring this book along to read together.   Our kids LOVE it!

  • Recipe: Strawberry Banana Bread

    Strawberry Banana Bread

    There is something about the smell of banana bread baking in the oven!  Sometimes it is good changing things up a little bit too…..like taking our family banana bread recipe and adding strawberries to it.  I recently had some extra bananas and strawberries that needed to be used up.  For a change of pace I decided to do a Strawberry Banana Bread which was a huge hit with the family.  The base recipe is our family recipe – Nancy’s Banana Bread with just a 1/2 cup of pureed strawberries for an added touch.   This recipe is easy to put together and delicious too.

    Strawberry Banana Bread:

    • 2 cups Flour
    • 1 tablespoon Water
    • 1/2 cup shortening
    • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
    • 2 Eggs
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • 1 cup Sugar
    • 1/2 cup pureed Strawberries
    • 2 Bananas, mashed

    Mix all the ingredients together.  Place in greased and floured bread pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

    You might also like our Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe too.

    Loaf of the Strawberry Banana Bread

  • Fresh & Healthy: First Day of School Lunch Box Meals

    Karlie and Brina’s lunch for the first day of school

    Another school year has started…..we had a blast this summer.  Their school lunch boxes are metal with a chalkboard on the inside so I can write them a message.  For the first day I wrote “Happy First Day of School Brina & Karlie. We love you!”  The girls pack a lunch Monday through Thursday on Friday they eat their lunch at school as a special treat.  Most days the girls pack their own lunches but with the first week being so busy I got them started until they adjust to the new schedule.  Each day they get a protein, fruit, vegetable, dairy, drink, and snack (sometimes I will through in an extra snack or treat if I know we have activities after school).

    Karlie’s lunch box has a shiny red race car with her name on the car and tracks

    Brina’s lunch box is covered in hearts and her favorite colors (orange and pink)!

    Each lunch box has their design and names on both the font and back as well as the sides (see picture at bottom for the side view).  The lunch boxes were a “surprise” for the girls.  They were thrilled to get these to use for school.  I was pleased with how they turned out too.

    Ready to be packed

    Lunch Goodies:

    • Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza
    • Berry Blast Fruit Mashups
    • Peach Yogurt
    • Fresh Carrots
    • Cherry Fruit Twist
    • Peanut Butter Crackers
    • Cinnamon Teddy Grahams
    • CapriSun Sunrise Juice
    • Million Dollar Mint

    Lunches all packed, in the fridge, and ready to go for tomorrow’s big day!

  • 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!

  • Sweet Surprise Gifts from My Handsome Man!

    Little gift from my handsome man in the medicine cabinet!

    I love it when my sweet man leaves surprise goodies for me.  Here are some of the fun ones he left me when he went on a trip earlier this year.  Thankful for an amazing husband who loves me and is very thoughtful.  Love you Jake!

    Love notes across the floor from from my man!

    Some sweets from my sweetheart hidden in my closet!

    Yes, he even left powdered donuts on the shower nozzles, ha!

    Seed packets left in the kitchen cupboard with the coffee mugs

    Yes, even seed packets on my laptop!  So sweet!

    Seed packet on the deep freezer too!

  • Sharing Daily Stories with Daddy

    Karlie sharing her daily stories with Daddy while he was away on a business trip.

    When Jake was gone earlier this year the girls wrote their daily “stories” on a big poster board.  At the end for the day each girl drew a picture or wrote a little phrase on their personal poster board about some activity they participated in during the day that they wanted to share with Daddy.  With all the traveling he was doing we were not able to skype every day but this gave the girls a chance to share with him some of the things they were doing from day to day.

    Brina sharing her daily stories on the poster board for Daddy.

  • 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

    1. Read regularly to the girls and have them read to me
    2. Participate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the Kids
    3. Spend time with family before the kids go back to school – went to Charleston with the family
    4. Get the girls items packed for school
    5. Go to the pool / beach – went to the pool, park, and beach
    6. Doctor Appointments complete before school starts – had a lot of appointments (teeth, eyes, ears, etc…)

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – went to the pool, park and beach this week!

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu & Schedule planned out for the week – didn’t get it done with all the traveling this week
    3. Prep for my Fall Organizational Schedule – wasn’t able to get it done
    4. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses – temporary on hold
    3. Car Fund – save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled – working on it
    4. College Fund – put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes – on hold momentarily

     

    My goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Read regularly to the girls and have them read to me
    2. Participate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the Kids
    3. Girls Packed and Ready to Start School on Tuesday
    4. Get into the School Routine

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Attend a Beth Moore Conference with friends

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu & Schedule planned out for the week
    3. Prep for my Fall Organizational Schedule
    4. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Prep for upcoming Alms & Legs Meeting

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses
    3. Car Fund – save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled
    4. 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.