Family Activities
On the Farm: Sand Pile Creations, Games, Hay Bale Climbing, and More!
Four kids and a pile of sand results in multiple interesting creations including a huge sand jacuzzi!
While staying at Grandpa and Grandma’s house this summer the girl’s cousins came over to spend a couple days with us. The kids had a blast coming up with a lot of fun activities to do together. It is amazing how long a big pile of sand can keep them occupied. All the kids played well together and had a grand time at Grandpa and Grandma’s house!
Grandma played several games with the kids. We have a lively game of Skippo going on this time around.
Oh my….they found a praying mantas in the yard.
Who knows what cool bugs you will find in Kansas!
Karlie, Midnight, and Nathan hanging out on top of the hay bale.
Brandon and Brina trying to the dog to look at the camera, ha!
Fun times at Grandpa and Grandma’s house!
Thankful that the girls had some time to hang out with their cousins!
Brina loves carrying around the dog!
The kids running around the yard for 3 minutes to vent off some extra energy. They were good sports and the dogs joined in on all the running around fun too!
Introducing Febreze Fall Home Harvest Collection – #FebrezeFall
The Fall Season is just around the corner! Even though Fall officially starts on September 22, 2014 it is already starting to cool down in our area. The leaves are falling, apples are ripening, and animals are scurrying around to finish stocking up for the cooler months. Recently we received a package and this adorable barn was inside from Febreze, Walmart, and SheSpeaks! Let’s just say the kids were as excited about seeing the barn box as I was about getting all the amazing fall Febreze scents and goodies!
One of my favorite parts about Fall is all the amazing Fall smells from toasted nuts, pumpkins, fall harvest, apple picking, pears baking, and more amazing scents of the season. What are your favorite Fall Scents? Febreze has come out with their Fall Home Harvest Collection! Have you already tried the Febreze Home Harvest Collection? If not it is a great way to get you ready for the upcoming Fall season! They have some perfect Fall scents to get your house and car ready! Some of the scents you might want to check out this Fall season are Vanilla Latte, Autumn Harvest, Spiced Pear, Toasted Almond, Sugared Cranberry, and more.
We opened up our Febreze Fall Home Home Collection barn box and were pleasantly surprised with all the cool scents, goodies, and activities included. What a great way to get excited and prepared for the Fall Season! Febreze truly eliminates odors so your guests will only notice the freshness of fall when they enter your home.
We received a Febreze NOTICEables Warmer with two NOTICEables NOTABLES. One was the Autumn Harvest which is a blend of sandalwood and chai – smells amazing! The other NOTICEables NOTABLES was the Vanilla Latte which is a blend of vanilla and sugar – absolutely love the smell of this one! Reminds me of a fresh hot cup of coffee on a cool Fall day! Febreze even took care of bringing Fall to our car! They sent us a Febreze Car Toasted Almond vent clip which lasts up to 30 days and smells delicious! Even the teachers have commented that they really like the scent when I pick the kids up in car line at school.
The barn yard is complete with the awesome Febreze Fall Home Harvest Collection, activity cards in the scentspiration box, a gift card from Walmart, and cute decorative picket fence, wagon wheels, and hay bales!
They thought of everything! Included are some delicious Fall Recipes, fun Fall Activities to do with your family, and Fall Home Decor to get your home ready for the Fall Season! We will share a few of the ones we have done so far below.
We are already enjoying the Febreze NOTICEables Warmer with NOTICEables NOTABLES Vanilla Latte!!! Makes the house smell amazing! Do you like having a different fall scent in each room or one scent filling the whole home?
One of the recipes that Febreze included that will make your house smell like Fall – Oven Baked Smores:
What you need: A graham cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate bar per Smore and an appropriate baking sheet to fit all the Smores you are making.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place graham crackers on a baking sheet.
3. Press marshmallows between your fingers to make them a little flat, then place them on the graham crackers.
4. Bake until the marshmallows have puffed up and the edges turn a light, caramel brown color.
5. Remove tray from oven, and firmly press a piece of chocolate down into the marshmallow. You want the warmth of the marshmallow to melt the chocolate. Enjoy!
Delicious Oven Baked Smores! You can put another graham cracker on top if you want as well. You can probably use a little less chocolate too, but we enjoy the extra sweetness!
Febreze Fall Activities – Whistle with an Acorn Top
What you need: An acorn top. I recommend washing your acorns with water first to make sure they are clean and bug free.
Directions (once your acorn is washed):
1. Make a fist with your hands, then place your hands together with your fingers touching.
2. Place the acorn top on the top of your index finger.
3. Put your thumbs on top of the acorn top, angling them so that the tips of your thumbs make a “V” shape.
4. Blow over the top of your thumbs, and you’ll hear a whistle!
Our whole family tried the various acorn tops for whistles. Jake won the contest for the the loudest and most shrill whistle! These were a little more difficult than we expected, but if you got your fingers and acorn top just right you can get a really loud whistle which brings smiles to the kids faces. Do you have any of the great scentspiration activities you would like to share?
Febreze Fall Home Decor – Acorn Centerpiece
What you need: Acorns, leaves or flowers or ribbons, a vase, Febreze Air Effects
Directions:
1. Gather lots of acorns.
2. Take the vase of any shape and size and fill it to the top with acorns.
3. Add colorful leaves or flowers if you want to cover the top of vase.
4. Lightly spray the top of the arrangement with your favorite scent from the Febreze Fall Harvest Collection for a unique final touch, and then put it on display.
Do you decorate your tables with seasonal decor? Have you ever used Febreze to add an extra festive touch to your home or used Febreze scents to enhance your home décor?
I would love to hear how your family prepares for the Fall Season:
• Have you ever tried making toasted almonds?
• Have you ever tasted sugared cranberries?
• What is your most popular pears dessert recipe?
• Do you have another version of one of the recipes, decorations, or activities that I shared today?
• I would love for you to share any pictures of the Fall scentspiration activities you have tried.
• Are there any scents or designs that help inspire the ideas for you?
• What new ideas do you have to get your home fall-ready?More information about Febreze:
- Like Febreze’s Facebook Page
- Follow Febreze’s Twitter Feed
- Pick up your favorite Febreze Fall Home Harvest Scent at your local Walmart
A special thanks to SheSpeaks, Febreze, and Walmart for sponsoring this post! Any specific product information was provided by Febreze, Walmart, and SheSpeaks, however, the opinions expressed in this post are our own. We received a complimentary products for sharing information and our family’s experience.
First Day of School Notes & Teacher Gifts
First day of School Notes!How is that time again – the first day of school?! The summer break went by way too fast! Thankful for the fun adventures we had while they were out for the summer. Not sure how it is possible that they are now in 4th grade. Ready or not it’s here and we are looking forward to another great year of learning.
Brina’s lollipop note!
Karlie’s lollipop note!
Happy First Day of 4th Grade Brina!
Happy First Day of 4th Grade Karlie!
Note are on their bar stools and their special breakfast plates were laid out!
All four teacher gifts are packed and ready to go! Complete with items requested by the teachers!
Greenville: Bouncing Around at Pump It Up
Fun group of kids!
To celebrate the last week of Summer Break we joined friends at the Pump It Up in Greenville, SC. The kids had a blast bouncing around, climbing the rock wall, building items, and more. The kids played and were able to burn off some of that extra energy while the Moms had a few minutes to chat. Thankful for a time to get together with friends.
Karlie pausing to give us a smile as she plays at Pump It Up!
We found Brina perched on this bouncy castle!
Greenville: Splashing Around at Otter Creek Waterpark
Brina and Karlie going down the blue slide together on a double tube!
Our end of Summer Break activity was going to the Otter Creek Waterpark! None of us had ever been to this Greenville Waterpark so we decided it should be the one we try out to celebrate the end of summer. It was actually one of the closer ones to us since we were coming from Easley. The girls had a BLAST swimming around. We arrived shortly after they opened and didn’t leave until late in the afternoon. We splashed around in the water and went down the slides many times! It was a lot of fun hanging out at the waterpark with the girls!
Brina having a grand time at the waterpark!
Hanging out with the girls at the Otter Creek Waterpark! Great way to wrap up summer vacation!
Brina doing flips under water!
Going down the huge orange slide together. They went down all the slides many times!
Karlie’s coming!
Carrying up the double tube. It was quite the teamwork to get the big tube up the stairs without bumping into too many people!
Splashing around!
Brina all smiles!
Karlie loving the water slides!
Come on Mom, stand right over here…… Hmmm….this looks like a trick?! BRINA!
Yikes! There’s something coming at me under the water!
Brina enjoying our fun day at Otter Creek!
Karlie doing flips under water!
Brina arriving at the bottom of the green slide!
Karlie at the top of the white slide! She LOVED it! I did all the slides many times, but the white slide once was enough for me. WOW, it was so fast and my heart was in my throat as I flew down it. Not to mention with that much speed once you hit the water you had received a nice swimsuit wedgy, ha! Karlie on the other hand did the white slide many times!
Karlie flying down the slide again! It doesn’t look as steep in this picture, but trust me it was plenty steep! I thought I was going to fly right off of it I was going so fast! Fun times with the kids!
On the Farm: Horsing Around
The kids enjoying a ride on the carriage at Grandpa and Grandma’s house!
The horse and pony are a big highlight for the kids when visiting Grandpa and Grandma in Kansas! The girls would probably spend a good chunk of their days out with the horse and pony if they could. They both really enjoy animals especially horses! Grandma Penny was kind enough to let the kids go for a ride on the horse, pony, and in the carriage. All four of the grandkids that were visiting at the time got turns to ride!
Grandma and the kids walking to the pasture to get the horse and pony.
Karlie riding Buzz (or should we say on Buzz while he finds some delicious green grass to eat)!
Brina going for a ride on Misty!
Nathan wanted to start off leading Misty while the other three kids go for a ride on the carriage!
Karlie leading Buzz while Brina, Nate, and Brandon go for a ride in the carriage!
Nate and Brandon going for a carriage ride!
Karlie and Brina riding in the carriage behind Misty!
Brina loved petting and leading Misty around. I think Misty was a nice size for her.
Brandon riding Misty!
Nathan enjoying his ride on Misty.
Misty stopping to eat grass as Brina rides her.
Brina didn’t mind letting Misty grab a bite to eat during her ride around the yard.
Even Uncle Josh went for a short ride on Misty!
Grandma leading Karlie around the yard.
Karlie having a blast riding Misty around the yard!
Nathan riding Buzz (Buzz is a little bigger)!
Brandon on Misty and Nathan on Buzz!
Brandon and Brina going for a ride on Misty!
Karlie and Nate riding Buzz!
On the Farm: Wheat Harvest, Animals, Irrigation, and More!
The girls were very excited to “help” Grandpa cut the last little bit of wheat harvest!
Every day at Kansas is an adventure for the kids when they are visiting my parents on the farm. They love exploring the different equipment, fields, and getting the opportunities to spend time with their grandparents while doing exciting farm activities. It is always neat seeing them get excited about the things that I grew up with in Kansas.
Brina and Karlie were thrilled to ride with Grandpa as he cut the last strip of wheat from harvest.
The John Deere combine looks so big when you put the girls right in front of it.
Bringing treats to the pony and horse!
Riding Misty in the yard.
Misty even got her mane breaded! So pretty!
Buzz standing still, but not sure about all this attention.
Karlie petting Buzz
Our gator crew (including the furry ones), such great helpers!
A view of Dad and Mom’s house from the top of Windy Point.
Walking the bridge again today!
Grandpa instructed the four kids on what they are suppose to be doing for irrigation today.
The race is on…..
Midnight loves going to do irrigation too!
Nathan concentrating on his work!
Brandon won the race on that side!
Our irrigation crew! It’s a fun one!
Helping Grandpa with irrigation!
Even though it was freezing cold they had a blast running through the BIG SPRINKLER!
The kids thought the sprinkler was great and were fascinated by it as well.
Playing a game of card Monopoly with Grandma and cousins!
On the Farm: Irrigating the Corn & a Horse Ride at Sunset
Karlie was impressed with the height of the corn in the field!
The girls always enjoy coming to Kansas to visit our family. Thankful for opportunities to spend time with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, great grandparents, and more extended family! They look forward to their time spent and adventures while in Kansas.
Brina making sure Midnight had company after finishing her stretch of irrigation pipes.
Karlie using a wrench to start the water in a new corn row.
Counting the rows so she can make sure to water the right ones.
Checking out the fields and walking across the irrigation bridge.
They are fascinated by all the neat stuff Grandpa Russell does on the farm!
Of course, Grandma and Grandpa’s animals are always a big highlight for them too. Going for a carriage and horse ride at sunset!
A fun ride as the sun sets! My camera was having a hard time with the lighting and all the animal movement.
A beautiful sunset to end a fun day in Kansas!
Travel & Vacation: Kansas Family Reunion
Our family at Lake Milford this summer!
All my immediate family members were able to come to Lake Milford this summer for a long weekend together. We had a blast! We went swimming, boating, skiing, kneeboarding, tubing, played games, celebrated birthdays, ate great food, laughed, and had a wonderful time making some new memories together. Even our family’s soon-to-be newest member was able to join us for the weekend. My youngest brother Josh will be getting married later this year and his fiance Megan (who we have known for many years) was a part of the fun family weekend! Grateful for a weekend to catch up and have fun!
My parents, siblings, spouses, and kids!
We are a wild crew at times, drive each other nuts occasionally, but all-in-all we know how to have a good time together! Yes, I am blessed to call this crazy bunch my family!
Relaxing for a few minutes at Cracker Barrel.
Rocking and playing checkers!
Travel & Vacation: The Grown Up Kids Having Fun Paddleboarding
Megan and Josh did really well on the paddleboard!
The lake was perfect for paddleboarding. Not only did the kids have fun trying out their talents on the paddleboard, but the adults had a blast too. It was great seeing everyone get up and zip (yes some faster than others) across the lake on the paddleboard. Thankful for some time of fun, laughter, and the chance to try a new activity with family!
Amber showing off her paddleboarding skills!
Who says the kids have all the fun! I think the adults had just as much fun on the paddleboard! At least Amber did!
Jake taking Brina with him on the paddleboard.
Megan and Josh gliding around the lake on the paddleboard.
Dad heading out to the middle of the lake on the paddleboard.
Keeping it steady.
Becky taking off!
Becky and Nicko on the paddleboard.
Lee was up and going in no time!
Nicko going for a ride with his Dad!
Dad teasing Jeremy before take off!
Jeremy paddleboarding on Lake Milford.
Uncle Lee and the kids!
Looking a little crazy!
Nathan and Grandma Penny
Grandpa Russell and Nathan
Lee and Becky going for a ride across the lake.
Nathan taking his Mom on the paddleboard.
Fun times at the lake.
Jake started out kneeling….
Once he was out a little ways he decided to stand up….
And he was successful! Jake cruising around Milford Lake on the paddleboard.
