Family Activities

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Our family was able to spend some time with extended family over the last couple weeks.  It was nice catching up with many people and creating new memories.  Now that we are back home everyone is trying to get back on the regular schedule.  Before long the kids will be back in school so we want to make sure we are prepared for that as well as enjoy our last few weeks of summer break together. I am hoping to get caught up on a few goals this week.

    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. Plan out the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading minutes) Grand Prize for Completion
    4. Spend time with extended family – spent time in both Kansas and Colorado over the last 3 weeks

    Personal Goals

    1. Spend extra time catching up and making memories with my extended family

    Home Management Goals

    1. Check in with the person coming by and check on the house / pets while we are away

    Business Goals

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

    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 – temporarily 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 – temporarily on hold until we get a new vehicle

    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. Plan out the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading minutes) Grand Prize for Completion
    4. Spend time with extended family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Pick out my next book to read

    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. Work on My Summer Organizational Schedule
    4. Pack for upcoming trip
    5. 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. Work on projects with the family business

    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
    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.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    We were blessed with the opportunity to spend a long weekend away with the St Clair side of the family.  All my extended family was able to make it out this year and it had been awhile since all of us were together for a weekend.  It was great catching up with everyone.  Thankful for the amazing blessing of having a family that gets together to relax and enjoy each others company.

    Last week’s goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Attend Family Reunion
    2. Read regularly to the girls and have them read to me
    3. Participate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the Kids
    4. Plan out the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading minutes) Grand Prize for Completion – have a plan that I need to execute once we get settled back in at home from our travels
    5. Spend time with extended family
    6. Narrow down what type of vehicle we want to get

    Personal Goals

    1. Spend extra time helping and making memories with my extended family

    Home Management Goals

    1. Put mail on hold for when we are away
    2. Line up someone to come by and check on the house / pets while we are away

    Business Goals

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

    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 – temporarily on hold
    3. Car Fund – save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled – currently looking at cars and praying the perfect one comes along
    4. College Fund – put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes – temporarily on hold

     

    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. Plan out the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading minutes) Grand Prize for Completion
    4. Spend time with extended family

    Personal Goals

    1. Spend extra time helping and making memories with my extended family

    Home Management Goals

    1. Check in with the person coming by and check on the house / pets while we are away

    Business Goals

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

    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
    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.

  • Happy Birthday to My Handsome Man!

    Wishing Jake a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! 

    I am so thankful for my amazing husband and all he does for our family. He is generous, kind, and loves me despite all my craziness.  Wishing him many more awesome years packed full of great memories.  I am looking forward to celebrating this special day with him.

    Another really cool part about Jake’s birthday is he shares it with two other family members – his Grandpa Conklin and my Uncle Rick!  Happy Birthday to Grandpa and Uncle Rick! May it be a wonderful birthday for both of you!

    Photo credit

  • Travel & Vacation: Road Trip Snack Bins

    Brina and Karlie’s Road Trip Snack Bins loaded and ready to go!

    Our family loves traveling and going on  road trips together.  Road trips have always been one of the exciting adventures our girls look forward to every summer.  It is pretty common for us to pack up the suitcases, snacks, and hit the road with the entire family.  We have done several 40 plus hour road trips with the kids and they still look forward to them. We try to make the road trips a fun adventure for them.  No we don’t take them to fancy restaurants, hotels, or amusement parks along the way…..we do this without adding a bunch of extra costs to our family.  We pack picnic lunch / dinner so we can eat on the road.  We bring along snacks, books, games, audio books, little goodies and more.  We used to pack a basket full of snack items for the girls but it never failed that the basket was always out of reach for someone so that’s when we came up with the road trip travel bins for the girls.

    Delicious treats ready to be eaten on our upcoming eighteen hour road trip.

    The kids have LOVED having their individual containers of snacks that they can eat as we drive.  The containers are smaller and snap shut so they can be stored right beside the girls seats in the car so they can always reach them.  Each kid gets their own snacks and they can choose what to eat first, second, and so forth.  The girls enjoy having the nuts with the shells to peel off and the majority of the time those are the first items they munch on.  It is hilarious hearing them in the backseat cracking open a peanut!   We try to give them a mix of sweet and salty items, nothing in the bins need refrigeration.  Our kids don’t eat all of these items on a daily basis but when you are doing a 5, 10, 20 or 40 hour road trip it’s important to keep everyone in good spirits and this is an easy way to help.

    Items that we packed for this road trip:

    • Homemade Apple Chips
    • Snoopy Fruit Gummies
    • Chocolate Covered Cherries
    • Foot Long Fruit
    • Pack of Oreos
    • Mixed Berry Granola Bar
    • Cheese & Dipping Sticks
    • Twizzler Stick
    • Fruit Punch Powdered Drink Mix Package
    • Mint Chocolate Swirl Marshmallows
    • Pink Frosted Animal Crackers
    • Pink & White Heart Shaped Marshmallows
    • Chocolate Covered Raisins
    • Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers
    • Multiple Flavored and Colored Miniature Marshmallows
    • Sweetarts
    • Box of Nerds
    • Rice Crisps with Chocolate Drizzled
    • Dried Fruit
    • Raspberry Chocolate Covered Pretzels
    • Whole Shelled Peanuts
    • Dried Cranberries
    • White & Pink Flowered Marshmallows
    • Pecans

    It is a lot of fun finding a variety of items to fill the Road Trip Snack Bins.  We fill it after the girls are in bed and stick them on their car seats to find when they get into the van and buckle in for the trip.  It is a special treat and gives us a positive start to the road trip too.

    Brina and Karlie’s snack containers ready to be put into the car!

    When we travel we typically stop only for gas and potty breaks.  We have most of the food, drinks, and snacks we need to eat in the car.  Occasionally, we’ll use a coupon to get a free drink when we fill up with gas but otherwise we try to keep the costs to a minimum which make road trips more affordable and doable.  The girls get to watch DVD’s, listen to audio books and we play games as a special treat.  The trip must be longer than 5 hours for us to get out the DVDs!  Here’s a little more information about the Road Trip Snack Bins and what to pack.

    We picked up the containers at Walmart for a couple of dollars.  The stickers were at Hobby Lobby in the scrapbook section and we used a 40% coupon.  We have used these Road Trip Snack Bins for several road trips with our girls and they have held up well.  Once the trip is over and they have finished eating the items in the bins all you have to do is wash them and store until the next family adventure.  It is a blessing to be able to travel with our family.  We have created many amazing family memories on the road together.

  • Travel & Vacation: We Made it to Bangalore! (part 2)

    A little critter on their porch…..thankfully the little lizard is on the outside of the house!  One of them did make it into our room but thankfully Jake and the kids were able to catch it quickly.

    A little critter on their porch…..thankfully the little lizard is on the outside of the house (at the moment)!

    Fresh watermelon stand, you can buy a whole watermelon or a slice from the box.

    Burning the fields and underbrush, you see this often in India!  You will often see a pile trash burning on the side of the road or paths.

    A village near Bangalore

    Monkeys on the side of the road!

    A lady walking on the side of the road carrying a pile of sticks on her head.  A common sight in India!

    Two ladies carrying potted flowers on their head.

    PVP Indus Day 2011 – 2012…..Respect, Love, Discipline, Empathy.  The kids school put together an amazing presentation.  It was really neat to watch all the performances that the kids had worked so hard on over the past couple of months.

    Rachel dressed as the wind!

    Erica all pretty in her beautiful costume!

    David up on stage

    Mike up on stage as a panda bear….his class did Noah’s ark!

    Rachel on stage as the wind!

    The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax.  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.  Explore with a good attitude, look 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!

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    The girls are excited about getting to go to Grandpa and Grandma’s VBS program.  We are all looking forward to spending some time with family this week at the family reunion.

    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. Get to the Final Goal Mark (2000 minutes) on the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading minutes)
    4. Spend time with extended family
    5. Narrow down what type of vehicle we want to get – still working on it

    Personal Goals

    1. Spend extra time helping and making memories with my extended family

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Work on My Summer Organizational Schedule – didn’t get much done with all the travel last week
    3. Pack for upcoming family reunion
    4. Pay all upcoming bills
    5. Clean house prior to traveling

    Business Goals

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

    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 – will work on it more once the car is purchased
    3. Car Fund – save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled – still saving for a new vehicle
    4. College Fund – put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes – on hold temporarily until we purchase a new car

     

    My goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Attend Family Reunion
    2. Read regularly to the girls and have them read to me
    3. Participate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the Kids
    4. Plan out the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading minutes) Grand Prize for Completion
    5. Spend time with extended family
    6. Narrow down what type of vehicle we want to get

    Personal Goals

    1. Spend extra time helping and making memories with my extended family

    Home Management Goals

    1. Put mail on hold for when we are away
    2. Line up someone to come by and check on the house / pets while we are away

    Business Goals

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

    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
    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.

  • Travel & Vacation: We Made it to Bangalore!

    Shepherds herding a large group of sheep on the road.

    We had the opportunity to spend a few days with Jake’s cousin Matt, his wife Jen, and the rest of the crew in Bangalore, India!  It was so much fun to catch up with them and explore the area.   We had a wonderful time with the whole family.

    Jen took us shopping downtown Bangalore!  Lots of cool stores!  We found some cute outfits for the girls!

    Super neat toy store near downtown Bangalore!  The girls would have loved it! 🙂

    I think he is a little loaded down with sugar cane!

    Aw….such great food!

    Our home away from home for the next few days in India.  Thanks Matt & Jen for letting us hang out with your family!

    Jake on vacation but taking a few minutes to check in with work!

    Michael and David were the first ones to hit the pool!

    David performing under water for the camera!

    Hey Michael!  Having fun at the pool!

    Erica swimming through Jake’s legs in the pool

    View from behind the water fall at one of their many pools!

    Erica was a great guide, she wanted us to check out all the pools in the area!  It was pretty amazing seeing all the cool places to swim.  This picture was taken in the kids area.

    We had a blast hanging out with the whole family.  We met some of their friends in the area, went swimming, grabbed a ice cream cone at Baskin Robbins, ate delicious food, and so much more.  I will be sharing more on our adventures over in India soon.  It was an amazing trip and we are thankful for Matt & Jen’s hospitality while we were there.

     The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax.  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.  Explore with a good attitude, look 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!

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week was a fun one with Horse Camp for the girls among all the other fun summer activities.  This week we are gearing up for extra time with extended family and friends!

    Last week’s goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Read at least one book or a chapter in a book to the girls every day
    2. Listen to the girls read at least one book to me or Jake every day
    3. Participate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the Kids
    4. Get to the 3/4 Goal Mark (1500 minutes) on the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading minutes)
    5. Go to the library with the kids
    6. Take the girls to Horse Camp
    7. Narrow down what type of vehicle we want to get – getting closer, such a big decision

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – at least 5 days this week – didn’t do well this past 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
    3. Work on My Summer Organizational Schedule
    4. Pack for upcoming family reunion – getting started
    5. 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. 1o minutes a day Cleaning / Organizing my desk
    4. Put in extra hours with clients while girls are at camp

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Prepare for the next Alms & Legs meeting

    Financial Goals

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

    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. Get to the Final Goal Mark (2000 minutes) on the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading minutes)
    4. Spend time with extended family
    5. Narrow down what type of vehicle we want to get

    Personal Goals

    1. Spend extra time helping and making memories with my extended family

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Work on My Summer Organizational Schedule
    3. Pack for upcoming family reunion
    4. Pay all upcoming bills
    5. Clean house prior to traveling

    Business Goals

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

    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
    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.

  • Travel & Vacation: Quick Trip to Nebraska & Kansas

    Brina having a blast swimming at the pool in Nebraska

    Earlier this year our family made a quick trip out to Nebraska and Kansas for a conference.  During the trip we got to spend some time hanging out with family too.   While Jake and I attended the conference the girls got to hang out with Grandma Penny.  They had a blast swimming, going to the Children’s Museum and more.

    Watch this!  Karlie preparing for her next dive!  Love the blue goggles and floats, she cracks me up!

    Crashed after a fun day with Grandma…..can you guess whose wearing the “heart” pjs and who is wearing the “rockets”, ha?!  I think it is hilarious that they have a queen bed with covers yet they are laying on top of the sheet and barely even using a pillow.  You can tell from this picture which one wiggles around the most in her action packed dreams.

    Slumber party in the living room at Grandpa and Grandma’s with the cousins

    One of the best parts about going to Kansas is seeing family.  The girls always love hanging out and playing with their cousins Nathan and Brandon.  The kids have a blast together!

    Grandma set up a craft for the kids.   They were super excited and it kept them entertained for quite some time.  It was fun listening to them chitchat while creating their cool designs.

    Kids being kids….doing jumping jacks, playing Simon Says, and having fun

    Early morning Kansas Sunrise (taken through the car window on our way back to the airport).  Kansas has some pretty amazing sunrises and sunsets.

    The girls were concerned that the girls bathroom also served as the “Tornado Shelter” for the Grand Island airport.  It was a really nice and small airport, thankfully no tornadoes came while we were there.

    Hanging out at the kids section burning off extra energy before our next flight out of the Dallas Airport.  This picture was taken only a few moments before Karlie spit out her lose tooth.  She has a thing with traveling and losing her teeth for some reason because most of the ones that have fallen out have been away from home (in the Dallas airport, at a hotel in Charleston, eating a tomato at VBS, etc…).  I am thankful for the fun times and great memories with family!  I am already gearing up for next fun adventure to the Midwest which will be here before we know it.

    The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax.  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.  Explore with a good attitude, look 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!

  • Travel & Vacation: Leaving On A Jet Plane….

    Karlie and Brina watching the airplanes coming and going from the Greenville Spartanburg Airport

    Do you remember the John Denver song “I’m leavin’ on a jet plane, Don’t know when I’ll be back again….”?  I don’t necessarily love the entire song but every time I fly that phrase pops into my head.  Our family, especially the kids, love traveling and flying!  The last time our entire family flew was back in January out to Kansas (the pictures are from that trip).  It was the first flight the kids were big enough to sit in their own row together without one of us beside them.  We sat in the row right behind them so we could monitor them and they did very well.   I love seeing their excitement over traveling and flying, it’s contagious!

    We are currently gearing up for another fun flight to see family soon.  The girls have already started packing their backpacks, talking about all the places we will go and who we are going to see.  Here are a few pictures from our last adventure on the plane:

    Karlie reading the informational sheet for the airplane!

    Karlie is all about flying and learning more about airplane.  Every time we fly she reads about the airplane, the safety manual, and anything else she can get her hands on.  The whole experience is a grand adventure for her!

    Brina all snuggled up and asleep in her seat on the airplane

    Brina loves to fly but when it is a couple hours past her bedtime after a super busy day once the flight is in the air she tends to crash.  Glad to see her sleeping.  If only I could curl up and sleep that comfortably on the airplane seat.

    Karlie loves flying!

    Karlie turning around to see what Dad and Mom are up to and sneaking a peek out our window too!  She loves gazing out at all the city lights and watching as the plane lands.

    I am truly grateful that both my girls love to travel and fly.  They have always been excited about going on various adventures.  It is a blessing to be able to travel to see family and friends.  The items they pack in their back packs keep them busy for hours while on the plane or at the airports.  I am thankful for the amazing memories we have created throughout our years of traveling together and look forward to many more.

    The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax.  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.  Explore with a good attitude, look 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.