Family Outings

  • Trip to the Joe’s Place Book Store and Falls Park

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    My parents on the bridge over Reedy River at Falls Park

    While my parents were in town we made a trip to downtown Greenville.  We stopped first at Joe’s Place Book Store where my sister-in-law works.  The book store is only a couple of blocks away from Falls Park so we decided to go through it on our way back to our cars.

    I was so busy looking at books in the book store I didn’t even take a picture!  Oops! We did have fun and got some good books.  Guess we’ll have to go back again to snap a few shots at our next visit.  I didn’t realize it was the first time my parents had seen the big suspension walking bridge over Reedy River.    We went through the park and on a few scenic hiking trails before heading back to the vehicles.

    It was a good walk, a beautiful day, and the kids were able to vent a little extra energy.  Thankful for time with family.

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    Brina speed hiking through the side trail.

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    The kids loved these little side trails!

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    Nicko and Karlie heading up the trail.

  • Hiking Through the Woods

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    The girls love going for hikes in the woods!

    Recently the girls and spent a couple hours outside having a picnic, hiking through the woods, climbing on trees, raking our campsite, playing with the animals, and more fun.  Thankful for some quiet and relaxing time with them out in nature.  They love spending time outside. Hiking through the woods is always an adventure with them!

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    Skipper is always willing to join us!

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    Karlie hanging out  by the big tree!

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    Waiting patiently for us as the girls play around and climb a couple trees.

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    Enjoying our time outside!

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    Hiking deeper into the woods!

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    Raking and trimming the thorny bushes at our old campsite.  The girls are ready to go camping again!

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    Brina having a blast!

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Hello March!!! Last week the girls only had one full day of school.  We had a great time playing in the snow and spending time together, however, our schedule was off with all the changes.  There is so much going on in March I just know it is going to zoom by quickly.  Our family has some exciting events planned in March and I look forward to sharing them with you soon!  Spring is in the air and I think we will start seeing a little warmer weather soon.  I have a lot to get accomplished this week, but hope to make great strides in a positive direction! Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Wonder’s Yearling (Thoroughbred Series #6) by Joanna Campbell to the kids – the girls LOVE this series, if you have a kid who enjoys horses this has been probably their favorite horse series that we have read so far. We finished this up with the extra snow days this week! 🙂
    2. Plan one special activity with the family – it was a spontaneous SNOW day playing outside for hours – building a snowman, scouting out animals tracks in the snow, sledding, eating snow cream,  going for hikes in the woods, and more fun!
    3. Play a Game with the Kids – we got to play several games with them home more this week!
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events – working on it
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework – we did homework even on snow days, but we had plenty of fun too
    6. Attend After School Activities – a couple of these were cancelled this week due to the snow
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure – getting ready!!!
    9. Pull out our Spring / Summer Clothes – Spring is around the corner!

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day – I was so busy having fun with the kids I didn’t do great drinking all my water! Opps!
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) 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. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer – still going through items in the deep freezer!
    4. Clean House (Focus – Laundry Room) – playing in the snow with the kids took priority over laundry room organization
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Linens Cabinet) – didn’t happen….
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pick Up Down Sticks) – let’s just say there are more sticks now than at the beginning of the week due to the snow / ice storm
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Sweet Hay)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – have some items that need my attention
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car – working on it
    2. Payoff Medical Bills- working on it and made the final payment on a couple this week
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)- working on it
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. Attend “Financial Peace University” Class & Become More Accountable with our Finances – this got postponed due to the weather
    6. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – I did it, so excited to finally hit my target budget this week
    7. Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading the new chapter book that gets picked out to the kids….still haven’t decided on the new one yet!
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
    9. Go on a Date Night with one of the kids
    10. Send out Thank You Notes

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) 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. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
    4. Clean House (Focus – Laundry Room)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Spring / Summer Clothes Organized)
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Check the Boundary Fences)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Turtle Food)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Medical Bills
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
    6. Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay

    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.

  • Beautiful SC Sunrise

    Beautiful SC Sunrise

    Gorgeous Sunrise!

    The kids and I enjoyed this beautiful sunrise earlier this week.  It’s not every day we see these great sunrises in South Carolina.  Our drive to school was perfectly timed with the sunrise on this special morning.

    Thankful for a chance to share this with my kids.  All of us were glad that we got stopped at the stoplight that morning so we could soak in the beauty around us.  It’s the little treasures throughout each day such as a beautiful sunrise that remind us of the many blessings in our lives.

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    What a great way to start a new day!

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week flew by so quickly and we are now entering the middle of February.  I am excited about some of the fun events coming up this week.  My parents will be coming to visit us in SC for a few days.  The kids are thrilled and I have to kick into gear to get my house picked up before our guests arrive.  Also, this week is special because we are celebrating Valentine’s Day which is a great time to demonstrate our love to those around us.   Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Wonder’s Victory by Joanna Campbell to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids – we did it different this week, we split up in pairs to play games one-on-one with the kids (Jake played Chess with Karlie and I played Trouble with Brina)
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids – working on it
    9. Confirm my parents plans for their upcoming visit

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) 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. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer – still going through the various items
    4. Clean House (Focus – Dining Room)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Game Closet) – isn’t quite finished yet
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Clean Kids Outdoor Toy Storage Containers)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up More Dog Food)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car – working on it
    2. Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt)- working on it, made a small extra payment this week
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went to more than 1 store
    5. Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay – sold a couple items and used the money to make an extra payment on our debt

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Ashleigh’s Dream (Thoroughbred Series #5) by Joanna Campbell to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids
    9. Confirm my parents plans and activities for their upcoming visit
    10. Celebrate Valentine’s Day
    11. Spend Extra Time with Extended Family

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) 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. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
    4. Clean House (Focus – Overall House Cleaning)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Game Closet)
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Yard Clean Up)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Salt Block for Goats)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt)
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
    5. Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay

    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.

  • Olive Garden Teams Up With My Gym for 2nd Annual Parents’ Night Out!

    Olive Garden

    On Friday, Feb. 20, Olive Garden will break down the barriers to date night for parents through a national partnership with My Gym. Olive Garden will cover the cost for kids to have a fun-filled evening at My Gym while parents enjoy an affordable Four Course Festa Italiana dinner as part of its second annual Parents’ Night Out.

    Parents Night Out Banner

    A recent survey found that the overall cost, including childcare and dining, combined with lack of trustworthy child supervision are the largest barriers to date night for nearly 75 percent of parents.* Parents’ Night Out is designed to solve this dilemma. Parents can enjoy quality time over an affordable and delicious meal at Olive Garden while their kids are entertained with games and activities in a safe environment.

    Couples can participate in Parents’ Night Out by contacting their nearest My Gym location to confirm participation, obtain event details and register. Space is limited to approximately 30 kids at each of the 148 participating My Gym locations in the U.S. and Canada, and reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis (deposit required).

    To help parents make the most of their evening, Olive Garden is offering its first-ever Four Course Festa Italiana starting at $12.99, featuring unlimited breadsticks and choice of homemade soup or famous house salad, and choice of small plate, entrée and decadent Dolcini mini dessert.

    For more about the great deals at Olive Garden, visit www.olivegarden.com or connect with Olive Garden on social media atFacebook.com/OliveGarden, Twitter.com/OliveGarden and Instagram.com/OliveGarden.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    I had high expectations to get so much more done this past week.  The good news is I was able to spend a full fun Monday with the girls since they did not have school for Martin Luther King Jr Holiday.  It was wonderful soaking in those precious extra moments together!

    I did not make as much progress as I had hoped on some of the other items on my list, but for the most part I am moving forward which is better than no movement at all.  It is amazing how activities which appear to be easy or simple can actually take longer and eat into any extra time I had.  Trying to stay positive especially on those tasks that seem to never get completed (or take a long time)!  This week I have a lot of my list so hopefully it will be a more productive week.  Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows to the kids – getting closer (the busy weeks have slowed us down)
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
    5. Spend time Tuesday – Friday helping the kids with Homework – they did not have school on Monday
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – still taking me 2 days, hoping to get back to normal schedule soon!
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week – I planned it out, but had to alter it a little more than I anticipated this week
    3. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
    4. Clean House (Focus – Master Bedroom & Master Bathroom) – got our new bed put into the room, just have some more organizing to do before I can cross it off
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Kitchen) – got the pantry cleaned out, but have some more items I want to get done in the kitchen
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Leaves) – although I did some raking with the girls this week hoping for a dry week soon so we can get the side yard blown and raked
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Fix the Goat Fence) – my sweet husband got this fixed

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – have a few pending projects
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients – I have 2 projects I need to complete soon

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car – working on it
    2. Sale Some Items No Longer Using on Facebook / Craigslist
    3. Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt) – working on it
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went to 2 stores and was $20 over budget

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids
    9. Confirm my parents plans for their upcoming visit

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) 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. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
    4. Clean House (Focus – Master Bedroom & Master Bathroom)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Kitchen)
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Leaves)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Refill All Pet Containers)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt)
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. 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.

  • First Lego League: Robotics STEM Competition – Solar SySTEM!

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    Very excited!  Their team won a 1st place Trophy and a Gold Ticket to the SC State Robotics Competition!

    The girls Solar SySTEM Lego Robotics STEM Club team went to the regional competitions this past weekend!  It was a long and busy Saturday day.  We left the house before sun up so we could be in Seneca by 7:20 am and didn’t get home until after 6 pm that night.  The girls team had several rounds at the competition.  They were scored in multiple areas and did well!

    Three rounds of their robot completing tasks on the map which they scored pretty high on.  Another part of the competition was their core values which is their team spirit and how they interact with the other teams.  They have to give a presentation on this piece as well in front of the judges.  Another piece of the competition was their research, project, and presentation which the kids presented in front of the judges on their own.  They won the first place trophy in this category (on their research, project, and presentation).

    The work is done by the students from the logo design, research, development, presentations, and so much more!  The team worked so well together and put in a lot of hours working on their research, development, robotics, and project. They do the majority of their work in front of the judges with no coaches or parents in the room (we can’t even watch, but thankfully they had it video taped).  The only piece the parents and coaches can watch is the one when they do their robotic map missions otherwise they are on their own once in the room and in front of the judges.

    The team pick a solar system theme.  They named their team the Solar SySTEM and the catch phrase is “Stay in Orbit”!  The research project they decided to do was to build a computer game that would help kids learn more about the solar system.  They named their robot, SpaceBot!

    It was a super busy and long day for the kids, but they were awesome.  There were 21 teams competing that day so it was a real honor to win a trophy and get the opportunity to move forward.  Their hard work really paid off with the trophy and qualifying for the SC Competition!  WooHoo!  Very proud of the girls and their team!

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    Playing a hangman game before competition starts!

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    Karlie all smiles after the first robotic map round when they scored all 100 points!

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    Their robot going through the tasks on the map!

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    Brina hanging up their spirit posters.

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    Their team going through the tasks on the robot map!

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    Watching carefully to make sure the robot goes through all its tasks!

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    Gathering some of the props for their presentation!

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    Karlie ready to go speak!

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    Coming back after their presentation!  They rocked it and got the 1st place trophy!!!

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    Getting their trophy!

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    Karlie with Mrs. Johnson one of their coaches who also teaches STEM Lab and her GT class!

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    Solar SySTEM team and coaches!  They did AWESOME!!!

  • Slumber Party Adventure With Cousins

    Slumber Party Activities

    Dinner time – kid friendly meal (chicken nuggets, mac-n-cheese, salad, blueberries, and oranges)

    The kids were so EXCITED!  We’ve been trying to get a slumber party on the calendar with their cousins for a few months now and we did it last weekend.  The kids had a blast playing together – nerf, legos, relays, games, and so much more fun activities during their stay with us.  Everyone was well behaved, full of energy, and went right to sleep as soon as they hit the sleeping bags that night.  One of our girls got up a couple of times, but my nephews we never heard another peep out of them until after 7:30 the next morning!

    After some play time the next day and breakfast we headed out on a science adventure.  We went to Roper Mountain Science Center’s 2nd Saturday event on H2O Oceans which was a blast!  The kids had a grand time together.  Thankful for some fun with the kids.

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    Silly relay races….it was hard getting a clear picture with all the movement!

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    Lined up for their next relay round!

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    Lots of giggles and fun!

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    They played a few fun games while they were here.  This was a favorite with the boys – Toy Story 3 Kerplunk game which they played well together!

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    Taking turns and helping each other!

    Slumber Party Activities

    Our living room was full of sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, and giggling kids.  It only took them a few minutes to wind down and go to sleep!

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    Kiddos playing with cars, trucks, planes, race tracks, and legos while Jake and I make breakfast!

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    Cinnamon Crumble Breakfast Cake, Scrambled Eggs with Extra Cheese, Yogurt, Pears, and Chocolate Milk for breakfast!  My sweet nephew asked my daughters several times as we were setting the table “Can we really eat the CAKE for breakfast!?”  Why not, it’s not every weekend we have a slumber party and get cinnamon breakfast cake in the morning, ha!  While he did eat his cake first that morning, he also ate most of his scrambled eggs and other goodies too!

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    Van full of kids!

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    My nephews were not sure about Karlie holding a huge snake!  Although they were a little concerned at first they did eventually pet the snake, however, they did not want to hold it!

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    Riding the school bus between buildings at Roper Mountain!

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    So excited to ride a bus!  Sometimes the little activities provide the most fun and biggest smiles!

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    Our troop at the Planetarium getting ready to watch the show!  The lighting in the planetarium made it hard to get a clear picture.

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    My nephew was amazed….all the fish swimming around in every direction.  It was almost more fun to watch his expressions and hear his comments!

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    Checking out the turtle!  You mean we can touch it?!

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    Petting the animals!

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    The bunny was so soft!

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    This one always grosses me out…..baby mice…..however, the kids love holding the baby mice!

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    What’s this Aunt Bridgette!?  Can I touch it!?  Lots of questions and fun exploring all the cool animals!

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    This was a highlight for my nephews!  They loved digging around in the sand and water creating various lakes, rivers, dams, and more!

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    Building another one together!

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    Testing the items that they built to see how many golf balls they will hold before sinking!

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    Saying “Hi” to the animals!

     

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    Checking out the  sting ray!

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    It was a super crazy week with the girls back in school, Jake back on normal work schedule, and my days packed.  I was able to accomplish some activities and make progress last week, but need to pick up pace this week.  I have a lot of projects that need attention around the house.  When the kids were home for Christmas break I spent the time with them so some of my items got put on the back burner.  Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows to the kids – making progress, but there was a lot of homework last week and weekend events took priority
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids – played Jake’s new game Dakato
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Dr. Appointments for Kids

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – need to decide which plans I am doing this year
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – did it over the whole weekend since we had guests for the weekend
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later) – trying to eat through the items already in the freezer
    4. Clean House (Focus – House Cleaned Up After Christmas Decorations are Put Away)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Christmas Items Back in the Attic)
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Blow Leaves) – working on it
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Skipper a Bath) – didn’t get it done this week

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car – working on it
    2. Sale Some Items No Longer Using on Facebook / Craigslist – sold a few items!
    3. Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – working on it
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went to more than one store

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. STEM Competition

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) 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. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
    4. Clean House (Focus – Basement)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Pantry)
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Clean Up Old Storage Shed)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Find a New Location for Skipper’s Doghouse)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Sale Some Items No Longer Using on Facebook / Craigslist
    3. Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. 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.