Family Outings

  • Easter Celebrations

    It has been a super busy 2012 with all the traveling and activities.  I am thankful for the opportunity to spend time with family and friends, but I have been a little behind with my blog updates.  Easter week we spent part of our time in Charleston since it was the girls Spring Break and the other part in Greenville.  Here are a few highlights from our 2012 Easter Celebrations:

    Easter Eggs being dropped by a Hot Air Balloon at Rock Springs.  It was fascinating to watch all the eggs falling from the Hot Air Balloon.

    We were in Charleston the week of Easter so we went to an Easter story time at the small “village” library in Mount Pleasant.   It was a cute little library and the people were super sweet.  The girls loved listening to the librarian read Easter stories!

    Our neighbors brought over these super cute Easter goodies for the girls when we got back from Charleston.  It was a little toy and candy combination which was a huge hit with the girls.  It had a bunny rabbit on a bicycle carrying an egg full of jellybeans. Thankful for our neighbors, it was a thoughtful gift.   The expressions on Karlie and Brina’s faces in this picture crack me up!

    Easter basket goodies!  Some fun socks, games, candy, and goodies to celebrate the Holiday.

    Trail of Easter Eggs from their bedroom door through the kitchen all the way to the table.  The girls were so excited to discover them that morning.  You know your kids are getting older when they “ask permission”  before picking up and opening the trail of Easter eggs.

    Neat craft the girls did in Sunday School.  They took a bowl added some dirt, used a twisty tie and sticks to make a cross, a rock, and half an Easter egg.  They planted grass seeds in the dirt too.  It was a wonderful Easter craft for the kids!  Both girls could explain the significance of the cross, tomb (egg), and the rock.  The girls loved this activity and I give whoever came up with this idea a double thumbs up!

    Karlie on focused on hunting Easter eggs

    Brina found a blue egg hidden in the grass

    The extra special “car” eggs had a surprise in them…..loose change!

    We had fun coloring eggs together as a family on Easter Sunday, here’s one carton full of eggs we did.  Thankful for a time to relax and enjoy some time with the family while celebrating the Easter Holiday.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week Jake was traveling the majority of the week for work and we had the girls 7th Birthday Party.  It was neat celebrating, it’s still hard for me to believe that my babies are 7 years old.

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday – we had a couple later nights this week
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
    4. Go on our Date Night with the Girls
    5. Celebrate with family and friends at the Girls Birthday Party
    6. Pick up the girls new glasses
    7. Schedule Appointment with Chiropractor

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday – need to work on this one
    3. Finish reading Everything Romance by Todd Hafer
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
    5. Finalize Upcoming Travel Plans – got most of the travel itinerary done, just a couple minor details to be worked out

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday) – with several doctor appointments after school dinner was delayed
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the Master Bedroom & Bathroom – this didn’t get done this week

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Write a Guest Blog Post – working on it
    5. Schedule Meeting with Accountant for Business Taxes

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Email Alms & Legs Ministry Team with the Meeting Notes

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – went over a little this week with the girls birthday party, Valentine’s Day & Date Night
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – working on it
    3. Complete our personal 2011 taxes – getting closer
    4. Put money aside for upcoming trips – have some of it set aside
    5. Pay for Jake’s College Classes – cash set aside for the first 6 months

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
    4. Go on our Date Night with Jake
    5. Celebrate Valentine’s Day
    6. Celebrate Brina & Karlie’s Birthday
    7. Spend time together as a family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday
    3. Finish reading When Work and Family Collide by Andy Stanley
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
    5. Packing “To Do” List

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the downstairs Bookshelves / Desk / Dressers

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Write a Guest Blog Post
    5. Finish 2011 Business Taxes

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. 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 3 months worth of living expenses
    3. Complete our personal 2011 taxes
    4. Put money aside for upcoming trips
    5. 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

  • Book: “Everything Romance” by Todd Hafer

    Any time is the perfect time to celebrate with the ones you love!  With Valentine’s Day celebrations around corner I thought I would share with you a book I recently read called Everything Romance by Todd Hafer.  The book is packed full of great quotes, recipes and information.  It has plenty of great ideas to get your creative juices flowing for your upcoming Date Night, Valentine’s Day, Honeymoon, Anniversary or any other fun celebration with your spouse.  You will get a wonderful variety of romantic inspiration from the book through:

    • Blessings & Prayers
    • Did You Know? (fun love facts)
    • Features (Conversation Starters and More)
    • Lists (such as Creative Ways to say “I Love You”)
    • Love Boosters & Love Busters
    • Love Letters (from famous people like Mark Twain and more)
    • Perfect Pairs & Famous Quotes
    • Poetry & Poets
    • Special Recipes
    • Gift Ideas & Love Stories
    • Scripture Verses, Trivia and More!

    I thought this book was great reminder of how important it is that we spend time with our spouse.  Going on a Date Night even after your married helps keep you connected.  The book has a lot of different ideas.  My suggestion is take the ones that work well for your marriage and implement them.  There is plenty of fun activities to try and inspirational sayings to get you started.  I especially enjoyed the love quotes and the recipes. The top 100 lists for Love Songs and Romantic Movies are wonderful starting points for Date Night ideas.

    I haven’t had a chance to try all the recipes but here are a few fun ones:

    • Berry Sweet Breakfast Parfaits for Two
    • Lip Smackin’ Spicy Lime Popcorn
    • Smooth Operator Blue Smoothie
    • Perfect Pair Pizza Pita Snacks

    If you need some great ideas for the upcoming Valentine’s Day celebration or more ideas for your Date Nights I would recommend checking this book out.  Everything Romance would be a neat Valentine or Anniversary gift for your spouse.  You could read through the book together or use it to help plan out your next date night.

    I think investing time and energy into our marriage is important.  While I may not be inspired by every story, quote, or activity in the book I believe the author did a good job of putting a great mix of ideas so each person can pull their favorites out for them to implement or enjoy.   The book was a fun one for me to read and I appreciate a book that focuses on building better relationships!  I am already looking forward to our next Date Night! 🙂

    Rate my review & be entered into a giveaway: I reviewed this book for “Blogging for Books.”   By rating my review, it allows me to choose another book and enters you in a GIVEAWAY!   The rating is a two step process.

    Step 1:  Rate my review below (select the number of stars, enter your email, and hit submit).

    Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher through the Waterhouse Multnomah.  The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week we made a quick trip out to the midwest, Nebraska & Kansas, to attend a Pro Ag conference with my family.  The girls had a blast with Grandma while Jake and I (along with other family and friends) attended the conference.  We learned a lot of great information (still processing all of it) they covered a lot in a short period of time.  We were also able to squeeze in some time to spend with extended family during the trip too.  It was a quick and busy trip but we were able to fit in some fun along the way! 🙂  Now that I am back home I have a pretty big week planned out, praying I will be able to tackle the majority of the items on the list for the week!

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday – I was not able to do this with the conference last week
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday- during the conference they were with Grandma so they probably had books read to them but I didn’t read them
    3. Spend some time with extended family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – did well until all the traveling
    2. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday

    Business Goals

    1. Attend the Pro Ag Conference
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. 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 3 months worth of living expenses – still working on this one

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
    4. Schedule a Date Night with the Girls & Re-Schedule My Date Night with Jake
    5. Finalize the Girls Birthday Party Items
    6. Set up a dentist appointment for the girls
    7. Pick up the girls new glasses

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday
    3. Finish reading Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
    5. Set up an appointment to get updated on shots / vaccinations
    6. Finalize Upcoming Travel Plans – dates set / plane tickets purchased / visa

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the Master Bedroom & Bathroom
    6. Get the majority of our 2011 Personal Taxes completed

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Write a Guest Blog Post
    5. Schedule Meeting with Accountant for Business Taxes

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Email Alms & Legs Ministry Team regarding our upcoming meeting
    4. Put together the Alms & Legs Meeting Agenda

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses
    3. Start working on our personal 2011 taxes
    4. Put money aside for upcoming trips

    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

  • Family Outings: A Walk in the Park

    Brina and Karlie pausing “briefly” on our walk so I can snap a picture!

    Every once in awhile when the girls are off school and it is a beautiful day we get to meet Daddy for a quick picnic and walk in the park.  Legacy Park is pretty close to Jake’s work so he can pop over and meet us over his lunch hour.  I think the girls get more excited about going for a walk around the park then eating, ha!

    Legacy Park has paved paths for walking, biking or jogging plus a playground for the kids, beach volleyball, and a big open field perfect for flying kites or playing soccer.  On those hot days they have plenty of shade and restrooms (which are very nice for little kids).  I treasure these moments when we get get together over the lunch hour to grab a bite to eat, walk, talk, and play together as a family.  I think it is important to have some relaxing times built into our schedules.  Not only do we get a few extra minutes together as a family we get fresh air and some exercise which is beneficial for all of us!

    Do you have a park you enjoy going to for a picnic or to play?

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week was busy with  Jake having a couple travel days with work and everyone fully back into the regular schedule with work and school.  As we move into the middle of the first month of 2012 I am reminded of all the goals that I want to accomplish this year.  The best part about staying on top of the goals (weekly check ins) is it points me back to my true priorities and provides stepping stones to where I want to be in the next year, 5 years, and more.

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week – we did four nights so not quite 5 this week
    4. Set up a Date Night for Jake & I and a Date Night for the Kids – got Jake’s set up but need to get a date on the calendar for the girls
    5. Thank You notes written and sent for the Christmas Gifts – written, stamped, and addressed will go in the mail Tuesday 1/17

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week YAY! I stuck with it this week and did it!!! 🙂
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday – need to work on getting better on this one
    3. Finish reading The 60-Minute Money Workout by Ellie Kay
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the office

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Plan new implementations for blog – just didn’t get to it this week with all the other activities
    5. Schedule client meetings at least 2 weeks in advance

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Write and send out Meeting Notes from our January Alms & Legs Team Ministry meeting

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – went over $40 budget but had enough cash to cover the groceries
    2. Emergency Fund – start saving 3 months worth of living expenses – started working on it this week but not completed yet

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
    4. Go on my Date Night with Jake (we got free movie tickets so excited to enjoy some time away together)
    5. Get the girls Birthday Party Details Started

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday
    3. Finish reading Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
    5. Get my Travel Visa Application Sent

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the office
    6. Update Family & Friends Contact Information

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Plan new implementations for blog
    5. Work on 2011 business taxes

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. 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 3 months worth of living expenses
    3. Start working on our personal 2011 taxes

    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

  • Family Activities: Enjoying Time with Extended Family

    I was going through some pictures (from the 2011 Fall Season) and realized I never posted anything about our visit from extended family members. My parents, little brother and grandparents were able to come out for a few days and spend some time with us. We were blessed to have some time with everyone. The girls LOVED having Grandpa Russell, Grandma Penny, Uncle Josh, Great Grandpa CE, and Great Grandma Willa staying at our house.  It reminds me of how important it is that we spend time with those we love whenever we have the opportunity to get together.

    Playing outside with Grandma.  Brina and Karlie blowing bubbles on Skipper while Skipper looks at me as if to say “do you see what I have to put up with!”

    Brina and Karlie giggling as they chase Skipper across the yard.

    No sleeping in Uncle Josh, it is time to play!  They don’t give him much of an option to rest with all their “Uncle Josh, let’s go…..Uncle Josh will you play with me, Uncle Josh…….”  Brina’s ready to go roller blading and Karlie has a lot of fun stories to tell!  Brina and Karlie have fun when Uncle Josh is over reading books and playing. 

    Convinced Uncle Josh to read them a few books.  Here they are reading a book from the library called “Hot Fudge”

    Playing a round of Wits & Wagers with Dad, Josh, Grandpa CE and Grandma Willa.  We received this game as a gift and since then have gotten several other family members and friends hooked on the game.  If you are looking for a great family game with a bunch of fun facts check out Wits & Wagers!

    It was a fun extended weekend with family.  We played games, read books, spent time outside, celebrated my nephew Nicholas’s first birthday and enjoyed great fellowship together.  I am truly grateful that the girls have the opportunity to spend time with not only their grandparents, but great grandparents as well as Aunts and Uncles.  It was a fun weekend full of great memories for everyone! 🙂


  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    The week started off with some one-on-one time with Jake and I as the girls returned to school followed by some fun family time together.  It is rare to have several hours at home alone with Jake so we spent some quiet time talking, relaxing, playing games and working on projects together.  Having those few hours together was refreshing which helped jump start our 2012 year.  I am ready to pick back up on speed with setting and following my goals, thanks for your encouragement and keeping me accountable.

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Spend extra time with my family while the girls are on Christmas Break!

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – didn’t quite make it this week
    2. Listen to Dumping Debt by Dave Ramsey

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Pay off remaining debt – We made it, the final payments are being made on the last two items!  Now we can start working on saving for  our 3 month Emergency Fund

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
    4. Set up a Date Night for Jake & I and a Date Night for the Kids
    5. Thank You notes written and sent for the Christmas Gifts

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday
    3. Finish reading The 60-Minute Money Workout by Ellie Kay
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the office

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Plan new implementations for blog
    5. Schedule client meetings at least 2 weeks in advance

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Write and send out Meeting Notes from our January Alms & Legs Team Ministry meeting

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – start saving 3 months worth of living expenses

    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: Carriage Tour in Charleston, SC

    Our family had the opportunity to go on a Carriage Tour through Charleston one of the weeks we were traveling in that area for work. The tour was packed full of amazing history of Charleston and all of us enjoyed it (including the girls).

    Carriage horse in Charleston

    Brina having fun saying “Hi” to all the horses in the carriage barn

    Karlie relaxing while waiting for our turn to ride the carriage!

    Going on a carriage tour of Charleston.  The girls LOVED riding in the front and watching the horse as well as soaking in all the history of Charleston.  Jake and I went on one of these rides before the girls were born.  It was a lot of fun and we learned more pieces of Charleston’s history!

    Beautiful iron work outside the front doors of one of the local churches.  The history of the many buildings along the ride was really neat.

    The architecture of the churchs and homes was pretty amazing.  I didn’t want to take a bunch of pictures into peoples personal homes so I snapped more of the churches during the tour.

    See the oval sign under the light, it is a “fire insurance” sign.  After the great fires in Charleston if your house had one of these signs that specific fire company would come put out your fire.  Also, many of the Charleston homes have a “privacy” door on their porches as seen in the picture above to allow the families to cool down in privacy on their porches during the warmer months.  It wouldn’t be decent seeing a lady in her “under garments” as she cooled off on the porch therefore privacy doors became a popular addition to the homes.

    Beautiful houses in Charleston.  This house used to by at the waters edge and is now several blocks from the shore!  Charleston used to have “HAVE” and “HAVE NOT” sections of town, this house was in the “have” section. 


    On the left side of the picture you can see a brown brick building through the trees.  After the really devastating fires in Charleston many of the wealthy families built their kitchens and servants quarters in a separate building outside of the home to help prevent fires from engulfing the entire home which also allowed a little extra time for the fire company to arrive and put out the fire.

    Charleston’s old jail house.  Our guide had a lot of “interesting” stories about the old jail house.  Supposedly it is “haunted” and you can take tours during the day or a ghost tour at night through the old jail. 

    Many of the houses in Charleston are visibly leaning due to age and the variety of natural things including settling that have occurred over time.  Also, you’ll notice that a lot of the houses are narrow as you see in this picture.  Not much of a front or side yards with a street on three sides but the house has some history!

    It was beautiful and peaceful touring Charleston on a carriage.  If only I could remember ALL the cool pieces of history our guide shared with us that day!

    Daughters of Confederacy building in downtown Charleston.  This building is near the market area.

    Brina and Karlie saying goodbye, petting, and thanking the horse for the history tour of Charleston.  They really have a soft spot for animals and loved the long ride through Charleston just as much as we did.

    Jake and I were able to “surprise” the girls with this carriage tour.  I was able to get tickets at a discounted rate through Groupon, but the company we received the coupons for refused to accept the reservations because they were too “busy” that day.  Thankfully we were able to get another carriage company to basically accept their competitors coupon otherwise we would have had two very disappointed girls (and Momma). Even though it was a busy time, we had to switch carriage companies, and it was warm we had a BLAST touring the city and learning all the history.

    If you ever go to Charleston this is a wonderful activity to do with your family, just make sure to budget or plan ahead for the tour because without a coupon it could be a little pricey especially for a large family or group.  Even though the carriage rides are open pretty much year round if you are going in the summer and it gets above 94 degrees (or somewhere near that temperature) the carriage companies have to pull the horses off the street because it is too hot for them.  It was a great experience for all of us!

    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: Isle of Palms Beach

    On our way to the beach!

    One of the benefits of traveling with the family is we get to enjoy some pretty amazing scenery.  When we travel together for work we try to squeeze some fun activities in as well.  I am thankful for the great memories and fun times together with my family this year.  Charleston is one of the locations we have been multiple times over the last several months.  Here are some pictures and memories from one of our trips together.

    Isle of Palms Beach!

    One of our favorite spots to go is the Isle of Palms near Charleston.  They have a great beach area with life guards.  The girls always love our trips to the beach.

    Karlie is ready to head to the beach! She is waiting patiently as we get everything out of the van.

    Brina is ready for our family beach day!

    Heading into the water!  (Karlie, Daddy and Brina)

    Splashing around in the water, the girls can stay at the beach for hours.

    Two little chickies buried in the hot beach sand.  They were really still until we were done burying them.

    After several hours of splashing in the water, digging in the sand, and collecting sea shells the girls were still going but we took a break for a snack and a little quiet time in the shade before heading back out for more fun.  The girls have a blast at the beach.  We saw dolphins several times while we were swimming and playing in the sand at Isle of Palms.  It was wonderful having some extra time to relax and spend time together.

    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!