Goals
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
It was a whirlwind and busy week. There were some days that didn’t go as planned and I got upset about some minor inconveniences. Rarely do my days go exactly as I plan, but sometimes I do not react well when it changes (need to work on this more). Especially thankful for a gracious husband and understanding people in my life who encourage me when I feel like things are flying apart. There was so much to be thankful for last week.
I want to be accountable to you so the following are snip-its of some of the things I am thankful for this past week. Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday – Thankful for the kids teachers (it was teacher appreciation week). The girls decided what they wanted to get their teachers, wrote their own thank you notes, and delivered them. Being a teacher isn’t always easy (neither is being a student at times), but we are thankful for the time the teachers invest into our kids.
Tuesday – Thankful for well behaved kids. The girls had to go with me to one of my appointments and they sat patiently and quietly in the lobby for over an hour reading, drawing, and other activities while waiting on me to wrap things up.
Wednesday – Thankful that Brina may only have one more week with spacer adjustments. She is getting close to where she needs to be positioned. If she gets to the right spot by this week, she will just need to hold in that position for the next several months without any more nightly turning. Yay!
Thursday – Thankful for patient, understanding, and kind husband. He listens. He cares. Despite all my imperfections, failures, and the drama over the little stuff he still loves me. I am truly blessed.
Friday – Thankful for my cousin Renelle. It is always great having a chance to catch up with each other. Even though there are many miles between us it is good to know that we can still stay in touch and encourage each other as we go through various stages in life. She always knows how to make me laugh. It is nice having someone you can bounce ideas off of and they don’t think your crazy!
What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today. It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day!
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week was a whirlwind of activity. The girls now only have three more weeks of school. I am looking forward to spending some extra time with them this summer. We are getting closer to finalizing our summer plans. It will be fun to catch up with family and friends over the summer break. I had great intentions last week, but somehow little things took priority over some of the items on my list. Part of the problem is that we haven’t had a full weekend at home to get stuff done in several weeks. I love this time of year with all the celebrations and fun activities, but it does effect productivity. Hoping that I will get some of these ones tackled soon before our upcoming 3 day Memorial Holiday Weekend! Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Boxcar Children’s Blue Bay Mystery (Boxcar Children Series #6) by Gertrude Chandler Warner to the kids – were getting closer to the end, we had a bunch of library books we were trying to finish reading first
Plan one special activity with the family– we went to Hollywild (more on that later this week)Play a Game with the KidsPrepare for Upcoming Spring EventsSpend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePrep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break – getting closer to getting the details worked out
- Ride Bikes with the Kids – we didn’t get this done with everything going on
Work on special projects with the kidsAttend Cousins Baby ShowerKids glasses fixed– finally fixed after 4 trips to the eye doctorKids orthodontist appointment
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue my YouVersion plan(s)– I am doing it every day, but for some reason it won’t update it anymore- Keep up with my FitBit Goals – I was a little short this week, hoping to do better this week!
Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this weekUpdate Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayWeekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic) – have a little more to do
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Laundry Room) – I got started….
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Deck Cleaned & Prepped) – hoping to get this completed this weekend
- Pet Care (Focus – Mix Extra Vitamins in Goat Food) – some are done, but need Jake’s help on the other vitamin
Repairs – (Focus – Pick Up Replacement Lightbulbs)– few have been replaced, but need to pick up a few more
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attention- Work completed for clients – I have 2 more projects to wrap up this week
Prep, plan, and organize content for upcoming summer months while the kids are out of school
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Medical Bills – working on it
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, HVAC unit, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File PaperworkGo grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Boxcar Children’s Blue Bay Mystery (Boxcar Children Series #6) by Gertrude Chandler Warner to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
- Spend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)
- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
- Ride Bikes with the Kids
- Work on special projects with the kids
- Attend Science Fair Project Presentations
- Annual Pest / Termite Inspection Completed
- Kids orthodontist appointment
- STEM Club Meeting
- Spend extra time with the Family over the Memorial Holiday Weekend
- Finish sending out the remaining Graduation Cards
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Keep up with my FitBit Goals
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
- Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Laundry Room)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Deck Cleaned & Prepped)
- Pet Care (Focus – Mix Extra Vitamins in Goat Food)
- Repairs – (Focus – Take Slide Off Jungle Gym)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
- Prep, plan, and organize content for upcoming summer months while the kids are out of school
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Medical Bills
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, HVAC unit, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- 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.
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
A lot of extra items were going on last week with Jake traveling for work, the new HVAC getting installed, the girls State testing, and so much more. Hopefully, this week will be a little quieter and we will be able to be more productive as well as relax a little bit too. We did have a relaxing Sunday celebrating Mother’s Day even with Jake being on call over the weekend. There was so much to be thankful for last week.
I want to be accountable to you so the following are snip-its of some of the things I am thankful for this past week. Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday – Thankful for an opportunity to run errands and go out to dinner with the girls. It was nice sitting around the table of the restaurant relaxing and chatting with the kids.
Tuesday – Thankful for technology and the ability to stay connected with Jake even when he is traveling.
Wednesday – Thankful for doctors who are quick to respond, assist with questions, and willing to work around our schedule.
Thursday – Thankful for my family and friends who stay in touch. It would be nice to beam ourselves back and forth to see family and friends so far away, but thankful for moments to catch up and connect.
Friday – Thankful that the girls were able to finish another round of State Testing. Also, our HVAC is almost completed. It is working they had to come by for a little bit on Saturday to wrap things up.
What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today. It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day!
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
It looks like it is going to be another busy week for us. The kids still have another round of State testing, Jake will be busy at work, and I have a lot that needs to get done and caught up. Going to try to make it a simple menu simple this week so we can stay on top of everything else that is going on with the family. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Spaghetti & Meatballs, Garlic Bread
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Blueberry Pancakes, Bacon
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Mustard Glazed Chicken, Steamed Vegetables
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Cube Pork Steak, Fresh Salad
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
We made it through last week. Jake had some work travel. We had people coming and doing to get the new HVAC unit installed. My week was altered and adjusted as needed so I could be home whenever they needed to get access to the house to do their work. Thankfully we were able to get the HVAC completely installed by Saturday and it appears to be working well. It will be nice to have cool air once the heat hits. This week is a little closer to normal, however, I have a lot of appointments due to last week being a little more flexible. The girls will still be busy with homework and some more State testing, but I am hoping that it will not be as intense this week. If all goes well I hope to get a lot accomplished this week. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Boxcar Children’s Blue Bay Mystery (Boxcar Children Series #6) by Gertrude Chandler Warner to the kids – working on it, we got some done this past weekend
Plan one special activity with the familyPlay a Game with the Kids– played a couple games with the kids Destination USA, Life, and morePrepare for Upcoming Spring EventsSpend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePrep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break – getting closer to having the schedule figured out
- Ride Bikes with the Kids – didn’t get to this one
Work on special projects with the kidsMail Mother’s Day CardsCelebrate Mother’s Day with Family
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day- Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – my app is acting up, hoping to get the kinks worked out this week
- Keep up with my FitBit Goals – I had some great days, but was still a little off by the end of the week
Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this weekUpdate Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – it took more than one day with all the activity going on
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic) – the attic was a busy place with HVAC people coming and going so tried to stay out of their way this week
Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from Atlanta trip)- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Re-Stain the Deck – weather permitting) – didn’t re-stain deck, but got several other items done
Pet Care (Focus – Pick up Dog and Goat Food)– we also took Skipper to get her annual shotsRepairs – (Focus – Replace our HVAC Unit – it died a few weeks ago the joys of owning an older home)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – a couple more to get completed
Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention- Work completed for clients – have 2 more projects to tackle this week
Prep, plan, and organize content for upcoming summer months with kids out of school– making some good progress, hoping to tackle a lot more this week
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Medical Bills – working on it – paid a couple off
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, HVAC unit, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File PaperworkGo grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Boxcar Children’s Blue Bay Mystery (Boxcar Children Series #6) by Gertrude Chandler Warner to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
- Spend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)
- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
- Ride Bikes with the Kids
- Work on special projects with the kids
- Attend Cousins Baby Shower
- Kids glasses fixed
- Kids orthodontist appointment
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Keep up with my FitBit Goals
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
- Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Laundry Room)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Deck Cleaned & Prepped)
- Pet Care (Focus – Mix Extra Vitamins in Goat Food)
- Repairs – (Focus – Pick Up Replacement Lightbulbs)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
- Prep, plan, and organize content for upcoming summer months while the kids are out of school
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Medical Bills
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, HVAC unit, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- 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.
Travel & Vacation: Cute Panda Bears and Wildlife Show at the Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA)
Panda Bear content to relax and eat bamboo
The panda bears were one of the girls favorite animals to visit at the Atlanta Zoo. I think the big fascination was watching the twin panda cubs. It was a little harder to get a picture of both of them at the same time, but the kids loved watching them eat and play. The Wildlife Show on birds was pretty neat too. Of course the girls went up after the show to ask more questions about the birds. The zoo worker was really great with the kids and patient in answering all the questions. On the way out the girls wanted a picture with the gorilla. It was a great day at the zoo.
You can read more about our adventure at the Atlanta Zoo on my Travel & Vacation: Visiting the Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA), Travel & Vacation: Lions, Tigers, Seals, Reptiles, Bears, and more at the Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA), and Travel & Vacation: Orangutan Easter Egg Hunt at Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA) blog posts.
Looking pretty cute!
Look out, showing some teeth this time. Watch out! They may look cute and adorable, but I think it would not be a good idea to pet them with teeth that size.
Someone found an Easter pinata
Loving the bamboo
Peeling the bamboo stick apart, eating some pieces, and putting the other pieces on his belly for later.
Crunchy, but delicious
Good stuff
Panada’s look so cute
Checking things out around the pen
Heading towards some more goodies
Twin panda’s in their cage. One sleeping on the log and the other one eating some bamboo
Relaxing and chewing on some bamboo
Bird Show in the Wildlife Theater at the Atlanta Zoo
Getting all their questions answered
Brina giving Willie B a hug
Karlie and Brina enjoyed the Atlanta Zoo
Karlie all smiles
Travel & Vacation: Orangutan Easter Egg Hunt at Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA)
He’s eying that cool looking pinata egg with sweet Easter treats inside it!
Another one of the neat events at the Atlanta Zoo was the Easter treats for the animals. We were able to get front row viewing at the Orangutan Easter egg hunt. It was super cute. There was a Mommy with a little one which the girls thought was adorable.
The Easter Eggs were made of jello and placed throughout the pen, pinata eggs full of special treats, leaf baskets with goodies, and cardboard cutouts with peanut like substance on the back for the orangutans to enjoy. They had a lot of fun finding and snacking on their treats. Even the baby found some. They had paper garland hanging up which the orangutans enjoyed moving and playing with as well.
You can read more about our adventure at the Atlanta Zoo on my Travel & Vacation: Visiting the Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA) and Travel & Vacation: Lions, Tigers, Seals, Reptiles, Bears, and more at the Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA) blog posts.
An edible Easter egg in the tree and one on the rock in the background….waiting to be found!
Swinging out to get the Easter garland
Oh yeah, this eggs mine!
Climbed up on top of the platform for this pinata treat
Enjoying the goodies inside the pinata Easter egg
Holding the cardboard cutout of the bunny rabbit and licking the treat off the back of it
Hanging out near the hammock picking up and eating eggs, delicious!
Look closely, he’s got a green jello egg in his mouth
Momma and baby
Sitting in the shade – Mom and Baby (the baby is not really little, but obviously still under its Mother’s care)
Mom and baby kisses
Licking the goodness off the back of the cardboard Easter egg decoration
Mom and baby looking for some more treats
The baby wasn’t too sure about everything at first so it stuck near its Mom at the beginning of the Easter Egg Hunt
The baby is getting brave. He is climbing the pole to get the Easter basket, with a little Chick, and goodies.
Made it, now to grab it and head back down.
The Mom watched the baby climb, get the treats, and bring them back down. Then she took the items from the baby and ate them herself, ha! The baby did get some treats, but Momma Orangutan got the first dibs!
Rearranging the Easter Garland in their pen.
Travel & Vacation: Lions, Tigers, Seals, Reptiles, Bears, and more at the Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA)
Lioness pacing on her rock
We had a blast seeing all the animals on our recent trip to the Atlanta Zoo. We arrived just as the Zoo opened in the morning and stayed until closing. The kids loved seeing all the animals, the activities, and special events. It was a busy, packed, and fun day together. We walked all over the area of the zoo several times over. The morning was a little cooler, but it was very comfortable by mid-morning (not too cold or hot). You can read more about our adventure on my Travel & Vacation: Visiting the Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA) blog post.
The two lionesses were playing and pouncing on each other while we were there. They were so fast we weren’t able to get a non-blurry picture of both of them together. It was neat to watch them playing around instead of just sleeping on their rock.
Better watch out….
Tiger giving himself a bath.
Out for a stroll
The seal was catching the fish they were throwing at them. You can see the fish right in front of him.
Karlie and Brina learning about snakes.
Karlie having fun
Learning more about this little turtle
Curled up and watching people as they go by his cage
Brina fascinated by all the animals
What’s in this one!?
Karlie and Mommy having fun at the Atlanta Zoo
Me and my girls! They are growing up so fast. Thankful for these little adventures together as a family!
Brina was always good a spotting the animals really quickly, not sure how she does it so fast!
The snake was following the heat from Karlie’s hand
Jake and his girls at the Atlanta Zoo
Jake is always so good about explaining and showing the girls different pieces of information about the animals. The snake is acting like it might try to strike Jake’s hand through the glass in this picture, but it never did.
The bear brought this branch with leaves on top of the platform so he could eat it by himself without the other one bothering him.
Fun times!
They loved learning about all the different wildlife.
Love my family! Grateful for the opportunity to hang out at the Atlanta Zoo for the day!
Such a rough life…. They look so cute and cuddly.
This is a “Tanuki” it is very timid and doesn’t come out very often per one of the zoo workers that we asked. We walked by its cage multiple times and never saw it out until almost the end of the day. It gets spooked easy so it is not visible very often.
How does your Mom carry you!? Silly girls – Brina and Karlie
Karlie loves brushing the farm animals. She is currently on her way to brush another one.
Brina talking with the zoo worker about goats and asking questions. He was really nice and pointed out several different types of goats and characteristics of the ones near her.
Brina and Karlie brushing one goat. Lots of TLC for this Mamma goat. They always love the interactive animal adventures.
The giraffe is eying us while the ostrich was too busy eating to give us any attention
Travel & Vacation: Visiting the Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA)
Our family at the Atlanta Zoo!
We surprised the girls with a long weekend trip to Atlanta, Georgia over Easter weekend. They were very excited to go explore the Atlanta area. We are members of our local zoo so we were able to get into the Atlanta Zoo at a discount which was really nice. The kids love animals, learning more about various ones, interacting, and so much more.
Since it was Easter weekend at the Atlanta Zoo the animals were getting special treats to enjoy for the Holiday. The new Amphibian & Reptile Exhibit also opened the weekend we were there as well. There were a lot of people at the zoo, but it was so big we had plenty of time do see and do almost everything (some things the kids enjoyed it so much we did it again).
Pink Flamingos were hanging out peacefully near the entrance to the zoo
So excited….Karlie and Brina! They have their maps out and are ready to GO!
The birds were sleeping peacefully all together on one branch.
It was a little chilly when we first got there in the shade at opening, but no one was complaining!
Birds of all colors
Brina soaking it all in. She loves animals.
Playing around in the water puddles.
Karlie smiling as she quietly watches the birds and little kids.
Meerkat’s roaming around in their pen.
There is always one Meerkat on watch (or guard) for predators
They gave the Meerkats a pillow case stuffed full of hay, little bugs, and special treats. They were a little timid about it at first, but before long they were all taking turns going into the pillow case and digging out their special treats.
Are you done yet! Hurry up and get your bug so I can get my turn inside the Easter treat sack!!!
They look cute, but serious. Look at those claws on this meerkat! Yikes!
Rhino heading out into the sun after getting some sticky mud on itself to protect it from a sunburn.
This rhino was moving the stick around and chewing on it. Must of had something tasty on it.
They drew flowers, easter eggs, and bunny rabbits with chalk on the rocks in the Zebra’s pen.
The warthogs got hard boiled and colored Easter eggs for their special treat. They both found the first one about the same time.
Someone found the purple Easter egg!
The elephants had Easter eggs that had a jello consistency that they place in baskets made of leaves. This elephant just discovered the basket of leaves and is moving it out of the way so she can eat her jello Easter egg.
Whole lot of elephants! They had a huge pen and sometimes if you couldn’t see them on one side you had to go around to see them in a different section.
Jake and his girls exploring the Atlanta Zoo
Beautiful bird
Brina found Big Bird’s Nest!!! HA!
My two little chickies in the huge nest!
Karlie thought the nest was hilarious!
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
Last week was a busy, fun, and crazy kind of week, but all went well. We managed to get some items done and have a little fun as well. It was the first full weekend in a long time that we stayed home which was really nice for all of us. Thankful for some time together over the weekend and that we were able to work in the yard since it wasn’t raining. There was so much to be thankful for last week.
I want to be accountable to you so the following are snip-its of some of the things I am thankful for this past week. Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday – Thankful to get all the laundry washed and put away. Grateful that we have clothes to wear and that we are taken care of.
Tuesday – Thankful for the girls help in getting the pool items cleaned up and out of the front yard. They worked hard and were a huge help (and we had fun doing it together). Thankfully it was a hot day, but was got soaked cleaning off the mats.
Wednesday – Thankful for my man and everything he does for our family. Always love it when he comes home, get my hug, and a chance to catch up with him. He is always appreciative of my cooking even though the recipes don’t “turn out” as good as I hope.
Thursday – Thankful that we are able to get our HVAC unit replaced. Grateful for a husband who insists we have an Emergency Fun for these types of events because we were able to transfer the money over to pay for it. It will take a little bit to resupply the Emergency Fund, but at least we were able to get it. Also, thankful for the people who are installing it. It is a lot of hard work getting all the old stuff removed and the new items put into place.
Friday – Thankful for a date night with my Handsome Man! Love getting to spend some extra time one-on-one with him. I am very blessed to have Jake as my husband, words could not accurately express how much I love him.
What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today. It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day!
