Welcome Family!
We painted “Welcome” on our driveway as we waited for extended family to arrive!
We have had a great summer break with our kids home from school!!! We packed in great adventures, time with our extended families, camps, Vacation Bible School, lots of memories, fun, history, road trips, flights, and much more! So thankful for a wonderful time with our family. Thanks for being patient with me as I enjoyed extra time with my family. It is my intention of getting back on schedule here soon. I will be posting some pictures of our summer fun soon!
Our first big summer adventure was having Jake’s sister and her family come stay with us for a week. They arrived on the same day the girls got out of school. We had a blast! As an added bonus of fun we also got to see Jake’s cousins who live in the area several times throughout the week as well. Thankful for family and fun times together!
The girls enjoying popsicles and ice cream bars!
The guys enjoying their game!
A pool full of fun!
The kids breaking open the pinata!
Playing the Jelly Belly game “Bean Boozled” with extended family! Everyone is waiting with anticipation to see if Aunt Cindy got a good flavor!
Snow cones were a hit with the kids one hot afternoon!
Family STEM Activity Night
Karlie watching the robotics demonstration right after giving her speech to the students, faculty, parents, and family members in attendance. So proud of her! She was the only 3rd grader to give a speech that night!
The girls had a blast at their Family STEM Night! Karlie gave a presentation to everyone in attendance about their STEM Club and robotics competition. That night they had a lot of fun activities as well as informational meetings throughout the evening. Brina and Karlie had a blast learning, soaking in all the great information, and participating in the various activities. It was neat to see them work both independently and together to create some neat projects in the evening!
Learning about the cool pieces and their purposes. Karlie was thrilled to hold the one that had been up in space!
Karlie testing her dragon racer.
Brina testing her dragon racer.
Putting together a soft bed for the raw egg.
Almost done with wrapping our egg!
Final wrapping to their egg nicknamed “Pink Flemingo” for the egg drop competition. I remember doing a similar activity in elementary school. Super Fun!
Under all those pink and orange feathers and bubble wrap is a raw egg – “Pink Flemingo”!
A little concerned that the Pink Flemingo may have broken in the drop so they are hurrying to get back and unwrap her!
Brina so proud of her Pink Flemingo egg drop activity and wrapping skills! The Pink Flemingo did survive the egg drop! Yay! The girls loved this activity!
Making their airplane gliders to fly and measure!
Family Game Night: U-Build Monopoly
Family Game Night
Our family loves playing games. We try to play a game together on a regular basis. Recently for family game night we played a new game we received, U-Build Monopoly! The game is played with hexagonal property spaces that snap together. The length of the game track will determine how short or long the game will be. This game follows similar Monopoly guidelines with some fun twists. It is easy enough for kids to play, but still fun for the adults.
U-Build Monopoly with some houses going up!
Our family really enjoyed playing this game!
Love It – Splade
Jake surprised me a couple months ago with a cool and practical gift! Love those types of gifts! A splayd!!! Before getting my gift I didn’t know what a splayd was and my first thought was that it was a spork (which is similar, but not the same).
My husband had been noticing how our silverware drawers would be empty before the dishwasher needed to be run so he came up with this great utensil that would cut back on the silverware we would need to use for each meal. Since is a combination utensil we shouldn’t need to get out both a fork and spoon for each meal.
“Love It” is a series of posts on items that I use regularly in my household that I love! There are some items in our daily lives that make life more enjoyable, efficient, or just plain fun. I will be sharing with you some of the products that have been given to us (or to me) that have made it to the top of my list. It’s my way of giving a huge thumbs up!
Family Recipe: Mom’s Delicious Dirt
My Mom used to make this amazing “Dirt” recipe when we were kids. This recipe uses gummy worms, oreos, lime jello, and cool whip. I have had a variety of different dirt recipes over the years, but this is the one I grew up on. The combination of these ingredients always taste delicious and gummy worms are super fun to eat no matter what! The other day I was trying to figure out what to make for dessert for our Community Group meeting when the girls insisted that I make “Grandma Penny’s Dirt” since we had leftover gummy worms from another event!
Mom’s Delicious Dirt Recipe:
- 1 package of Oreos
- 2 (6 oz) large boxes of Lime Jello
- 1 container Cool Whip
- Gummy Worms
Put the oreos in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin or another item to crush the whole oreos into small pieces. Take about 1/2 of the crushed oreos and press them into the bottom of a 9×13 dish. Make the lime jello according to the directions on the box. Once it is made pour half of it over top of the layer of oreos and put in the refrigerator to set. Leave the other half of the lime jello in the bowl and put it in the fridge to set. Once the jello is firm mix the container of cool whip into the bowl of jello. Add the cool whip and jello mixture on top of the jello layer in the 9×13 dish. Place the remaining amount of crushed oreos on top of the cool whip and jello layer and add your gummy worms. (If you’re not planning on serving it within the next few hours wait until an hour or two before to place the oreos and gummy worms on top).
The layers of oreos blend really well together and make this a fun treat for kids of all ages! I did take the pictures of the dessert before going to Community Group, however, in our rush to get home and the kids into bed before it was too late I did not get an individual piece shot of the dessert. I am sure before too long the girls will think of another event I will need to make it for and hopefully I can get a snap shot of it at that time.
Having A Splashin Good Time!
Karlie going for a ride under the water! Hang on!
Brina going for a ride under the water. She didn’t relax as much because she was more concerned that Jake could hold his breath longer and wouldn’t come up for air in time. He did!
This one makes me laugh! The girls were standing in line behind us chit – chatting. I am not sure what they were talking about it, but Brina thought it was hilarious! Love it when the two of them make each other giggle. Hope they remain great friends their entire lives!
Getting up on the lily pad took some extra energy – it was slick! Towards the end of the second day Brina was getting tired and chilly so we put a life jacket on her for the last hour. She didn’t want to stop playing in the water so this was a good compromise! Resting on the lily pad for a little bit and talking about their day.
Trying to hold on as the lily pad was spinning in circles! Not sure how they still had the energy and all those giggles left in them, but they were having a grand time!
As we were getting ready to wrap up for the day Brina had to do one more run before we left Great Wolf Lodge.
Karlie trying to smile through the tears! “I just don’t want to go home Mom, I’ve had so much fun!” She wanted me to walk around and take a bunch of pictures the last 5 minutes they were open and kept asking me “Mom, are you sure you got enough pictures? I don’t ever want to forget our time here together!”
Karlie with a big smile as she finally crashed on the trip home.
It didn’t take long before Brina was asleep too.We had a wonderful time together at Great Wolf Lodge. On the way home Jake and I figured out that we spent about 20 hours actually in the water playing! Considering we were only there for a day and a half we packed a lot of fun into that time. The girls had a great time and we had fun too. All of us were exhausted! Despite Karlie’s fear of not getting enough pictures I think we have plenty to look back on and remember this wonderful trip together.
Another Day of Fun!
Breakfast anyone?!
Since we were all exhausted last night after a full day of water fun we decided to postpone the cake until breakfast. I don’t think we have every let the girls eat cake for breakfast, but your 9th birthday only comes once in a life time so we might as well celebrate and enjoy it. The girls were super excited to eat their cake and it was delicious! Thank you Tip Top Cake shop for the great cakes and thank you Jake for wrapping them very careful so we could pack them up to North Carolina!
Everyone ready for another fun day!? All smiles and ready to go!
Karlie loves being in the water and splashing around!
A quick shot of Brina as she is swimming under the water!
Here comes Karlie with a big smile on her face, I wonder what she’s up to now!
Brina having fun in the water!
A close up underwater picture of Karlie! She looks mischievous!
Karlie coming right at me, at least she’s holding her breath!
Brina Bee!
A picture under water of Brina doing her flip.
An underwater look at Karlie’s flip!
Brina wanted to do it again!
Going down the River Canyon Run again. Are you ready?!
Jake’s laughing as we start and Brina has her eyes shut tight!
Karlie having a blast on the ride!
Brina checking out what was up ahead of us! So much fun going on these rides with the family!
A Birthday Celebration at Great Wolf Lodge
Karlie and Brina’s Birthday cakes from Tip Top Cake Shop!
We didn’t do the normal traditional birthday party for the girls because we were going away for a weekend together as a family to celebrate. They didn’t know it at the time, but we still ordered small individual birthday cakes for them. The day before we left on our trip I took them by the store to pick up an item, they were a little confused when we walked into the cake shop, but thrilled once they saw their cakes. Karlie’s was white cake and she used her favorite green, blue, and black colors for accents. Karlie’s first response was “How did she know my favorite colors and that I like vanilla!” Brina’s was a dairy and egg free chocolate cake with pink, orange, and yellow accents. Brina’s first comment “It’s beautiful Mom, I LOVE it!” Even something as simple as little cakes can get them excited! The cakes tasted amazing! You would never guess that the chocolate one was egg and diary free it was delicious!
We brought with us their gifts they got each other a couple small ones from us. When Jake put the suitcases in the room he found a perfect spot to display the gifts. The girls were amazed that the hotel staff would put out all their gifts for them, until they realized it was Daddy that did it. They were having so much fun in the water park while Jake was unloading the van! Thanks Babycake for doing that for us!
Brina very excited about her gift from Karlie!
Oh boy….Brina got Karlie another nerf gun….. She’s excited! Wonder who will be a walking target for her the next few months, ha!
I love it when the girls write little notes on their gifts to each other. So sweet!
My wild and crazy man! Love you Jacob!
Brina is so very excited. She got a leash for her dog, something she had been wanting!
Jake blowing up the balloons. I found these cool balloons at Hobby Lobby that have LED lights inside that make the balloons glow in the dark. I thought they would be a neat way to wrap up the birthday celebration as they went to sleep. They were suppose to glow for 12 to 15 hours, but they are still glowing several days later and the girls have them in their rooms at home now!
Wow, glowing balloons! What a great way to end a special day!
It is hard to take a picture of it glowing! Happy Birthday Karlie!
Happy Birthday Brina! Princess Snow White will watch over your balloon as you sleep!
Two very tired and almost asleep kids. What a fun day at Great Wolf celebrating their birthday. Hopefully they will treasure this time and memory for many years.
We were so exhausted by the time we got done with the water park, gift unwrapping, and everything else that we decided to save the birthday cakes until breakfast. Everyone was ready to crash and get some sleep so we could get up and go early the next morning! We figure it’s not everyday you get to have cake for breakfast so why not!
Great Wolf Lodge – Water Fun and Story Time
Brina had to do one more round of the Big Foot Pass the first night. She zipped across really quickly too.
Karlie was entertaining to watch bouncing from log to log!
Brina all smiles!
Jake having fun!
They all three stood on the edge of the mushroom where the water was pouring down. Hilarious expressions!
Karlie loving her time at Great Wolf!
Karlie liked to fill up buckets and then convince me to stand next to her so she could dump them on me. Silly girl!
Going down the River Canyon Run one more time before we call it a night. Karlie…..”I can’t look, it’s too dark……”
Karlie’s got her eyes open now and ready for the next twist and turn down the slide.
Brina was a little concerned. They liked it a little bit better in the daylight, the tunnels were pretty dark at night.
Story time at Great Wolf!
Checking out the arcade.
Listening to the animals and trees telling a story. The girls thought this was fascinating!
We packed a lot of water fun into the first day we were at Great Wolf. The girls went on all the rides, tried out all the pools, and activities. We had a BLAST! Everyone should sleep good tonight!
Basketball & Slide Races at Great Wolf Lodge
Another one of the girls favorite spots to play was the pool with the basketballs and hoops. It was enjoyable for me too, I forgot how much fun it was to play basketball. The girls were quite impressed that I could get it in the hoop fairly consistently, ha!
Brina smiling as she gets ready to put one in!
This picture cracks….me…up….. It was hilarious hearing Karlie screeching as we went down the Howlin’ Tornado! I had my back to the slide so I couldn’t see the drops, but Karlie could. Karlie was “howlin” the whole way down while Brina was completely quiet and wide eyed. The trip down to the big drop was so fast I only had time to snap two quick pictures and one was covered in water spots!
Having a grand time!
Jake helping Brina float.
Karlie’s relaxed and floating around having fun!
Brina carrying up her mat for the next big slide!
Karlie’s got her mat and is ready to go!
We all went down the Mountain Edge Raceway at the same time. Jake won by going faster than the rest of us.
Hanging out in the pool waiting for the hoop to open up.
Playing basketball
Brina having a blast playing basketball in the pool.
Having fun!
