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!
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
The kids have another week State testing, thankfully it is shorter this week though. While Jake has been busy with work I have been trying to get some items completed around the house and yard. Everyone pitched in and helped get some stuff done this weekend. Now we have another big week with a lot to do both during the school / work day and afterwards as well. Hoping to keep the menu simple so we can get a lot accomplished. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Special Event
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): French Bread Pizza, Fresh Salad
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Bacon Wrapped Chicken, Steamed Vegetables
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Tilapia, Garlic Bread
- 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
Last week was busy, but good. The girls survived their first week of State testing at school and we tried to do some fun activities every day to keep help make the week go more pleasantly with them. They have another round this week though. They played outside a little more to get fresh air and were a huge help in getting some yard work done. They helped me clean up the pool, pick up a bunch of sticks from the trees in the yard, and even a bonfire (which they loved). Thankful for my kids and their willingness to work hard so we can get things done as a family.
Jake and I had a Date Night on Friday which was really nice to get out and how some quiet time together as a couple. Jake got both of the vehicles oil changes complete, mowed the lawn (thanks to my brother letting us borrow his mower), and a whole lot of other tasks done around the house and yard this weekend. We ended Saturday with a delicious meal over the bonfire. Sunday we went to church, relaxed, and had a planning session for the upcoming week. All in all it was a good week and it was the first weekend in weeks that we stayed home for the entire weekend which was really nice! While it was a productive week for me I didn’t necessarily do what was on my “goal” list, I plan to do better about sticking to it this week. Hoping to get a lot accomplished this week as there is a lot I want to do before the kids get out of school. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Finish reading Samantha’s Pride (Thoroughbred Series #7) by Joanna Campbell to the kidsPlan one special activity with the family- Play a Game with the Kids – we didn’t play a board game this week, but we spent good quality time together
Prepare 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 – we made some progress on it this weekend, hoping to wrap up some of the other big details within the next week
- Ride Bikes with the Kids – the kids rode bikes, but I didn’t get a chance to ride with them this week
- Mail out Mother’s Day Cards
- Celebrate Mother’s Day
- Go on Date Nights with the Kids
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day- Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – it was acting up a few times last week so I am about 2 days behind schedule
Keep up with my FitBit GoalsGo 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 was two days this week with everything 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) – girls closets are done, but still need to do my and Jake’s clothes.
- Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from Atlanta trip) – almost done, hopefully this week
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Re-Stain the Deck – weather permitting) – we scrapped doing this activity instead cleaned up the pool, mowed, picked up & burned sticks, changed oil in both vehicles
- Pet Care (Focus – Give Skipper a Bath) – she still needs her bath, but all the animals did get a good brushing from the kids which they loved with all their fur shedding now that it is getting a lot warmer
- Repairs – (Focus – Replace our HVAC Unit – it died a few weeks ago the joys of owning an older home) – working on it, should be done this week
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – need to get a couple more completed
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – got a little behind this week
- Work completed for clients – have one more to complete soon
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – made another payment this week, slowly and surely we’re getting there
- 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
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 – All pictures downloaded & organized from Atlanta trip)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Re-Stain the Deck – weather permitting)
- Pet Care (Focus – Pick up Dog and Goat Food)
- Repairs – (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
- 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 with kids 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.
Strive For Progress…
Flashback Friday: Sometimes Nobody’s Happy
Brina was watching Karlie cry.
On this Flashback Friday we go to May 2005. The girls were still itty bitty and in preemie clothes. Some days all it took was for one of them to start crying which would cause the next one to start crying. There were times when I knew exactly why they were crying and could help them (diaper change, food, etc…) while other times I had no clue.
I didn’t always get everything done on time or necessary in the right order during those days on little sleep. With the help and encouragement from family and friends we made it through. Jake was a huge help! Due to them being preemies and having the occasional apnea they had to wear apnea monitors at home. It was nice having the monitors go off whenever they had apneas and we never had to worry when they were sleeping if they stopped breathing.
They also had some caffeine in their first morning bottle every day. The caffeine was prescription based and helped with their apneas. The amount of caffeine they received would be the equivalent to my husband drinking several large amount of mountain dews back to back. Needless to say as soon as they stopped taking the caffeine in their morning bottle they started sleeping through the night. It was really nice once they started sleeping through the night. It felt wonderful being able to function on a full nights sleep.
Brina decided that if Karlie was crying she should probably start crying too! The joys of parenthood.
Tooth Fairy Visits and Braces!
Karlie tooth fairy reward
There is a lot going on around our house lately regarding teeth. Recently, Brina got a spacer and braces for her teeth. Both girls have lost some of their baby teeth too. The tooth fairy has been staying busy at our house. We do a variety of different things for the tooth fairy. Typically we give a note, cash and a special gift. The special gift can be a book, necklace, toy, or a variety of different items that appeal to the specific child.
Brina showing off her new braces!
Another tooth fairy gift for Karlie
Tooth fairy is now visiting Brina’s room
Travel & Vacation: Dry Erase Board Notes
Karlie’s dry erase board note to Jake
In case you already haven’t noticed our family LOVES to travel. Occasionally when Jake travels for work the rest of us get to tag along with him. A lot of times his days are long and we don’t always get to see him throughout the day. On our last work trip I told the girls to bring their dry erase boards and markers so we could “leave Daddy a note” for the day. If he came back to the hotel room and we were not there he could see our notes, know what we were up to, and hopefully feel the love that we were sending his way. It is not always possible to know when he may have a moment to run back to the room and if we are across town we cannot make it back in time to say “hi” so this is a little way to let him know that we are thinking about him even though we couldn’t be there to give him a hug in person.
During this recent trip all of us were up with the sun at 6 am every morning and off in our separate ways shortly thereafter. Sometimes it would be midnight or later before we reconnected again. Several times Jake also left a note on the back of the dry erase boards for us which the girls loved. If he had a few minutes and knew that we would be getting back really late he would prep dinner for us so we could make it quickly while the girls were showering so they could eat, relax for a few minutes, and crash in bed.
We ate all but one breakfast and dinner in our hotel room. All our lunches we packed in our backpacks and would eat whenever we were exploring for that day. To help with the preparation and meal plan we brought a hot pot (yes, like the ones you use in college) to make our meals. We were able to make some good, quick, healthy, and inexpensive meals in our hotel room like sloppy joes, mac-n-cheese, chicken & rice, soup, and more! It was nice to relax together at the end of the day before hitting the bed.
Every time we left for the day each girl would get out their dry erase boards and leave a note for Jake. I would add an note to the bottom or side of each of their notes. They had a lot of fun doing this for him and looked forward to it every morning.
Brina’s note to Daddy
Karlie letting Daddy know we are going to check out the animals!
Brina’s note to Daddy with a variety of colors.
Karlie’s note that includes a “heart family” of all of us. Cute!
Brina’s note with hearts and letting him know to have “fun and do a good job”!
Brina’s note to Dad with my note to the love of my love.
Jake’s note letting us know he prepped the meal and all we had to do is add water and boil.
Sweet note from my Handsome man!
Note from Karlie with her and Daddy as heart people.
The girls love their Dad so very much. It is precious to see how they enjoy not only doing little things for him, but also how excited they get to spend some extra time with him. Thankful for a husband who works so hard to provide for our family. He takes good care of all of us and always makes each of us feel special. He is thoughtful, generous, and kind. Even though he works hard he always makes a point to spend time with us as a family. I am blessed in many ways.
If your spouse travels and you go along with them you can easily do this for your spouse as well. It was super simple, but made everyone feel more connected throughout the long days apart. I hope that it made Jake’s days a little bit brighter.
Song: I Will Follow by Chris Tomlin
There is joy in knowing God. He will give you answers, wisdom, and direction in your life if only you take the time to ask Him. There has been a lot going on in our family these last few months. It has been our prayer lately that God will give us wisdom and clearly show us what He wants us to do regarding some big decisions in our lives. It is our desire to honor Him with our lives.
Where you go, I’ll go
Where you stay, I’ll stay
When you move, I’ll move
I will follow…All your ways are good
All your ways are sure
I will trust in you alone
Higher than my sight
High above my life
I will trust in you alone (trust in you alone)In you there’s life everlasting,
In you there’s freedom for my soul
In you there’s joy, unending joy
And I will follow
