• Family Celebrations: Girls Birthday!

    Happy Birthday Banner for Brina and Karlie!!!

    The girls had a blast celebrating their sixth birthday!  We made the day special for them and had fun!  It is still hard to believe that they are growing up so quickly.  Here are a few shots from our adventures on their birthday!

    Birthday Breakfast - Blueberry Bear Pancakes & Banana Pudding with Star Candles
    Brina and Karlie LOVE writing in their notebooks. At breakfast they got a pretty princess notepad with purple fluffy pen! Super exciting and cute! (Even better is I found them on clearance at Walmart.)
    Karlie playing with her little pony at TGI Friday's
    Brina playing with her little pony at the restaurant - TGI Friday's
    We celebrated their birthday dinner at TGI Friday's!
    Brina and Karlie enjoying their caramel & chocolate ice cream birthday sundae's at TGI Friday's!!! So delicious they got it all over themselves!
    Karlie and Brina using their gift certificates at Toys R Us!
    Brina picked out a pink & white puppy and baby doll supplies at Toys R Us!
    Karlie and Brina sharing their birthday goodies!
    Daddy helping Karlie putting together her Hot Wheels truck!
    Brina LOVES her horses, the stable, and books! We read one right away then put the horse and book back in the stable!
    Karlie so excited about her Stomp ROCKET! She even blasted a few off in the house that night!
    Brina and Karlie coming downstairs for some more birthday fun!
    Brina having a blast riding the go cart in the front yard! Peddle FASTER!!!

    Look Out MOM!!! Karlie's driving fast and you're in the way! Use the breaks!!!

    I have been very blessed with a sweet family.  Even though I am still in shock that my baby girls are 6 years old I am thankful for them and the privilege of watching them grow up.  Wishing them many more awesome years together!

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  • Book Character Parade

    For the Book Character Parade at school the girls their class featured the book “The Crayon Box that Talked” by Shane Derolf.  The kids and teachers dressed up as crayons for the parade.  Every class featured a different book.  It was a neat seeing the kids get excited about their book.  A lot of parents, grandparents, extended family and friends came to watch the kids in the parade.

    They each got to pick and color the crayon of their choice.  Brina was a pink crayon and Karlie was a blue crayon.  It was cute watching them walk in the parade with their classmates.  Thankfully the weather was beautiful that day too.  I always enjoy participating in the fun events at the girls school.  The kiddos are growing up so quickly!

  • Saving for College – Upromise

    Buy Groceries Today, Pay For College Tomorrow!
    Our girls are important to us and we are trying to start saving for their college early, especially since we have two that could go to college at the same time!  Every little bit helps!  We have officially been doing Upromise for about 8 months now.  When we signed up we were not aware of all the great benefits it provided.  Most of our earnings are through the groceries we purchase every week.  If you are not familiar with it here is a little more information to get you acquainted.

    • Upromise is free
    • Companies give you money for educational expenses (college bills, student loans and 529 savings)
    • You earn money from everyday activities – buying groceries, shopping online, filling up with gas tank, eating out, and much more.
    • Both local and online stores give you the rewards.  (700+ Online Stores like Best Buy, Ebay, and many more).
    • Over 8,000 participating Restaurants
    • More than 21,000 Grocery & Drug Stores
    • Car Rental Companies
    • Gas Stations
    • Magazine Subscriptions
    • Traveling
    • Buying or Refinancing a house
    • And many more participating companies!

    How does Upromise work?  Do your normal shopping online, in the grocey store, and eat out with your family and earn money back.  You can use the money to pay for college bills, invest in a 529 plan, pay down a student loan, and many more.

    The primary way we use accumulate points is through the Upromise eCoupons which give you bonus cash for purchasing groceries that month after you have activated the coupons.  They track our purchases through the rewards cards we use at Ingles, CVS, Bi-Lo, Publix, and many more.   We have earned over $90 the last few months just buying groceries! If you are looking at ways to save on items you already purchase it may be worth your time to sign up.

  • Book: “Speaking Mom-ese” by Lisa Whelchel

    This book was given to me after I had the girls, Speaking Mom-ese by Lisa Whelchel.  The first few months after the girls were born were a blur after having 12 weeks of bed rest, followed by an early delivery, complications, and time in the NICU.  It was encouraging to have a devotional from a Mom’s perspective even though a lot of the stories were regarding older kids.   The devotionals were short, sweet, and hit home during those exhausting months.  Since then I have gone through the book again and different devotionals touched my heart this time around.

  • Book: “The Power of a Positive Mom” by Karol Ladd

    This is my second time reading the book Power of a Positive Mom by Karol Ladd.  As a Mom of twin daughters it is important to me to be the best Mommy I can.  Life is full of surprises and I want my home to be a fun, safe and enjoyable place where the girls will continue to grow and flourish. The author, Karol Ladd, has a series of books on the “Power of Positive”.  In this book Karol Ladd offers positive ways we can make an impact of the lives of our children.