Flashback Friday: Happy 4th Birthday
Happy 4th Birthday!
Today’s Flashback Friday brings us back to the girls 4th Birthday Party Celebration! The theme was “Under the Sea”! We had a great group of family and friends join us for the celebration. The kids had fun playing games, eating delicious cake, and snacks!
We had two main games for the party – pin the tail on Willy the Whale and the favorite game for the event, for both the kids and adults, the Goldfish Races!!! We picked up the goldfish at the pet store the day before the party. We used a long and flat storage container to put the water in and divided it down the middle with a board. Two people were given straws to blow on the water to get their fish to swim faster. The person whose fish to got to the other side first wins! All the kids got to take a fish home with them at the end of the event (not sure this was the highlight for the parents, but the kids liked taking a fish home with them).
Grandma Kay made Karlie a shark cake!
Grandma Kay made Brina a turtle cake!
Fascinated by the cool cake! Thanks Grandma!
Grandma Kay and Brina racing their fish! Super fun!
Jack showing off the fish he is taking home with him. Karlie enjoying a treat!
Hung streamers on the wall and put a variety of fish on them!
Karlie blowing on the water with her straw to get her fish to swim faster!
Luke and Kristen racing their fish!
Mandy and Sam racing their fish!
The fish races were so much fun the kids did them several times!
Josh and Rachel racing their fish! Even the adults had fun doing this activity!
Fish snacks anyone?!
The kids enjoying some snacks!
Pin the tail on Wally the Great White Whale! The kids did pretty good with this game!
Flashback Friday: Happy 3rd Birthday!
Happy 3rd Birthday Girls!
Today’s Flashback Friday goes back to 2008 for the girls 3rd birthday! We did a Garden & Bug theme for this birthday party. It was neat seeing them getting excited as we decorated for the birthday party. They had a blast! It is amazing how quickly they are growing up.
The family is ready to celebrate at their 3rd birthday party! WooHoo!
Grandma Kay made the delicious birthday cakes for the girls. Brina had a bumble bee, Karlie had a ladybug, and the big cake was a flower garden. They looked adorable! Jake’s Mom makes some amazing cakes!
Brina and Karlie with Grandma Kay right before the birthday party!
Watching the candles as the guests sing Happy Birthday! So excited!
Checking out the candles and their cakes!
Karlie eating little bits while Brina digs right now!
Brina’s ready for clean up…I think it’s Jake turn to hose her down, ha!
Karlie eating her cake and enjoying the fun!
Snacking on their yummy party food!
When they were little we pulled the cooler up the counter so they could stand on it and “help” us cook. Food is ready now the party can begin!
Opening their birthday gifts!
Happy 10th Birthday Brina & Karlie! We Love You!
Happy Birthday Brina & Karlie!
Wishing our two beautiful daughters a very special 10th birthday! Today is a bitter sweet day. They now in the double digits which feels like such a big step in them growing up. We are so excited to be celebrating our twin daughters 10th birthday, but at the same time we are in shock that they could be turning 10 already. The time has gone by way too fast and our babies are growing up!
Thankful for these two amazing blessings in our life. There is not a day that goes by that we do not thank God for giving us these two precious gifts. God has richly blessed our lives with these sweethearts.
Brina and Karlie both fill our home with excitement, laughter, and a lot of fun activity. While they were born on the same day they could not be more different. Thankful for the gifts and talents God has given each one. Brina has a big heart for animals and Karlie has dreams of one day blasting off into space! We are proud of them and look forward to watching them grow up into beautiful young ladies.
Praying that God will continue to work in their hearts and lives this year as well as give us wisdom as parents in raising them. Wishing them a year packed for awesome memories, growth, good health, and so much more! Happy 1oth Birthday Brina and Karlie! We LOVE you more than you can imagine!!! Hope your birthday is truly OUT OF THIS WORLD!
We LOVE you!!!
Creative Kids: Edible Wildflower
Edible Flower
The first time we made this large “edible flower” was at the girls birthday party. It was a lot of fun to put together and was a big hit. The flower is not only delicious and healthy it adds to the overall decorations for the party. It is a great appetizer for any family or friend get together. The flower is about two feet long and covers most of our large cutting board. You can substitute items to make any shape, color, size or variety you want, here is what I used:
- 1 (8 oz) block Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Celery Stick
- 6 Snow Peas
- Handful Grapes
Slice the cheese into triangles (leaving an open space in the center, see picture below) and place in a layered circle on the cutting board or serving dish. Wash all the vegetables and fruit. Trim the ends off the celery and tuck under the cheese petals. Add the snow peas for leaves and place a handful of grapes in the center of the flower.
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
Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday- Read a book to the girls everyday – we had a couple later nights this week
Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this weekGo on our Date Night with the GirlsCelebrate with family and friends at the Girls Birthday PartyPick up the girls new glassesSchedule Appointment with Chiropractor
Personal Goals
Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week- Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday – need to work on this one
Finish reading Everything Romance by Todd HaferRead 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).- Finalize Upcoming Travel Plans – got most of the travel itinerary done, just a couple minor details to be worked out
Home Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayWeekly Dinner Menu planned and written by MondaySpend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house- Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday) – with several doctor appointments after school dinner was delayed
- Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the Master Bedroom & Bathroom – this didn’t get done this week
Business Goals
Pay all bills that come in the mail this weekWork on ideas for upcoming blog postsSpend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk- Write a Guest Blog Post – working on it
Schedule Meeting with Accountant for Business Taxes
Ministry Goals
Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requestsMeet a friend or family member for Breakfast or LunchEmail Alms & Legs Ministry Team with the Meeting Notes
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – went over a little this week with the girls birthday party, Valentine’s Day & Date Night
- Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – working on it
- Complete our personal 2011 taxes – getting closer
- Put money aside for upcoming trips – have some of it set aside
- Pay for Jake’s College Classes – cash set aside for the first 6 months
Here are my goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
- Read a book to the girls everyday
- Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
- Go on our Date Night with Jake
- Celebrate Valentine’s Day
- Celebrate Brina & Karlie’s Birthday
- Spend time together as a family
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
- Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday
- Finish reading When Work and Family Collide by Andy Stanley
- 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).
- Packing “To Do” List
Home Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
- Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
- Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
- Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the downstairs Bookshelves / Desk / Dressers
Business Goals
- Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
- Write a Guest Blog Post
- Finish 2011 Business Taxes
Ministry Goals
- Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses
- Complete our personal 2011 taxes
- Put money aside for upcoming trips
- 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
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
I made some progress last week on my goals! Thankful for the opportunity move forward on my goals despite a busy 2012 first quarter. Since I have a conference for part of the week the list will be shorter.
Here is the update on last weeks goals:
Family Goals
Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everydayRead a book to the girls everyday- Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week – the girls were sick this week
- Go on my Date Night with Jake (we got free movie tickets so excited to enjoy some time away together) – We gave away our free movie tickets because we had to cancel our Date Night, the kiddos got sick. 🙁 I am hoping to get it rescheduled soon.
Get the girls Birthday Party Details Started
Personal Goals
Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week– I did it again (victory dance). It has helped give me more energy throughout my days too!- Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday – was bad about this one, it was after 1 am one night
- Finish reading Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk – still working on it
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).Get my Travel Visa Application Sent
Home Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayWeekly Dinner Menu planned and written by MondaySpend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house- Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday) – it was closer to 6 pm a couple of days
Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the officeUpdate Family & Friends Contact Information– glad to have this information updated 🙂
Business Goals
Pay all bills that come in the mail this weekWork on ideas for upcoming blog postsSpend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my deskPlan new implementations for blog- Start working on 2011 business taxes – gathered the information and paperwork but nothing more yet
Ministry Goals
Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requestsMeet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4- Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – moving forward on this goal
Start working on our personal 2011 taxes
Here are my goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
- Read a book to the girls everyday
- Spend some time with extended family
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
- 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
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
Business Goals
- Attend the Pro Ag Conference
- Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
Ministry Goals
- Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Emergency Fund – save 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
Vacation & Travel: Vermont Fun & Celebrations
Karlie, Daddy, and Brina putting together their lego creations! Thankful for a husband who invests time in the lives of the children. The girls adore their Daddy! I love all three of you so very much!
Writing and drawing on tree bark. It is amazing the cool stuff you find in Vermont. As Daddy and PopPop were splitting wood these pieces of paper fell off of the tree and the girls thought they were the neatest “craft” paper.
Daddy taking Brina for a short ride on the four wheeler. Brina all smiles after her ride on the four wheeler with Daddy. So much fun!
Karlie's turn on the 4-wheeler Karlie is pleased with herself for “helping” Daddy drive the four wheeler!
Karlie and Brina riding with PopPop on the tractor. The tractor was out so the girls enjoyed riding for a few minutes with PopPop!
Fun times in Vermont It’s the little stuff that make them smile. Thankful for opportunity to spend time with Nana and PopPop.
Celebrating Nana's Birthday! We were able to celebrate Nana’s birthday during our visit. The girls helped make and decorate the cake for the party.
Blowing out the candles! It was a blessing to share Nana’s birthday with her!
PopPop and the girls! Brina admiring the butterfly plates while PopPop and Karlie watch Nana cut the birthday cake.
Nana enjoying her birthday! Nana is a beautiful lady both inside and out. We love you Nana! Thanks for sharing your birthday with us.
PopPop getting into the festivities! Fun times with PopPop.
Karlie target practicing with Daddy. Karlie did pretty well hitting the target.
Brina had a blast practicing. Brina thought is was a lot of fun to sh0ot and find all the empty casings.
Boutique of fresh and wild flowers from Vermont! Brina and Karlie loved picking the beautiful flowers from PopPop’s garden and along the trails.
Enjoying some sparkler time! Standing on the rocks spelling out their names with sparklers!
Brina and Karlie saying goodbyes to PopPop and Nana. Time to head home. Saying goodbye and ready for the final leg of our long road trip! We are thankful for our time with PopPop and Nana in Vermont.
A Vacation To Remember series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed. 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!
