Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
It was a wonderful week packed with adventures and memories with family and friends. We were able to spend time with people we hadn’t seen in quite awhile and meet some sweet little ones (new nieces and nephews that we are meeting for the first time). The girls have had a blast meeting the sweet babies, playing with family and friends, spending time with cute animals, and making memories with a lot of people in our lives. Thankful for an opportunity to travel and catch up with family from a variety of different areas.
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 spend a day with my cousin Renelle and her family. We even were able to go to Estates Park, a hike, and visit to Bear Lake. It was great spending time with family and in the Rocky Mountains!
Tuesday – Thankful for a chance to explore the Denver Museum of Science and Nature. The girls especially loved the Robotic Revolution exhibit! We spent a few hours there prior to going to the airport.
Wednesday – Thankful for safety as we flew back on South Carolina. Our flight was delayed, but we made it home with about 2 hours to spare before heading into work. Grateful for our friends who took really great care of our house and pets while we were away!
Thursday – Thankful for the girls help in getting the suitcases unpacked from our trip and for a full nights sleep back in our own beds!
Friday – Thankful that the kids had a chance to hang out with their friends from church at a pool party.
Saturday – Thankful for an opportunity to spend time with Jake’s cousin and his family, Luke and Kristen! Always great catching up and the kids played well together!
Sunday – Thankful for a chance to celebrate Father’s Day with Jake. We spent actual Father’s Day with extended family and waited until we were back home to celebrate with Jake. It was fun hanging out together and having fun. Thankful for Jake and everything he does for our family!
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
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
It was a wonderful week packed with adventures and memories with family and friends. We were able to spend time with people we hadn’t seen in quite awhile and meet some sweet little ones (new nieces and nephews that we are meeting for the first time). The girls have had a blast meeting the sweet babies, playing with family and friends, spending time with cute animals, and making memories with a lot of people in our lives. Thankful for an opportunity to travel and catch up with family from a variety of different areas.
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 an opportunity to spend time with Jake’s cousin and family. See a little bit of Boston with its great history. As well as a chance to catch up with our great friends Mike and Ashley with their little ones in Maine.
Tuesday – Thankful for friends that are like family that we can spend time with and have a blast whenever we get together. It was wonderful catching up with Mike & Ashley. The girls were thrilled to meet Savannah, sweet girl with lots of personality, and Bradley. Grateful for the ability to fly as we head out to see my family in the Midwest, even though going through airports can be an adventure it does save time if were are wanting to see people that are spread out over many miles and more on a specifically on a limited time frame.
Wednesday – Thankful for a chance to spend some time on the farm in Kansas with my parents and family. The girls always love time spending with the family and animals.
Thursday – Thankful for time in the Midwest with extended family. Grateful that we can see a number of people in this area.
Friday – Thankful for another day with extended family. The girls have grandparents, great grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and more people to enjoy time with during our stay.
Saturday – Thankful for a safe trip to Colorado to see my cousin Renelle and her family.
Sunday – Thankful for some time to hang out with extended family in the Denver, Fort Collins, Johnston areas.
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!
Spending Time with Grandpa & Grandma
Brina and Karlie with my parents!
My parents stayed at our house the second half of their trip to SC. The girls were excited that Grandpa and Grandma were going to church with them on Sunday. In our rush to get out the door we did manage to snap a quick photo before heading off to church though.
After church we headed over to my brothers house for lunch and some time to play before Dad and Mom had to head out for the airport. It was a super fun weekend. We are thankful for some time to spend with my parents. The girls have wonderful memories with their grandparents. The weekend went by too quickly, but grateful for the time together.
Uncle Lee, Grandpa Russell and the four kids setting up the Thomas train track. They had a lot of help, but it was super neat to watch once they were done!
Grandma Penny building legos and playing with the kids.
House Building, Ice Cream Floats, Birds, Cats, and Crab Apples!
Fluff was such a good sport and let Brina carry her around!
We had a grand time in Kansas visiting family. Our time went by too quickly, but we were able to pack in a lot during our time in the area. We spent time with Great Grandparents, Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, Cousins and more. Thankful for family and the moments we get to share.
We brought ice cream floats to the guys who were working on my brother Josh’s house! Ice cream floats are a rare treat for the girls since we have one that has a dairy allergy so they were very excited!
Karlie enjoying her ice cream float!
Brina relaxing and sipping her float!
My brother is currently building a house so we got to watch the process and help carry a few boards. He is getting married later this year so he has a deadline! It will be a nice place for the new couple!
Checking out Great Grandpa Verlyn’s birds!
They always love going out to see Grandpa’s birds!
Some of the chickens!
And a turkey!
The girls wanted to help Grandpa collect the eggs, he had already done it that morning, but they had laid some more!
A few more eggs, some big ones too!
Grandpa Verlyn gave the girls some of his Crab Apples! He warned them that they were tart, but they insisted that they wanted to try them anyway!
Karlie thought the crab apples were great!
Brina loved the crab apples too! I thought the crab apples were a little too tart, but they both thought they were awesome! There are very few food items especially fruits and vegetables that they don’t like!
Fun with the Animals
Walking the animals!
At Grandpa Russell and Grandma Penny’s house they had two dogs, cats, pony, and a horse that provided a lot of fun entertainment for the kids. Everyday they played with the dogs, cat, and did something with the horse and pony. Sometimes they went for carriage rides, combed them, rode the horse and pony, or led them around the pasture. The girls enjoy anything to do with animals so these activities were a big hit!
Karlie playing with Aunt Renelle’s dog!
The girls love animals and are always game to spend some extra time with any animal. When we were in Colorado we stayed with at my cousin Renelle and Eric’s house. They have two dogs and two cats that are in the house so the girls thought that was awesome. They had a blast playing with all the animals (well, except for one of the cats who booked it as soon as he saw us bringing our suitcase inside the house.
Brina petting Renelle’s dog!
Buzz and Misty were very excited to see the kids back in Kansas and came running (of course they were with Grandma Penny and carrying a bucket of treats too).
Brina carry a halter and a bucket of treats for Buzz and Misty!
Heading to the pasture with Grandma to spend time with the animals!
Brina leading Misty around.
Karlie was giving Buzz some exercise too!
The dogs thought it was a great game and were running back and forth as the girls walked Misty and Buzz!
Enjoying some time with the animals!
Brina loves Misty! Such a sweet pony!
Buzz and Misty did really well being led by kids and a lead rope!
Brina would spend hours in the pasture if we let her!
Switched! Karlie is now leading Misty and Brina is leading Buzz around the pasture!
Going for their last walk of the evening!
Beautiful Kansas sunset! Taken in the front yard at my parents house.
Travel & Vacation: Picnic and Hike Around Lily Lake
Karlie and Brina hanging out at Lake Lily
We head up to Lake Lily to have a picnic, walk around the Lily Lake Loop, and enjoy the scenery. It was a beautiful day. A little colder than we are used to in South Carolina. We had a wonderful day with family!
Dad trying one of Renelle’s Wasabi Seaweed Strips! Spicy, crispy, and delicious!
Fun at Lake Lily!
Renelle brought these super cool hippo treats. The outside was a crunchy cookie dipped in white chocolate and chips of chocolate. The inside was a creamy chocolate.
Pausing for a picture with Grandma Penny and Aunt Mary Ann on our hike around Lake Lily.
Karlie wanted a picture with these cool fallen tree by the lake!
The Rocky Mountains scenery is beautiful!
Having fun in the Rocky Mountains!
Grandpa Russell by Lake Lily!
Gorgeous mountains around Lake Lily!
Soaking in the scenery around the lake.
Karlie all smiles on the hike around the lake.
Grandpa Russell on a stroll at Lake Lily!
Love spending time with my girls exploring.
Karlie loves being outside!
Travel & Vacation: Rocky Mountains, Glen Haven General Store, & Baldpate Inn
Hanging out in Colorado for a few days!
The girls and I had the opportunity to travel out to Colorado recently to visit family. My parents drove out with us and my cousin graciously let the three of us crash at her house and my parents stayed with my Aunt and Uncle. Thankful for some time to catch up with family and explore the area! We had a blast in Colorado.
We drove up by Estes Park, it was completely changed since our trip in July 2012 due to the massive flooding they had back in September 2013. The river, rocks, and roads were totally different. It was quite sad to see some of the damage as well as many homes and businesses that were destroyed. We stopped at one point to get out and stretch our legs. The girls took an opportunity to check out some cool Colorado rocks near the river. They were still cleaning up the area, repairing the roads, homes, businesses, and bridges.
Showing Aunt Renelle some cool stones they found.
Looking at some stones they discovered with Grandma and Grandpa.
When we stopped at Glen Haven two years ago and there was a strip of stores next to the Glen Haven General Store (now it is the only one left on that side of the road). We ate their delicious and huge homemade cinnamon rolls! Thanks Renelle for sharing!
Renelle showing the Brina a cool goodie she got up for them!
Anyone want to eat a bag of rocks?! How about chocolate rocks? Funky, but yummy!
We made a stop at The Baldpate Inn for some coffee, hot chocolate, and tea. The girls relaxing on the Baldpate Inn’s cool porch swing!
Karlie checking out all the keys! Inside the Baldpate Inn they had a room full of keys hanging on the walls and ceiling from all over the world. They even had a key from Hilter’s house, one from a bank Jesse and Frank James robbed, and many other really neat ones!
We finally found the stash of South Carolina keys. They had so many keys you could look them up by name, location, or a number of other details.
Another favorite spot Karlie found…..they had a library, music, and game room at Baldpate Inn. She was content to sit and read!
Relaxing on the porch at the Baldpate Inn!
Enjoying the beautiful view as we sip our hot coffee and chocolate!
Brina mesmerized by the hummingbirds!
The girls and I shared a cup of hot chocolate at Baldpate Inn, delicious!
If you are near Estes Park the Baldpate Inn is a fun place to stop by for a treat, meal, or you can stay overnight too!
Back at Uncle Rick and Aunt Mary Ann’s sharing stories and laughs!
Travel & Vacation: Tubing, Knee Boarding, and Water Skiing at Milford Lake!
Waving as she passes family!
We spent the weekend at Lake Milford playing in the water! It was fun to watch everyone go tubing, fishing, knee boarding (or boogy boarding as we grew up calling it), skiing and more. Thankful for some time together creating memories with our extended family!
Grandma and Zachie hanging out on the boat!
They are having way too much fun back there on the tube!
Karlie tubing with Aunt Megan and Uncle Josh
Karlie got up on the knee board again this year! We knew she could do it!
Working on getting the rope unlatched so she can hold it on her own!
She’s doing it on her own! Way to go Karlie!
Karlie’s first time knee boarding with someone else! She was so excited to be knee boarding at the same time her Daddy was knee boarding! A big thanks to my brother for taking these pictures for us of Karlie and Jake because I was on another boat with Brina!
Karlie knee boarding with Jake! She could live in the water she loves everything about it! So proud of her for doing the knee board by herself. She said it was a lot of fun, but her arms when her arms got sore she didn’t want to stop she was having so much fun!
Megan and Josh on the knee boards!
Lee making it look easy!
Waving to Nicko and Zachie on the boat!
Swinging his way out!
Skiing until the sun started to set! The lake was smooth and beautiful at this time of day!
Travel & Vacation: Traveling to Kansas, Jesse James Bank Museum, and Milford Lake
On board and ready for take off!
One of the reasons our family travels is because our extended family is so spread out. This summer we headed out to Kansas to spend time with my family. We got on the plane early Thursday morning in Greenville, SC and by mid-morning we were in Kansas City ready to go.
We had a layover in Chicago! The kids found it very entertaining to go on the walking sidewalks in the airport. We didn’t get a chance to visit the actually city of Chicago, but it was good to get out and stretch our legs in the airport for a little bit between flights. The advantage to the really early flights is the airport is not as crowded!
Karlie found a great way to pass the time during our layover….reading! She was so excited to found out that I had added a bunch of free kids books onto my Kindle! She is frequently found around the house with her nose in a good book too so this did not come as a surprise.
Brina found a good amazing animal website to check out too.
After landing in Kansas City and getting our rental car we were off to explore the area. Our first stop was Wendy’s for an early lunch (we had been up since 4 am). The second stop was the Jesse James Bank Museum in Liberty, Missouri. Not far from the Kansas City MCI airport.
Karlie was surprised at the weight of the bank bag! Wow!
Learning about the Jesse James bank robbery. Banks are very different now!
Walking around the historical district of downtown Liberty!
Brina walking along the edge of the water fountain!
Riding with their cousin Nicko on the tube!
Their faces crack me up!
Having a blast tubing on Lake Milford with family!
So much fun!
Go faster Grandpa!
They even let me go on the tube with them! Fun times with family in Kansas!
Fun at the Lake in Connecticut!
Brina hoping to catch something in the lake!
Our family was able to stop for a few hours in Connecticut this summer. Jake’s Dad lives in CT and we wanted to catch up since we were driving through on our way back home. The girls were excited to spend some time with Grandpa Tim and the rest of the crew at the lake. It was a beautiful sunny day and the lake was gorgeous. The perfect day to hang out at the lake! We had a wonderful time visiting, playing at the lake, eating delicious food, shooting off the cannon, and more! It was great getting a chance to hang out for a few hours!
Karlie was determined to catch a fish with her net. They were really fast though!
Splashing around in the lake while Grandpa Tim cools off!
Jake and Karlie went for a ride in the canoe
They did a great job out on the lake, but they got a little wet when trying to dock. I didn’t get a picture of them flipping out of the canoe when they were getting out because I was trying to help, but it did provide some good laughs watching them!
Grandpa Tim sitting up the cannon! Oh boy! Super excited to watch the cannon fire.
Grandpa Tim wanted to try out these cool shots that he got at a garage sale. At first we thought they were duds…..however, a few seconds after the initial shot there was a huge explosion and water came spraying up from the lake. I would say they were really well! Better make sure the lake is clear before firing another one!
Grandpa Tim was standing right next the cannon when he reached back to pull it back up the hill by the string a little bit, but instead set the cannon off making another big and loud explosion in front of us on the lake. He was surprised, but thankfully not hurt (other than the ringing in his ears from being so close to it when it went off). Once everyone knew Grandpa was okay everyone was laughing hysterically. The expression on Grandpa Tim’s face was priceless when he unexpectedly set off the cannon. Thankfully, everyone was okay and it is something we can laugh about now!
Karlie’s turn to shoot off the cannon! The girls loved the cannon! They haven’t set one off before so it was a lot of fun for them!
My Little Pony goodies, the perfect gift for the long road trip home! Thankful for a wonderful day with family in CT.
