• Relationships: Reflecting on Memories

    Sunflower / Yellow Flower

    • Across the fields the summer sun
    • Is shining, and the breeze
    • Flows gently through the trees
    • Like waves upon the summer seas.
    • The wild flowers all along the fence
    • Are dancing in the sun.
    • The bees are buzzing through the fields. . .
    • I’ll bet their work is fun.
    • Look, there’s a path upon the hill;
    • Please come and walk with m.
    • For overtop the hill and down,
    • A meadow we will see.
    • For in the meadow there’s a brook
    • That I once waded through,
    • And in the meadow there are flowers
    • Of every shade and hue.
    • Come walk, with me along that brook
    • And share this day with me.
    • As carefree children once again
    • We live in memory.

    – Bonnie Gaunt

    Our lives are sprinkled with a variety of  memories.  Some of those memories bring a smile to our face while others bring a tear of sadness to our eyes.  Memories can come rushing back when one or more of our senses are spiked such as a familiar place, smell, or sound.

    When we walk along a stream or visit a familiar area with a family member or friend we get a glance into the past.  It’s important to take the time to remember those good times.  Relax in a quiet walk with someone dear to us.  Taking the time to laugh at the good times and great memories we have shared over the years.  Life goes by quickly and no one is guaranteed another day, but we have today so let’s make the best of what we have with those we love.

  • Relationships: Now & Forever

    Karlie - Red Rose Flower

    Forever

    When I look in your eyes and see your bright smile and feel your comforting touch, when I hear all the love in those warm, caring words that encourage and cheer me so much.  There’s a feeling I have that “forever” is ours, that, no matter the season or weather,  Our hearts will be filled with the same kind of magic and love that first brought us together. – Emily Matthews

    A great reminder for those of us who are married.  Our spouses know us better than anyone else.  They know how to make us laugh and push our buttons.  There will be days when life is smooth and bright while other days may have a few storm clouds brewing in the distance.

    Take the time to talk with your spouse. Share your heart.  Spend time doing projects and fun activities together.  Go on a date.  Relax, snuggle, and share a hug.  It doesn’t matter if you have been married for a few days or many years investing in your partner is important.

  • Starting to Plan the Kids Summer Break

    Even though we have only just hit the Spring Season and entered into the month of April we are already making plans for this summer.  I was looking back through our schedule last year.  It was packed full of fun, adventures, and a lot of great memories.

    As I get ready to plan for this summer I am remembering all the good stuff we were able to do last year.  Although, I cannot know for sure what this summer may bring I am moving forward with the planning.  The picture above shows the girls brief version of our calendar for July 2012.  The calendar was simple but it helped them keep track of the big events and activities that were coming up.  We kept it on the fridge so they could see it whenever they wanted, typically they would cross out the days as they ended.

    What we would like to do:

    • Travel – last summer we visited Charleston, Florida, Kansas, and Colorado.  We are not entirely sure what it will look like this summer but we are hoping to go to at least Charleston and Kansas again.  Thankful that the girls travel well! 🙂
    • VBS – the girls love VBS and have a great time.  It also provides great opportunities for learning too.  We would like to attend at least one VBS program this summer.
    • Camp – last summer the girls attended Swim Camp as well as Horse Camp.  We would like for them to go to at least one camp this summer.  They are currently signed up for WeDo Robotics Lego Camp at Roper Mountain Science Center and Swim Camp.
    • Participate in the Library Summer Reading Program – the past 3 years the girls have participated in the Summer Reading program and have enjoyed it (as a bonus they usually earn rewards & free tickets to special events which help motivate them even more).  We plan to participate in the program again this summer!
    • Learn & Explore – we went to several educational places over the summer like Roper Mountain Science Center, Battery Park, took a Historical Carriage ride in Charleston and more.  We plan to do more educational adventures this summer, some may be the same or similar, but we are hoping to branch out and try some new activities too!
    • Relax – all the activities above are important but it is also valuable to have some time built in to rest, free time, play, and relax whether that means swinging, playing in the yard, drawing with chalk, hanging out with family, friends (and pets), riding bikes, roller skating, riding scooters, etc…

    It doesn’t seem like a lot of activities but if you figure in the traveling and the fact that we only had two months of summer vacation we really did pack a lot into it.  We hope to make the most of our summer break this year by planning some of our adventures in advance.  It will be nice to catch up with some family, spend time learning, and make some great memories.  What are your summer plans?

  • Love It – Village Naturals Foaming Bath

    Jake and the girls gave me Village Naturals Therapy Foaming Bath Oil & Body Wash, Aches & Pains Relief with Eucalyptus, Rosehips, and Chamomile earlier this year for Mother’s Day.  I love it! 🙂  I never thought I would get so excited over bath items, ha!  It wasn’t long before the girls were begging to try it out.

    Village Naturals Therapy Foaming Bath Oil & Body Wash gives you a lot of great long lasting bubbles.  The girls are always asking to use this whenever they have a “long” bath because they love all the bubbles.  One time they stayed in the bathtub for over an hour splashing around.

    Our family has had a round or two of sickness since I received it.  The Village Naturals Therapy Foaming Bath Oil & Body Wash works really well for when you have a cold and are congested.  You can find it in a lot of stores, including Walmart, or online.  The best part it is only a few dollars and it lasts a long time.  You only need a couple drops to get a bath full of bubbles.

    Even though the girls and I have used this many times we are still on our original bottle.  If your looking for a great bubble bath or body wash that will be a big hit with the lady (or kids) in your life you should check this out.  It is a great way to relax after a busy day!

    “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!

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

    I will be doing a giveaway for the month of April!  The winner will receive the hardcover book called “Speaking Mom-ese: Moments of Peace & Inspiration in the Mother Tongue” by Lisa Whelchel!  As Moms it is difficult finding a moment of “quiet” in our days and I liked how each chapter was short so I could fit it into even a busy day. A friend gave me the book when I was pregnant with the girls and I have read through at least it twice.  Lisa shares insights and stories about her children as well as encourages you as a Mom.  I think it is important even on the busy days to have even a few moments to relax.

    All you have to do to enter this giveaway is sign up to follow my blog (if you haven’t done so already) and leave a comment below by 10 PM EST on April 30th telling us how you follow Blessings Multiplied.  You can get a BONUS entry into the drawing if you leave a separate comment below telling us one of your tips for squeezing in a few moments of peace and quiet into your already busy day!  We love our family but they have a way of keeping us running all day!  On April 30th I will randomly draw a winner from those who have entered the giveaway.

  • Life Simplified: Hosting in Our Home

    One of my goals in 2011 is to simplify my life more by enjoying the blessings and not wasting what God has given us.  I have been sharing with you the successes and challenges on those specific areas in my life as I go through them.  One of the areas I am working on is making the best use of my time.  While spending time hosting family and friends in our home is important to me I must also make sure there is time on the schedule to spend with my immediate family.  The girls are growing up fast and the times we have together are precious.  In order to make sure I don’t go overboard I am setting a goal for myself and asking for your help to keep me in line.

    Here are the current challenges I am working on:

    Explanation of the Goal: As a family of four we LOVE hosting people in our home!  We are blessed to have a home to share with family and friends  whether it is for a party, game night or just to hang out together.  I would probably host a get together several times a week if we had the time, money, and energy to do it.  Part of learning how to simplify my life is making decisions on what to do with my time.  Hosting typically requires time for cleaning, cooking, prepping, and/or decorating for guests.  It is my goal to host at least one other family in our home once a month but no more than four.  When I spend time hosting that means I must give up some for something else.  Having up to 4 hosting events in our home means that there will be time to spend together as a family of four.  I want my girls to have the experience of hosting even at a young age.  Sharing our home and their toys is a valuable skill they can learn at an early age, but they like anyone, need a time to relax and refresh.

    We have already started working on this goal.  We had 3 families of three over in the month of January.   February is a busier month in our household not because of Valentine’s day but because we will be hosting the girls birthday party.  One of the many benefits to having twins or higher multiples is their birthday parties hit at the same time.  Brina and Karlie’s birthday party will be our major event this month and we have at least one other hosting event already on the schedule.

    I will share with you the challenges, successes, and updates as I go through this journey so you can keep me accountable or even go through it with me by participating  and sharing your story. Taking the extra time to invest in the lives of others is important to our family.  I hope that we have been able to host many people in our home without going over board.  It is important to me to make time for my family on the weekends as well as the people around us!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.

    Photo by MaryTClark

  • Cruising on “Serenade of the Seas”

    We had the privilege of cruising on Royal Caribbean’s “Serenade of the Seas” ship on our last vacation.  The first evening we were aboard the boat was full of exploring the ship, our cabin, the schedules, activities and the amazing services they had to offer.  It was our second cruise and the “Serenade of the Seas” was a bigger ship as well as a longer trip.  We were excited to have the opportunity to explore more islands during our trip.   Both of us slept very well aboard our time on the ship as they cruised from island to island during the night.  We met a lot of really neat people and was able to spend some quality time with our family.  “Serenade of the Seas” is one of Royal Caribbean’s newer ships.  Here is some information about “Serenade of the Seas”:

    Ship Facts

    * Maiden Voyage: August 1, 2003
    * Passenger Capacity: 2,114 double occupancy; 2,502 maximum
    * Godmother: Whoopi Goldberg
    * Gross Tonnage: 90,090
    * Length: 962′
    * Beam: 105.6′
    * Draft: 27.9′
    * Cruising Speed: 22 knots

    Ship Highlights

    * Rock-climbing wall
    * Portofino Italian Restaurant
    * Chops Grille
    * Latté-tudes,SM a specialty coffee house featuring Seattle’s Best Coffee®
    * Seaview Café
    * Themed bars and lounges
    * Casino RoyaleSM
    * The Colony Club, a unique British colonial-style lounge with self-leveling pool tables;
    * Beautiful indoor Solarium
    * Indoor/outdoor country club with golf simulator
    * Adventure Ocean® youth facilities
    * Day Spa and Fitness Center
    * Sports court with basketball/volleyball court

    These were just a few of the details of “Serenade of the Seas”.   We enjoyed amazing food, great entertainment and a fun times.  We would go again if we had the opportunity.  If you have never cruised before it is an experience worth trying at least once.  None of our party got sea sick.  The trip was pretty smooth and the service wonderful.  Check it out if you are thinking about taking a cruise.  Who knows who you’ll meet along the way!

    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.  Go with a good attitude and looking 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!