Search results for

a peek into last week

2 In 2022/ Peek into our Week/ Raising boys

Peek into Our Last Few Weeks

It’s been awhile since I’ve given you a peek into our week. I’ve been busy living life and have not taken the time to write about. So, I’ll try to quickly catch you up on our Minnesota life.

.

January

.

My Mom was in Minnesota!

I was so excited to welcome my mom back to Minnesota. It had been 2.5 years since her last visit. January in Minnesota is not the best time to visit, but we made the most of it.

.

.

Volcan Snow Park

Neither of us love the cold, but we got bundled up to check out the Vulcan Snow Park in St. Paul. The sculptures were works of art and the maze was super cool!

.

.

https://youtube.com/shorts/SJOK8hBmfSk?feature=share

.

Como Zoo and Conservatory

We took mom to one of my favorite places in the Twin Cities – the Como Zoo. She discovered why I love it here so much. I always enjoy the beauty and warmth of the Conservatory, especially in January in Minnesota.

.

The flowers smelled heavenly.

.

.

We explored the quaint town of Northfield, MN

The picture of Clark and Mom was taken in front the bank where locals put a stop to the Jesse James Gang.

.

Sisterhood Ladies Night

Another highlight of Mom’s visit was the ‘Sisterhood’ ladies night at my church, with guest speaker Susie Larson.

My mom has loved Susie for YEARS. She listens to her podcasts, reads her books, and sends us her books. When I found out that Susie was speaking at our church on the week my mom was coming to town, I was THRILLED and felt like it wasn’t just a ‘coincidence,’ but a way for God to show us His love. Susie Larson is an amazing communicator, and mom LOVED getting to finally meet her.

.

.

When I moved to Minnesota, I attended this ladies night called “Sisterhood” all by myself. I came alone, sat alone, and went home alone. It was a good night, but not my favorite way to attend a ‘ladies night.’ Fast forward three years, and I can’t tell you how happy my heart was to come with a bunch of sweet neighbors and friends (plus mom). We came together (in three cars), sat together, and went back to our neighborhood together and it meant SO much to me.

.

.

Before mom left, I snapped this picture. This will be the last picture where George is smaller than Grandma.

.

Thanks for coming to visit us Mom!

.

February

.

My mother-in-law in Minnesota

In February, my mother-in-law came for a visit.

Mill City Museum

We took Nana to the Mill City Museum. This was once the home of the General Mills flour plant.

Did you know flour can be as explosive as gun powder?

.

A flour explosion destroyed most of the building. What remains is now the “Mill City Museum.” The General Mills factory has relocated to another town.

  • Nana and Paul
  • Nana and Clark

.

George ‘reenacting’ a pose from our visit almost 3 years ago.

.

George with my mom 2.5 years ago, and with Nana in February:

.

Click here to read more about the Mill City Museum.

.

We found a beautiful old window at the museum and stopped to take some pictures.

  • Nana
  • George and Clark

The boys and Nana were being goofy. I loved how this elderly woman on the side was watching them.

.

It did warm up enough one day for us to take a winter walk.

.

Thanks for coming to visit us Nana!

.

March

.

Bye-bye-Basketball

We finished the basketball season with a weekend in Iowa. Clark’s team got invited to a regional tournament, and it was a great way to end the basketball season.

  • I’m thankful for these sweet basketball moms
  • One mom put these on every door
  • Clark and a few of his teammates

.

Wrigley’s World

I can’t give an update without a peek at Wrigley. He is such a good dog. We are crazy about him!

.

Wrigley likes to cuddle with his toys

.

Just the right size

.

My neighbor sent this picture. Wrigley walked over to see if her dogs could play. He was peeking in the window as if to say, “Come out and play with me!”

.

The boys had Wrigley try on their hats:

  • George’s hat
  • Clark’s hat

.

Paul and Wrigley

.

Luke and Wrigley

Thanks for reading! Hope you are having a great week. Leave me a comment and let me know what you’ve been up to!

March 17, 2022 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
0 In 2021/ Peek into our Week

Peek into our last few weeks: May 2021

How is it JUNE already? Last year time stood still. This year is doing double time.

Here’s what we were up to in May:

Luke turns SEVEN!

  • My baby!
  • Who remembers playing Parachute games.
  • His super cute cake made by Target bakery!
  • Eat the Rainbow: Strawberries and Raspberries, Carrots and Peppers, Banana slices, Sugar Snap Peas and Kiwi fruit, Blueberries and Grapes. A mandarin orange is the sun.

Eating the rainbow!

I’m having a hard time believing my baby is 7, but he promises me it’s true. We had an old-school backyard birthday. We invited the neighbors over for pizza, cake, and backyard games. It was so much fun. Click here to read about some of the games we played.

.

Wrigley’s World

  • It’s a RUFF life!
  • It’s a face off
  • Wrigley loves getting wet!

Just like Luke, Wrigley is growing FAST!

He wants to play fetch, all day every day! He also LOVES the water – getting wet and muddy is his hobby – which is not annoying at all.

We took him to the dog park for the first time. We enjoyed watching all the dogs play!

.

Mother’s Day Memories

  • Clark loved his first brunch

Ted gave me flowers, all the boys made me a picture, and we took them to their first ever brunch. They loved it as much as I did.

Brunch highlights:

  • Luke was full for the first time in his life. I mean, he usually says he’s full, but that’s because he doesn’t want to finish his dinner. This time he could choose everything he wanted to eat and LOVED it.
  • Paul asked if the server writes down everything he takes from the bunch to charge us at the end.
  • Clark ate til he was full, then came back with a full plate and asked the server for a to-go box. She gave him one and he was SO excited to get to take some yummy food home with him.
  • The boys asked if we could do this on every Mother’s Day, and on my birthday too. 🙂

.

George’s Creation

George made some artwork for his room. He picked the background, the verse, and put them together and made this:

.

Four boys in Five Sports

  • Paul in his football gear
  • George running track
  • Clark with his eye on the ball
  • Luke hitting the ball
  • Luke in his uniform
  • George and a couple friends between races
  • George is in Track
  • Clark is in soccer and taking a football clinic
  • Paul is in soccer and taking a football clinic
  • Luke is in T-Ball

.

Other highlights:

At the park, a man who earned a full football scholarship to Rutgers, spent a few minutes working with Paul and Clark. I’m grateful for other adults who invest in my kids.

You know you’ve been married a long time when you start to dress alike without planning it.:

Paul and his buddy on the hunt for Morel Mushrooms:

Luke at school, reading and chatting with a friend:

We spent lots of time on the pond behind our house:

.

What we watched:

We watched TWO excellent family-friendly movies on Netflix: The Mitchell’s Vs. Machines and Blue Miracle

.

What I’m loving:

These popsicles from the Dollar Tree are SO good on a hot day!

Anyone else use a silk pillowcase? It’s supposed to better for your skin and is so nice to sleep on. I love mine!

.

What I’ve been listening to:

Click here to listen to a great episode of the Happy Hour with Louie Giglio.

Click here to listen to an amazing podcast with John Eldridge and Annie F. Downs about how the pandemic affected men and women differently, and how we can come out of the pandemic in a healthy way! I loved it!

.

A peek back into history

My grandfather Hobart earning his doctoral degree. My mom is the littlest girl in this picture – she’s wearing a purple dress and has glasses.

My grandma June and my mom. Mom was pregnant with my older sister Kara here. Kara had a birthday in May! Happy birthday Kara!

My grandfather loved photography and captured this picture of my grandma, aunts and mom. My mom is the little one and looks just like my niece Evelynn.

For a review of the books I read in May, click here.


Thanks for reading and I’d love for you to subscribe!

June 8, 2021 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
0 In 2021/ Peek into our Week

Peek into the last few weeks: April 2021

The simplest Easter

This was the most laid back Easter we’ve ever had. George came down with a cold the night before Easter. His incessant cough kept him (and Ted and me) up most of the night. We stayed in our comfy clothes, watched church online, and stayed close to home all day.

George teaches me a life hack:

Put your chips in a bowl and your salsa in a wine glass…VOILA!

.

Luke starts t-ball

.

Outdoor Adventures

.

Wrigley: The Million Dollar Dog

Picture courtesy of:

Clark: If someone offered you a million dollars for Wrigley, would you take it?

Mom: Yes.

Clark: WHAT!? I can’t believe you’d give him away.

Mom: Well, if someone paid a million dollars, they’d take good care of him. We could buy one of his cousins, and still have close to a million dollars.

Clark: Nope, it’s still not worth it to me.

.

Spotted Climb, Soar, Swim, Explore at the boys’ school!

  • In the school libary
  • Outside a classroom … I spotted this while walking down the hall.
  • In a classroom where I was subbing

.

Other highlights:

Wrigley loves water and tries to jump in the tub when Luke is taking a bath.
When Wrigley see water – he runs right into it and soaks himself.
Our neighbor got a kitten!
Celebrated a friend’s birthday!
A sweet moment with my baby boy!
Date night with my love!

Click here to read reviews of the books I read in April.

Click here to read what we were up to in March.

Thanks for reading! What have you been up to? Leave me a comment!

May 11, 2021 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
2 In 2021/ Memories/ Peek into our Week/ Traveling

Our Anniversary Weekend In Arizona

Ted and I escaped to Arizona for our 20th anniversary – and what a place to celebrate!

.

.

The weather was gorgeous and we spent nearly every waking hour outdoors.

.

Here’s a peek into our trip:

Wednesday:

We arrived at the Phoenix airport, rented a Jeep, met up with some of our best friends (Mark and Stacey), and had lunch at The Mission in Old Town Scottsdale. My heart was happy as we sat outside in the warm sun, surrounded by palm trees, filling up on tacos, chips and salsa!

After lunch we window-shopped in Old Town Scottsdale. This unique shopping area is filled with western style art, clothing, and jewelry.

Though there are many beautiful hotels in the area to choose from (Faimont Princess and The Sanctuary are two of my favs), we found the perfect AirBnB right in the middle of town. After dropping our bags inside the condo, we went straight to the rooftop deck to watch the sunset (and moonrise). 

This rooftop would be our favorite spot to end every day.

That night, we had a phenomenal anniversary dinner at Dominick’s steakhouse.  When we arrived, the host handed us a handwritten card, wishing us a happy anniversary. The food and service were outstanding. Our dinner ended with complimentary dessert – beignets, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and melted chocolate on the side. Yum! I’m still dreaming about that dinner. That was a delicious and memorable way to end our anniversary.

.

.

Thursday

We conquered Camelback Mountain. When we arrived at the mountain, I read signs saying, “Beware: EXTREMELY challenging.”

‘How hard can this be?’ I thought, as I saw a smooth trail ahead of me. Well, that trail soon ended and was replaced by nothing but huge boulders. We climbed rock after rock and felt like we’d never make it to the top. I kept thinking about the relaxing afternoon that awaited us, and that kept me going one step at a time. I wrongly assumed going down would be much easier, but that was a different kind of challenge. It felt SO good to have conquered that mountain.

.

.

We spent a luxurious afternoon at the Fairmont Princess spa! We got a couples massage, used their eucalyptus steam room, sauna, hot tub, waterfall pool, and adults only pool.

We left in time to catch the sunset from our rooftop deck and had sushi for dinner.

.

Beautiful Shopping area in Scottsdale

.

Friday

We woke up early on Friday and drove 60 miles north to Sedona.

I’m not sure how I’ve lived my whole life without knowing how spectacular Sedona would be. There aren’t even words to describe the beauty.

.

We started the day with a hike up Soldiers Pass, which led to a unique cave to explore. We brought sandwiches and had lunch with a view.

.

.

We hiked back down, drove through town, got coffee, then hiked Cathedral Rock. Because the landscape in Sedona is so incredible, you barely notice that you putting in effort into those challenging climbs. The hikes were phenomenal.

.

.

We met some new friends for dinner, then drove back to our condo to sleep.

.

.

Saturday

Saturday morning we met old friends for coffee, then went to Hash kitchen for brunch. Hash kitchen is an experience. It’s a breakfast party with a live DJ! Unfortunately (fortunately?), I forgot my tube top or any other sort of club wear that we saw other patrons wearing. The music inside was LOUD (did I mention the live DJ?), so thankfully, we found a table outside and enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the warm sun.

After breakfast we spent the day exploring Scottsdale and a quaint little town called Cave Creek. 

We went back to our place to watch another sunset, and spend time with friends.

For dinner, we went to a cool spot called Sorsa Wine Room, and sat on their patio that overlooks a beautiful shopping area.

.

Sunday

Our last day. We packed up, then went to a friend’s church (you must visit Gateway if you are in town), before heading to their airport to fly home. 

We packed a lot into that long weekend, and had such a great time!

A couple things we didn’t do that I’d like to include next time:

Things to have with you at all times in Arizona:

  • Sunglasses
  • Good hiking shoes (not white)
  • Chapstick
  • Water

Thanks for reading! Have you ever explored Arizona? What are you favorite things to do?

Thank you to my in-laws for taking such great care of our boys, our home, and our dog while we were away. We love you Kevin and Shirley!

December 5, 2021 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
0 In 2021

A peek into our home updates: WALLPAPER

Anyone else staying home for weeks on end, staring at their walls and wanting to make changes?

We decided we needed wallpaper.

For the last twenty years, the only thing I wanted to do with wallpaper was TEAR IT DOWN! Evidently quarantine messed me up enough to want to put it up – in more than one room!

I’ve never picked out wallpaper. I didn’t know what a big and overwhelming job this could be.

I walked into a wallpaper store that was almost as big as my house. Every wall had bookshelves. On every bookshelf were wallpaper books. In every wallpaper book were a hundred different option.

The first day I just walked in … then just walked right back out. I wasn’t prepared.

My second visit involved pulling random books off the shelf and scanning through them.

Thankfully, a sweet lady who worked there sensed that I was a bit over my head. She asked me to describe what I envisioned for my home, then pulled about six different books for me to look through.

Amazingly, several of those books had something I liked, so I brought them home to get Ted’s input, and see how it looked inside our home, with our stuff.

We finally chose one! …And then found out it was out of print.

Back to the books.

We chose another one. This time it was available! We ordered it and (for the sake of our marriage and sanity) found a man to hang it for us.

Our second choice.

Here’s our new dining room wall:


.

We also added a grasscloth wallpaper to our family room and found artwork from the PosterStore.com.

Have you made any home modifications since quarantine? Leave a comment and let me know!

October 22, 2021 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
0 In 2021/ Family/ Minnesota/ Peek into our Week

Peek into our Weeks: 3 years of Minnesota living

If summers are for making memories, we made a TON OF THEM in July. Here are some highlights!

July started with a vacation:

A week in Indiana is better than a trip to Disney

  • My aunt, grandmother, and cousins
  • Cousins and mamas
  • Luke and my nephew Eli
.
My mom and all of her grandchildren!
  • A letter my grandmother received from her uncle during WW2.
  • George hearing the story of my grandparents opening their store more than 50 years ago.
  • My nephew was excited to see my book at my grandparent’s store.
  • At my grandparent’s antique store

.

We had a wonderful dinner and date night at Kelly Jae’s in honor of my sister (in pink) and brother-in-law’s 21st anniversary. My sister and her husband (in white) joined us, as well as childhood friends (on left).

.

I got to spend a morning with childhood friends. Only one still lives in town. The rest of us happened to all be there for the 4th of July!

My dad took us for a boat ride down memory lane. These homes on Lake Tippecanoe used to belong to my grandparents. My mom and dad lived in a small cottage behind these two homes, and it’s where I was brought home from the hospital. I grew up swimming, tubing, and learning to ski on this lake.

My grandparents sold this property when I was in high school, and this was the first time I’d been back!

.

Wrigley’s World

While we were in Indiana, some good friends took the BEST care of Wrigley.

Though the boys had a blast in Indiana, they were SO happy to see Wrigley when we got home.

My chauffeur:

I put Wrigley in the car and ran in to grab my phone. I came back out and found Wrigley ready to drive Miss Daisy Egly.

.

Pan-o-Prag – our local fair

I’m not sure how the fair in Lakeville got the name “Pan-o-Prag,” but that’s what the locals call it and we spent a hot afternoon enjoying it all – carnival games, rides, fried food, and a parade! To keep the cost from getting out of control, I told the kids they could ride two rides, play two games, and pick one snack.

.

A trip back to the Biggest Candy Store

  • Luke and Hulk – who is stronger?

Click here to read more about this place!

.

Three Years in Minnesota

  • July 2018 – our first day in our Minnesota home
  • July 2019 – One year in Minnesota
  • July 2020 – Two years in Minnesota
  • July 2021 – Three years in Minnesota

We have a tradition of eating breakfast at Jensen’s on the anniversary of our move to Minnesota. The boys are thriving and happy. They love all the lakes and fishing. They also love our neighborhood and the many friends they’ve met.

.

Date Night Re-make

  • July 31, 2018
  • July 31, 2021

Three years ago Ted and I went out on our first Minnesota date night. We went back on the same night to celebrate!

.

A night away and all alone

  • Downtown Stillwater, MN
  • The Stillwater walking bridge across the St. Croix River
  • My breakfast in bed
  • My home for the night

For the first time since being a mom, and possibly the first time ever (?), I spent the night at a hotel all alone. After a busy summer, I was craving some peace and quiet, so I booked a night at a Bed and Breakfast in Stillwater, MN and had a glorious 24 hours to myself!

I explored, did a little shopping, a lot of walking and reading. I slept 10 straight hours and was awakened by a knock on my door with a tray of breakfast and hot coffee!!!!! What an absolute delight! I could have stayed in bed all day, but I had an 11am check-out. I asked for a later check-out and was awarded an extra FIFTEEN MINUTES! Woot. woot.

Thanks so much for reading about our busy July! What have you been up to? Leave a comment by clicking that little comment box next to the title.

August 4, 2021 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
0 In 2021/ Family/ Minnesota/ Peek into our Week/ Things to do in Minnesota

Peek into our Weeks – Queen for a day, Road trippin’ and more!

Sayanora School Year

George finished 7th grade!

Clark is out of Elementary and into Middle school next year!

What a year…but we made it!

Clark and some of his 5th grade buddies

(Here’s a post I wrote midyear – when I felt like I was drowning)

.

Our twenty year “engagement” anniversary

.

“Queen” for a day

Thank you for the crown Ted!

How do become Queen? You put on your plastic crown and declare it! (Thanks, Ted, for the crown!)

The boys and I celebrated my birthday with a great breakfast at Hope Kitchen. Instead of a cake, we ate some delicious Crumbl Cookies.

.

What a man, what a man, what a mighty good man

Ted asked us to do a hill hike with him on Father’s Day, so we lured the boys to the top with Dunkin’ Donuts.

.

America Ninja Warriors

A local gym was running a special for a month-long membership so I signed my boys up. They had so much fun and burned LOTS of energy!

.

A quick trip through Illinois

On our way to Indiana, we had one full day in Illinois. We got to eat at our favorite restaurant with some of our best friends.

At Bien Trucha with the Hoeft family.
Makayla Beebe’s been babysitting the boys since they were tiny. And I was her children’s pastor when SHE was tiny!

On the way to Indiana, we stopped at Portillos.

.

What I’m loving

I love this Alba face wash! The scent, the way it makes my skin feel, and the easy pump!

.

This quick dry towel. It’s super thin, so it doesn’t take much space in our swim bag.

What are you up to and what are you loving? Leave me a comment!

Thanks for reading!

July 13, 2021 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
0 In 2021/ Memories/ Peek into our Week

Peek into our Week: February 2021

Superbowl and Puppy Plays Ball

Puppy plays football

Now that I have a house full of guys who enjoy football, I’ve started watching the actual football game and not just the commercials (though those are fun too!) My favorite commercial is at the end of this post.

On Super Bowl Sunday, I made some chicken wings and Jalapeño Stuffed Peppers.

During halftime, the boys were playing “flag” football in the family room, and Wrigley joined in the game. It was all fun and games – until Wrigley missed the flag and bit Paul on the side of the leg.

Clark had always dreamed of having a dog that could play football with him, and his dream came true on Super Bowl Sunday!

Also, Clark asked why the background dancers had underwear on their faces during half-time. My friend Jessica explained that it was for a good purpose, but it still looked ugly and was a weird halftime show!

I was COMPLETELY impressed with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. What a game!

Serving With Our Neighbors

feed

In 2020, my neighbor asked if we’d want to get together for a service projects on a regular basis. Um YES!

This month we met at a local Feed My Starving Children site to pack food for the hungry. It was an amazing experience, and as we were leaving, Clark asked how soon we could come back.

Baby it’s COOOOLLLLDDD outside

We’ve had a fairly mild winter, but February was FUH-REEZING! Though most of the south shuts down when it gets to subzero temps, Minnesotans are almost un-fazed by it.

Since I’m not a true Minnesotan, I prefer to be INSIDE when the weather dips below zero. The boys and I have been playing games like Spoons, Rat-a-tat cat and Skipbo. We’ve also tried a few things from this list.

Egly boys make People Magazine!

The boys made it into People Magazine (and NOT because they are the sexiest men alive) If you haven’t seen it yet, click here to watch the video that was shared by People for “small acts of kindness day!”

Our hope is that this video inspires other small acts of kindness. If 1 out of every 100 people who watch this video are inspired to do something kind for someone else – that means more than 30,000 acts of kindness were done!!!

Back to Basketball

Paul playing ball

There was a six week hiatus from sports, but now Paul, Clark, and George are all playing basketball again. They are so fun to watch. Follow me or Ted on instagram to see their best plays.

Back-to-School

Clark, Paul and I joined Luke in going back to school. The three of them are finally in school full time and I’m teaching a couple days each week. Because of Covid, no parents are allowed to have lunch with their kids, but when I’m teaching, I get to eat with my boys! What a treat!

Face shield

It was TRICKY and HOT teaching with a face shield AND mask. Thankfully, as of last week, shields are no longer required!

Valentine’s Day Fun

“I chews You!” George made this alligator box for Luke
  • Clark wanted to ‘sWish’ everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day
  • Paul hopes your Valentine’s Day was a touchdown!

Life with Wrigley

Wrigley is sleeping through night and mostly ringing the bell when he needs to go out. He likes people and playing catch. The boys love him sooo much!

What I’m listening to:

I love Bob Goff and enjoy his podcast. This episode was so inspiring!

What I’m watching:

Has anyone watched this series on Apple TV? It’s so good!

What I’m reading:

This book is amazing!

My favorite Super Bowl commercial:

.

What have you been up to? Leave me a comment!

February 23, 2021 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
0 In 2020/ Christmas/ Peek into our Week/ Raising boys

Peek into our Christmas week

Christmas 2020

Christmas Eve:

It was a cold day with LOTS of snow. All four boys shoveled two of our neighbors driveways.

We played with our dog, completed a Christmas puzzle, then watched White Christmas (one of my FAVORITE Christmas movies).

Luke and Paul were excited to go to bed that night because they could hardly wait for it to be Christmas morning!

After the two littles fell asleep, George and Clark helped me put presents under the tree, then George created a scavenger hunt from the “elves.”

Clark set up some games around the house for everyone to play on Christmas Day.

Christmas Day:

Scavenger hunt for the littles:

George created a scavenger hunt from our ‘elves.’ He wrote a clue, that led to another clue, that led to another … all around our house. The final clue led to a gift from “Santa.” The gift was a game called “Ticket to Ride.” I’d read good reviews of this game so I thought my boys would like it.

I made the mistake of trying to play it with them right away, without having ever played before. I didn’t realize how many details were involved. I tried to read the instructions and play at the same time. This was a FAIL! I didn’t understand how to play, let alone how to teach all four boys what to do. We all got frustrated and quit.

Afterwards, I watched a YouTube video on how to play. I finally understood and asked my boys if they wanted to try again. The boys said no, they just wanted to open their other presents.

Opening presents:

  • Clark got football cards
  • Luke got an art set
  • Hanging new ornaments they received for Christmas

Our big Christmas gift to the boys was a dog (Read that story here) …but other family members had gifts for them to open Christmas morning.

I filled their stockings with some fun treats, hid the stockings in my closet, tied a long string around them, and wrapped that string all around the house. I gave the boys the end of the string, and they had to follow it to find their stockings.

The boys also did a “Secret Santa” gift exchange with each other. After Thanksgiving, I put the names of the boys in a bowl and they each drew a name. They have a $15 budget and get to pick out a gift for each other.

  • Luke drew George’s name and got him a puzzle (see below).
  • Paul drew Clark’s name and bought him football cards.
  • Clark drew Luke’s name and got him a remote control car.
  • George drew Paul and bought him some Pokemon cards.

Christmas Day Scavenger Hunt for the Parents:

  • Clark created “Wheel of Fortune”
  • Ted came in first

As a Christmas gift for me and Ted, Clark created a super fun obstacle course for us to complete. We had targets to hit with a nerf gun, matchbox cars that had to get past a certain line, a box to tear open to find a clue and a quarter, basketballs to get in the net, then a word to complete in a “Wheel of Fortune” type game. When we completed all our ‘challenges,’ we had to race to put our “quarter” on the winning circle to win a prize (see picture above). I won “Wheel of Fortune” and the matchbox car game, but Ted is way better with a nerf gun and basketball. He won and got a big chocolate bar. I was second and Clark gave me chocolate coins.

Christmas Day Walk:

Ted and the boys

It was COLD outside (7 degrees), but Ted encouraged us to bundle up and get outside with him, and I’m glad we did!

Christmas Dinner:

Steak, Brussel Sprouts, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus and …. French Fries. (I forgot to take a picture)

We Watched:

A Christmas Story – Ted and George love this movie. Since they watch “White Christmas” with me, I watch this movie with them.

We read:

The Christmas Lizard: this is a cute story of the Lizard climbing up the tree and hearing the different reasons Christmas is celebrated. The Nutcracker says “tradition,” the elves say “parties,” etc. When he gets to the very top of the tree he finds the Angel and the angel points to the manger and tells the lizard that the reason we celebrate Christmas is Jesus.

We played:

What do you Meme? … Uno and…

After Luke and Paul went to bed, I was able to talk George into giving Ticket to Ride another try. We both really enjoyed playing! I would only recommend it for ages 10 and up!

The Day After Christmas:

Luke got George’s name as his “Secret Santa” gift exchange. I helped him create a puzzle as a gift for George.

We put it together and it turned out so cool!

We also went ice skating with friends.

One friend lifted his hockey stick to hit a puck, and accidentally smacked Clark in the eye. It hurt bad at first (and looks really bad), but Clark was playing again in ten minutes.

We took another walk and had a snowball fight:

  • Get Ready …
  • Get Set …
  • Fire!!!

My boys received this “snowball maker” toy last year – it makes these perfect, round snowballs and saves your hands from freezing or your gloves from getting soaked:

Hope you had a Merry Christmas friends! Sending love from our family to yours!

Here’s a peek into our fall and winter. I love how my iPhone can take pictures and videos and turn them into this:

December 28, 2020 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
0 In Family/ Memories/ Peek into our Week/ Traveling

Peek into our Beach Week

To celebrate her birthday, my sister Haili rented a house in Florida and asked if we’d come to celebrate with her!

Um…YEAH!

In June, I was in Florida for my cousin’s wedding. It was the first time I’d been back there in TWELVE years – George was in my tummy! As I was sitting on the beach in June, I imagined how much fun my boys would have if they could visit this beautiful place. I could see them splashing in the waves, laughing, playing, and making forever memories. I said a little prayer that we’d somehow, sometime soon, have an opportunity to bring them back here.

And three months later….my prayer was answered!

Next stop…Florida!

We arrived at the Panama City airport Tuesday night, but my checked bag was not so lucky. American Airlines said it wouldn’t be delivered until the next night. The bag contained ALL of our swim stuff. For our FIRST EVER family beach day, my boys didn’t have their swim trunks and I didn’t have a swimsuit. We also didn’t have sunblock, our beach towels, or life jackets.

Thankfully, boys were able to swim in their regular shorts, and Haili let me borrow a swimsuit and her beach supplies. (Thank you Haili!)

  • Playing with the skim board
  • Super cute suit that Haili let me borrow!
  • First splash
  • First glimpse at the ocean

I had never been to the northwest part of Florida, and was surprised how beautiful it was – especially Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach, and the entire 30A area.

  • Cutest little coffee shop on Alys Beach

As we walked out to the beach on our first morning in Florida, my boys could not believe how BIG the ocean was. They’d never seen a body of water that went as far as the eye could see. They ran immediately to splash in the waves – and were surprised that it was SALTWATER. (I forgot to mention that).

What a JOY it was to watch my dream and prayer come true – the kids were laughing, playing, splashing and having SO MUCH fun. I got to catch up with my sister, and step-mom…the boys had so much fun playing with their cousins…it was perfect.

  • Clark and his cousin Elle

I love how the 11 of us could spend hours at the beach and never get bored.

Each afternoon, we’d come in for lunch. The little kids would rest, and a few of us would take a walk. We loved discovering the unique wildlife and plant life in Florida.

    • Elle and Henry
    • On a nature walk

    Each evening, we’d all go back to the beach to play and watch the sunset.

    We ate most meals at home, but one night we went out and had a fabulous dinner at a placed called “George’s” to celebrate Haili’s 40th birthday.

    As we were going to bed on our last night, I received a text that our flight the next morning had been canceled. We called American Airlines and were on hold for TWO solid hours, then on with an agent for another hour as she figured out how to get us home – the only option was staying another 24 hours.

    • Screen shot of my 3 hour+ phone call
    • Obviously disappointed to stay another day in Florida
    • Luke and Paul

    My sister and step-mom’s Delta flight was NOT canceled, and they flew home. So, Ted and I, and our boys, found a great price at a Hampton Inn, directly on Panama City Beach, and spent our last day there. It was a sweet way to end the trip — bonding with my boys on the beach!

    • Panama City Beach

    I asked everyone what they loved and will remember most about this trip. Here are their answers:

    George said, “Seeing the ocean for the first time. Also, cousins and big waves!”

    • George and mom
    • George and dad

    Clark LOVED playing on the skimboard and pushing/pulling his brothers and cousins on it. Clark said his favorite parts of the trip were, “Cousins and water!”

    Paul spent nearly the entire time looking for creatures – he found fish, lizards, crabs and jellyfish. Paul told me his favorite part of Florida was “catching stuff!”

    Luke enjoyed building sand castles and playing in the waves. Luke told me his favorite part of Florida was playing with his cousins and being in the water.

    • Luke built this “castle” and stuck a feather in the top

    Ted loved being with family, playing with the kids on the beach, and crab hunting.

    I loved being with family – eating meals together, taking walks, playing in the ocean together, and the gorgeous sunsets every night made the perfect end to each day.

    • Our last dinner together in Panama City – Diego’s burritos

    I’m fascinated at how God creates a beautifully unique sky every. single. night. The gifts He gives in nature are phenomenal. They are SO un-necessary, and often un-appreciated, but breathtaking and spectacular. I’d be sitting on the beach watching the sunset and wondering why every person in Florida wasn’t sitting with me. It’s one of the most magnificent sights I’ve ever seen.

    • Ted
    • Luke

    I’m SOOOO incredibly grateful for Haili renting the house and inviting us to come. I’m grateful that Ted took time off work so that we could take this trip together. I’m grateful for answered prayer. I’m grateful for the beauty in Florida and for time with family!

    • Cutest little coffee shop on Alys Beach
    • Thanks to my sister Haili for making this trip a reality

    Visit my instagram page and click “Florida 2019” to see additional pictures and videos from our vacation!

    September 30, 2019 By
    Share Tweet Pin it +1