Kathryn, Author at kathrynegly.com

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

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!

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.**

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 Kathryn

4 In Memories/ Motherhood/ My Journey/ Raising boys

The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day was approaching and as a mom of busy little boys, I was wishing for three things:

A clean house,
A little pampering,
A good night’s sleep.

I planned in advance so that Mother’s Day would be the best ever:

I scheduled someone to clean my house a couple days before Mother’s Day.
I invited a couple friends to meet me at the nail salon to get our nails done.
A good night’s sleep was very unlikely, but a girl can hope and dream, right? (pun intended)

Little did I know that it would be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Mother’s Day/week.

Thursday morning a cleaning lady was to arrive at my house at nine am. I LOVED the idea of having a clean house for Mother’s Day weekend. I’d be able to play with my kids while someone else cleaned the toilets – YAY! What a gift.

The morning came and went, and no one showed up. I called and they had forgotten to add me to the schedule. No one would be coming.

I wasn’t going to have a clean house for Mother’s Day.

That’s okay…at least I’d get some time that night with some girlfriends and get my nails done!

Ted would take care of the boys after a busy day at work. He would put them to bed so I could have the evening with my girlfriends.

Well, traffic was really bad that night, and Ted got home late. The minute he walked in, I passed him the baby, and headed out the door.

I rushed into the nail salon and found my friends already getting their nails done. I sat in an open chair next to them.

“I’m sorry ma’am,” the manager said, “we are closing in 15 minutes and aren’t doing any more nails tonight.”

My heart sank. No pretty nails for Mother’s Day.

I chatted with my friends while they finished getting their nails done, and we walked out together as the salon closed. We weren’t done talking, and it was cold and raining outside, so I suggested we sit in my car to carry on our conversation. We chatted for another hour and then I tried to start my car – it was completely dead.

Unfortunately, none of us had jumper cables and we could not call our husbands to help. They were all home with sleeping children.

We looked around for a kind person who may happen to still be out on this cold, dark, wet night. We spotted one person. I asked him for help and miraculously (like an angel!?), he came over with jumper cables, started my car, and we all made it home safely.

Friday morning I got up early. I had a Mother’s Day Tea to attend and wanted to have time to take a shower and put on nice clothes. I got myself ready, then got each of the boys ready. As I was putting our baby into his carseat to leave… he spit up all over me. All through my hair, down my shirt, my skirt, and onto my shoes.

I frantically searched my closet to find another outfit to wear, quickly wiped the spit up out of my hair, and raced into my first Mother’s Day Tea … just in time.

Around 3 AM on Mother’s Day morning, I woke up to the sound of Clark crying. I went in to check on him. He had thrown up – all over himself, his pajamas, and his bed.

This wasn’t the Mother’s Day morning or good night’s rest I had hoped and wished for.

In fact, I decided it was a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Mother’s ~~Day~~ … week!

I lifted Clark out of the messy bed, gave him a warm bath, and put him in clean pajamas. I changed his sheets, tucked him back into bed, said a prayer, and rubbed his back until I thought he was asleep.

I crept out of Clark’s room, thinking about how tired I was, and that I’d probably only get another hour or two of sleep before the baby woke me up, when I heard the sweetest words:

‘Happy mudder’s day, mama.”

In spite of Clark being sick and tired, he somehow remembered that it was Mother’s Day.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized that my FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS had blinded me to my FIRST WORLD BLESSINGS!

In spite of how bad things are going, we can find something to be grateful in every situation.

My house may be messy, but it’s warm and it’s ours.
My nails might not be painted, but my hands are strong enough to hold and care for my children.
My car might have died, but I have a car to take my kids where we need and want to go.
My kids are healthy. When they spit up/throw up – I have extra clothes and sheets – and a washing machine and dryer to clean the laundry.
I have a husband who cares for me and our boys so that I can get away to be with girlfriends.
I have friends that sit and chat with me. Then they stayed with me, in the cold rain, until my car got started again! And bonus – they are friends who encourage me to be a better wife and mom. (PRICELESS!)
And the biggest blessing of the week…I GET to celebrate Mother’s Day because I have children!

Now that I look back on all my Mother’s Days…this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Mother’s Day, was actually my favorite one. It allowed me put things in perspective and see the gifts and blessings I so easily take for granted.

When I began focus on my blessings, I realized that this was a …

WONDERFUL, fantastic, so good, very blessed Mother’s Day!

Don’t let 1st world problems make you forget your 1st world BLESSINGS!

And by the way, while I tried to plan the perfect Mother’s Day week – Ted planned a really sweet Mother’s Day.

He got me flowers. He had the boys color me pictures. He picked up some delicious food so I didn’t have to cook. He told me to get away for a few hours to read and relax.

While I was gone, not only did he take good care of the boys – the house was clean when I got home!!

It really was a WONDERFUL, fantastic, so good, very blessed Mother’s Day!

What about you? What gift might you be taking for granted? Do you have a favorite Mother’s Day memory? Leave a comment.

Please consider subscribing.

Thanks for reading! You may be interested in this related post: Finding Joy in the Motherhood in the Mess

May 7, 2021 By Kathryn

0 In 2021/ Book Review/ Product Recommendations

Four books I finished in April: Book Reviews and Recommendations

Here are a few great books I finished this month.

The Last Arrow by Erwin McManus

Rating: 10/10

Review: This book was so good that once I started, I could barely put it down. Erwin shares one phenomenal story after another, connecting what God teaches in the Bible to real people putting that into action, and the POWER that action has had in their lives. Here are a few of my favorite points from the book:

You need to act like your life depends on it because it’s never just your life involved. The world desperately needs everything you can bring to the table.
Don’t allow your weakness to define who you are.
You will never sustain greatness or fulfill your God-given calling if you see people as an obstacle to your destiny rather than as essential to fulfilling God’s purpose in your life. An old African saying: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. We are more powerful when we walk together, and we are more vulnerable when we walk alone.
Fear is like a leprosy that eats away at us. Fear will lead us to build fortresses that look like security and safety. Fear convinces us that we have locked out the dangers, but it hasn’t locked the world out at all. Instead, fear has trapped us inside. It was never a fortress, it was a prison.
I do not believe anyone is born average but I do believe that many of us choose to live a life of mediocrity. To be above average demands a choice. Average is a safe choice and it’s the most dangerous choice we can make.
Do not lose sight of the fact that just because it’s time to move forward, the things in the past did not have great value for the time in your life. Appreciate the past, but live IN the present and FOR the future.

Home Front by Kristin Hannah

Rating: 5/10

Review: This is the story of a military family, the wife goes off to war and comes back with a missing leg and PSTD. I didn’t connect with the characters or find the story believable. I would recommend The Nightingale over this book! A much better story and excellent character development.

Help Club for Moms : The Wise Woman Believes

Rating: 10/10

Review: The Help Club for Mom’s Bible studies include mom tips, recipes, activities to do with your children, journaling pages, and practical devotions for mom. The book takes into consideration your home, children, faith, and marriage. The studies are uplifting and perfect for any mom.

Remarkable by Brady Boyd

Rating: 10/10

Review: Brady Boyd has done it again with his masterful, engaging and meaningful writing. This is all about how Christ-followers can live ‘remarkable’ lives that make a positive difference in the world. Here are 5 things that stood out to me:

Every person is created in the image of God – regardless of color, creed, gender, socioeconomic status or citizenship. When you disagree with someone, ask: “Help me understand your perspective. What am I missing?” or “Tell me your story.”
Acceptance, kindness and forgiveness are the trifecta of a gracious life. “May we exude graciousness at every turn, remembering that we too, were lavished with grace. May we radiate the warmth and compassion of Jesus, who once took in our messiest messiness and said, ‘You are welcome here.'”
Inviting God into our painful places is when healing begins to seep in.
The first step in obtaining wisdom is admitting that I am not the source of wisdom. (Do I stop and seek God for wisdom before I make decisions or answer questions?)
Stay plugged in to the unparalleled power Source.

What are you reading?

Here are my favorite books for 2020

And my top ten from 2019

May 1, 2021 By Kathryn

0 In 2021/ Guest Post/ Motherhood

What do teens and trees have in common?

Today I have an amazing guest post from my friend, Robin Blonsky. Robin and I have been friends for over 20 years. Recently, we sat down and chatted over coffee. I had tears in my eyes as I listened to her share so vulnerably about what she’s learning about being a mother to teenagers. I asked her to write something for me to share with you … and I am HONORED that she said yes.

Craig and Robin Blonsky – Craig was a best man in our wedding and my husband was a best man in their wedding.

Here’s Robin’s powerful story:

Spring was beginning to bloom in Oklahoma and I couldn’t remember when I had anticipated a season more. I was looking forward to seeing the first leaves emerge on the new Tupelo tree in my front yard.

Inside of my home however, my relationship with my 16-year-old daughter Grace, was growing dormant.

Grace and I had been misfiring in our communication for well over a week. I could tell that our relationship was off and it seemed that she knew it too. However, coming off of a difficult few weeks myself, I honestly felt that I had no energy to deal with whatever was going on with her. We continued to drift apart with more misunderstandings and frustration.

Sure, I prayed over the situation, and over our family as I usually do, and then I did what any responsible mom would do…I tried to wait her out. After a few more days, I went to bed angry one night after being fed up with it all. I truly had no interest in initiating a ceasefire, but, I knew I needed to put my big girl panties on and be the parent in this situation. So, I started turning the situation over to God little by little as I drifted off to sleep, inviting His wisdom and timing into the equation.

I didn’t sleep well that night, but the next morning I woke up with a calm knowing that I needed to talk with Grace, starting with an apology for my part in being intense and nit-picky. She was stuck and I needed to help her get unstuck. And I needed to err on the side of mercy. Yay.

After I spent my quiet time with God, that’s when I had peaceful confirmation. In my devotions, I came across a passage that talked about how when children are the most unlovable and exasperating, that is often when they need love the most. I asked the Holy Spirit to help me, and then went on with my day.

When children are the most unloveable, that is often when they need the most love.

While I was out running errands, I picked up a special decorated cookie for daughter from a beloved bakery in town. My husband and I have been making more effort to celebrate any wins in our family with small rewards. The treat was for going on her first job interview recently.

The day flew by and before I knew it, my girls were home from school. I let them get settled and then approached Grace. She was parked at the kitchen table, working on her laptop. Her demeanor was frosty, and the leave me alone signal was strong. I approached her anyway and began the conversation in a relaxed manner. She shared about how her frustrations with me had accumulated into a big ball. I offered my apologies for being intense and critical when all I really wanted to do was connect.

As the frost began to melt, the cookie appeared along with a cold glass of milk. I started to speak life over her as the words tumbled out from my heart. How much I loved her, believed in her, was proud of her for facing her fears, how incredible she is as a person, and that I see her as a capable young woman. As we continued talking, she became pleasant again. As soon as we finished the conversation, we both moved on.

Friends, I certainly miss it some days, just as any of us do, but here’s one thing I am learning as I walk with God. When I bring my struggles to Him and seek His wisdom, He always meets me where I am at. If I will wait for His grace to act, His timing is just right on when, and how, I am to respond.

Just days later, I noticed that the leaves of my new tree are now appearing for the very first time! They only come out of their protective buds after testing the air to make sure the frost is gone. Just as my tree responds to climate conditions, so do our children as we set and protect the atmosphere of our homes with warmth and love.

Just as my tree responds to climate conditions, so do our children as we set and protect the atmosphere of our homes with warmth and love.
Robin Blonsky

April 26, 2021 By Kathryn

0 In 2021/ Memories/ Peek into our Week/ Things to do in Minnesota

Peek into our Weeks (March 2021)

I know that it’s nearing the end of April … but here’s a look back into what our family was up to in March!

Checking off an item on Paul’s Bucket list

We had a free day and it was COLD outside…so we made a visit to the REPTILE and AMPHIBIAN Zoo. It’s a small place but we enjoyed watching the staff feed several of their reptiles. Paul was able to check something off his bucket list: Hold a giant Boa Constrictor. (Paul has all kind of UNIQUE things on his bucket list!)

Checked off “hold a giant boa” from Paul’s bucket list

A Real Date Night

Ted and I have a favorite date night spot and it’s been closed for most of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. We were so excited to get a real in-person date night when Colita re-opened! Quarantine date nights were sweet, but it’s so nice to finally get out of the house and go to an actual restaurant!

Classic Clark

Clark comes in each night banged up and usually muddy. I was looking at his legs in astonishment and asking how he has so many marks and scars on his legs. This was his response:

A ‘shell’ of a tradition

When I was a child, my mom came home from a trip to Florida with a bag of white seashells. Together we painted them and gave one to each person in my class.

On a recent trip to Marco Island, I spotted the same white shells and happy memories flooded my mind. I knew I had to carry on the tradition. The boys and I had so much fun painting shells and giving them away!

An afternoon at Como Zoo with a bunch of boys

We spent a few hours at Como Zoo and Conservatory (click here to read about it), then played at the park across the street. We stopped at DQ on our way home.

School Daze

The boys are finally back in school full time. I’ve been teaching and had so much fun getting to be in their classrooms! I taught Clark’s class and was Luke’s reading teaching. Next week I’ll get to be Paul’s teacher. I’m grateful that the boys get excited about me teaching. It gives them something to look forward to, and I look forward to it as well! BONUS: Shields are no longer required.

Wrigley Updates:

Who needs a pillow when you’ve got a Wrigley?

Muddy March

This is our first spring with a dog and WOW – puppies get DIRTY!!!! Dogs gravitate toward the mud more than boys do! We’ve been giving Wrigley baths daily, sometimes multiple baths each day. Wrigley likes bath time ALMOST as much as he likes to play in the mud.

Wrigley had his first visit to the groomer and he looked SO different that we thought the groomer may have given us the wrong dog. The boy decided to ‘test’ Wrigley to see if it was really their dog. They watched to see if he’d respond to his name, then made him do all the tricks they taught him. After he passed his ‘test,’ they were finally convinced we had the right dog.

A visit to Oklahoma

We visited family and friends in Oklahoma for spring break. I’ve got the world’s best in-laws who open up their beautiful home to us and take such good care of us when we visit. It’s also so fun for me to be with my sisters and let the boys play with their cousins. We also got a night out with some old friends.

Thanks for reading! Please subscribe if you’d like to follow our adventures!

April 20, 2021 By Kathryn

0 In 2021/ Food/ Recipe

Delicious & Simple Crockpot Thai Chicken and Rice

I like simple dinner ideas and thought you might like one too! All you need is 4 ingredients and about 4 minutes to get dinner in the crockpot for your family.

Ingredients:

1 jar of Thai Style Coconut Curry Salsa

1 can of Coconut Milk

4 lbs of Chicken (frozen or thawed). You can use chicken tenders, thighs, or chicken breasts.

1 cup of Rice – I used Jasmine rice.

Directions:

1. Add chicken, salsa and coconut milk to crockpot and stir.

2. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or cook on high for about 1 3/4 to 2 hours. These times are APPROXIMATE and I encourage you to check on and stir your chicken regularly.

3. When chicken is finished cooking, remove it from the crock pot.

4. Add a cup of rice to the remaining liquid and cook on high for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Enjoy!

For a similar dish with a Mexican twist, add regular salsa and cream cheese instead of the Thai salsa and coconut milk.

Want more recipes?

Click here for a fun pizza recipe for kids!

Easy peasy pot pie recipe – click here!

Thanks for reading, please subscribe!

April 18, 2021 By Kathryn

1 In 2021/ Memories/ Peek into our Week/ Traveling

Our escape to Marco Island

When our friends (Mark and Stacey) purchased a home on Marco Island and invited us to leave the snow and freezing February temps in Minnesota and join them for a sunny, GORGEOUS weekend in Florida … we couldn’t say YES fast enough.

I could not wait to put my toes in the sand, see the beautiful Florida sunsets, have time with friends – and not wake up to an alarm, a puppy, or a child.

My amazing in-laws offered to drive up and stay with our boys so that Ted and I could escape to ISLAND LIFE!

When we arrived, the PALM trees immediately put a smile on my face. Palm trees = sunshine.

Our friend Mark told us there are TWO THOUSAND, SIX HUNDRED different types of Palm Trees… but Marco Island probably has the prettiest ones of all….what do you think?

Our first stop was lunch in Naples. I’d never been to Naples and thought it was beautiful. Downtown Naples is a great place to walk, window shop, and eat.

Naples, Florida – June 14, 2019: Tourist walk and shop along the restaurants and luxury stores of 5th Avenue in downtown Naples Florida USA

It was hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that in Minnesota, the sky was gray, the ground was covered in snow, and the temperature was barely above zero…and here it was all sunshine and 80 degrees. How was it possible? I didn’t spend much time trying to figure it out – I just wanted to soak so much in that I could bring it back to Minnesota.

Lunch in Naples – I’d been up since 3AM!

After lunch, we drove to our friend’s lovely home on Marco Island. Seventy five percent of the homeowners live on water. If you are a boater or want to be on the water – this place is paradise!

We changed our clothes and jumped on their wave runners.

Did you know Marco Island is the largest of TEN THOUSAND islands in southwest Florida? Most of the islands are unpopulated and covered in mangroves. Some have their own private beaches and are loaded with shells and wildlife. We pulled up to one of the islands, searched for shells, and watched the amazing sunset.

That night I went to bed early since I’d been up since 3 AM to catch a flight.

Friday, we started the day with a bike ride to a bagel shop for breakfast.

We biked home, changed into our swimsuits, and spent the next few hours at the beach. Marco Island beach was huge, with soft, warm sand and loaded with shells.

Marco has one of the WIDEST in Florida!

Walking the beach gave me a flashback:

When I was a child, my parents took a trip to Florida and came back with white shells. We painted them and gave one to each child in my class. The Marco Island beach had the exact same shells all over the beach. I gathered some of my own to carry on this tradition with MY kids!

After a delightful day on the beach, we went home to shower and change, then came back to watch the sunset.

After the sun had set, we went to dinner at the historic Snook Inn.

Saturday we took the wave runners to KeeWaydin Island. KeeWaydin has no roads or bridges to get there. People just pull their boats and wave runners right up to the island and hang out. There are concession ‘boats’ that sell food, drinks, ice cream and even gifts!

Boats moared up on Keewaydin Island near Naples in Florida

After walking around and relaxing on the unique Keewaydin Island, we got back on the wave runners to explore the islands around Marco.

Our plan was to ride the wave runners to see the abandoned Cape Romano house, (pictured below)…but one of the wave runners had engine trouble, so we didn’t get there. Cape Romano was hand built on what USED TO BE an island. A hurricane destroyed the island and most of the home. What is left is now inhabited by wildlife. (Click here to see more pics and read the story!)

Unfortunately, the hurricane in 2022 buried or destroyed what was left of Cape Romano.

We watched another amazing sunset …

…and went to a place called Deep Lagoon for dinner in the beautiful Marco Island Marketplace and Marina.

Sunday we went back to the beach and took a long walk before we had to catch our flight home.

Marco Island has vast amounts of wildlife. We spotted tons of dolphins, a variety of birds, unique fish, turtles and a manatee!

I missed my boys and was excited to see them. As we were landing, we got the text that our boys were going back into ‘distance learning.’ Because of TWO cases of Covid at their school, everyone was sent home for two weeks! I’d get LOTS of time with my boys after being away from them. And we’ve gotten much better at distance learning since last year. (Read how bad it was at the beginning here)

This was the first time I’ve ever escaped the cold to take a trip to Florida in February, and now I may never be able to survive another winter without making this an annual tradition. Getting a break from the frigid temps, having a few days to ourselves, with great friends, was really refreshing and I’m so very grateful!

I came home and realized the warmth I was trying to ‘soak in’ to bring back to Minnesota really worked. It wasn’t much warmer outside, but the warmth stayed with me on the inside! The escape to Florida with friends lifted my spirit.

First of all, just planning our trip to Florida gave me something to look forward to, then getting to be in that Florida sunshine melted that ‘winter gloom’ and boosted my joy, even after coming home.

If you are a person who gets the “winter blues” … consider getting away for a long weekend like we did! If that’s not a possibility, click here for some other suggestions!

Here are more pictures and some video footage of our trip:

April 10, 2021 By Kathryn

0 In 2021/ Book Review

Books I read in March 2021

I felt like I didn’t read much this month, but somehow I finished six books! I read with my kids most days, and a little by myself here and there. Two were fairly quick reads, two I’ve been reading for months and finally finished, and one I listened to on the Hoopla app. Here are my reviews:

Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen

Rating: 9/10

Review: An enjoyable story of a veterinarian who joined the circus and fell in love.

Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper By S.A.R.K.

Rating: 9/10

Review: When Sara Blakely mentioned how much she was inspired by this writer, I went to my local library and checked out a couple of her books. They are SO uniquely written – full of color and written by hand. I’d recommend this book to any writer who needs a little inspiration and encouragement, as well as some fresh ideas. This book made me open up my journal and start writing!

All Flame by Andrew Arndt

Rating: 9/10

Review: Andrew and I worked together at New Life Church. His love for God and kindness towards others is contagious. This book shares Andrew’s journey of faith, and encourages the reader in their faith journey as well. My favorite parts of this book were the stories he told of our mutual friend Jack, as well as some other heroes of history. This is a book you’ll want to read slowly so that you have time to absorb and reflect on each chapter.

Here are some books I read with my boys:

How Great is our God: 100 Indescribable Devotions About God and Science by Louie Giglio

Rating: 10/10

Review: My kids and I absolutely loved Louie’s first devotional for kids, and were excited to read this one too! Each day has a Bible verse and a short and interesting story about science and God.

Never Caught: The story of Ona Judge by Erica Dunbar

Rating: 8/10

Review: This book confused me. First, it’s supposed to be for children, so I was reading it with one of my sons, but some of the content discussed was not for children. Thankfully, my son wasn’t super interested in this book so we started another book together and I finished this on my own. Second, it’s supposed to be nonfiction but filled with tons of opinions and ‘she might have said this or done that.’

Overall, It was an interesting story of an enslaved woman owned by George and Martha Washington. The story tells how her life (may have been) as Martha’s slave, how and why she may have escaped, and a little about her life as a free woman.

Who Was Abraham Lincoln? by Janet Pascal

Rating: 9/10

Review: A simple but excellent overview of our 16th president.

Click here for the Five Books I Finished in February

What have you been reading? Leave comment by clicking on the small text box by the title!

Follow me on GoodReads!

April 2, 2021 By Kathryn

4 In 2021/ Free stuff/ Memories/ Minnesota/ Peek into our Week/ Things to do in Minnesota

Why Como Zoo and Conservatory Should Be on Your Twin Cities Bucket List

One of my favorite places to visit in Minnesota is Como Zoo and Conservatory.

Not only is it historic and beautiful, but it’s FREE (though donations are appreciated).

The animals are nice and they are definitely what lure my children here, but my favorite part is the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory.

The Conservatory was built in 1915, and is one of the few remaining original Victorian style glasshouses in North America. Inside are two acres of beautiful flowers and greenery ‘under glass.’ The display inside the conservatory changes five times a year, so you never know what beauty you’ll encounter when you visit.

Because of Covid, they are asking everyone to book tickets online in advance (there is no charge for the tickets). This is one of the few Covid changes I like, because it means there are only a select number of tickets they give out each day, so it’s not crowded! (Click here to reserve your space.)

The animals came before the conservatory. Como Zoo started in 1897 when the city of St. Paul was gifted 3 deer and created a fenced in area to keep them.

Como was the first zoo in the world to successfully hand raise Siberian tigers.

Besides tigers and deer, there are many other animals to observe and enjoy. Luke loves the Arctic foxes and penguins, George’s favorites are the monkeys (we all like the monkeys). Paul likes the sloth and fish, I love the birds and giraffes, Clark liked the cougar and giant Polar bear.

The Como Zoo has exhibits inside and outside, so you can enjoy this place all year long.

In the summer, be sure to visit the beautiful Japanese Garden:

After your visit to the zoo, plan to visit the fun playground across the street. There are plenty of tables, perfect for a picnic.

The state’s oldest Dairy Queen dates back to 1947 an is just a mile away. (720 Lexington Ave N, Roseville, MN 55113) This is a fun way to end a spectacular day!

Click here for a peek into one of our visits to Como Zoo and Conservatory! What animals do you spot?

Click here to read my Minnesota Bucket list!

Click here for a peek into our visit to the amazing Mill City Museum

Click here to read ’24 Family-Friendly Places to Visit in the Twin cities’

March 23, 2021 By Kathryn

1 In 2021/ Book Review/ Faith/ Product Recommendations

The Best Bible and Devotionals for Kids ages 2-12 – Plus a Giveaway!

Easter is the best time to get your kids a new devotional or Bible. If you have a hard time getting your kids to read their Bible or a devotional, do it with them. I like to read with my kids when they first wake up or right before they go to bed. Also, my kids are always required to read something before they get on electronics.

Here are some of my favorites!

Devotionals:

I Can Learn the Bible

For ages 2-10

We just discovered this one at our local library and love it. It has a devotion for each week of the year, a memory verse and an excellent lesson.

How Great is our God

For ages 5-15

I’ve shared before how MUCH I love Louie Giglio’s first devotional for kids called: Indescribable. This is Book 2 and I love this one too.

The Purpose Driven Life for Kids

The Purpose Driven Life (for Grownups) is one of the best selling books of all time. The ones for children are really good too!

I’d recommend this book for ages 8-14:

This illustrated one is great for children 2-8:

Bibles:

Jesus Storybook Bible

For ages 1-10

This is the Bible in “storybook” form. It’s BEAUTIFULLY written and all my kids have enjoyed listening to it. It’s received about 8,000 five star reviews on Amazon. This is the perfect “FIRST” Bible for kids! However, my 11 year old still asks me to read it to him!