Hiking Tips for Kids

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I’m so excited to share 6 tips for hiking with your little ones over on The Happy Family Movement.  Also, if you haven’t signed up yet, please join myself and hundreds of others in The Happy Family Movement’s Summer Bucket list.  We are so excited around here to get crackin’ on the list we’ve made as soon as Summer starts!  I’ll be sharing our list soon.

Pop on over to check out my post and…

 Go Hiking!

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Moments That Matter: Eight

new-2I’m sure as a parent you’ve had many moments where you wish you could pause time.

Me?

I have them every day, all day long.  I am constantly soaking up moments with my kids that I know will be gone in an instant.  From day 1 as a parent, I never wanted to look back and wish I had spent more time with them; more time sitting and listening.  Some days I feel like I’m failing, but usually their loud humming and Eskimo kisses are constant reminders of those little successful moments.  These little memories are some of the many reasons I love homeschooling.

I want to soak up all of the bits of this eight-year-old girl firecracker.  She is full of complexities but also incredible things.  I love her zeal for life, the plans she makes, and the dreams she can’t stop talking about.  She has blossomed into an amazing little cook and baker.  I am positive she will be a better at that than me when she is older.  It’s only a matter of time.  If she had a portrait made of herself, she would have her head cocked to the side with her eyes looking up into the sky because she is always filled with daydreams and curiosities.  She has truly been that way since she was a wee little babe.

Faith turned eight today.

This year is a big year for birthdays in our little family, at least to me.  It’s such a big deal to me, as Faith has changed so much this last year and is really seeming a lot…older.  Yikes.

My husband turned 40 this last October.

BIG DEAL.

Jack turned 6 last month.

Again, he just seemed older when it happened.  6 made him more than a Kindergartener in my mind and more than a little boy.

Dean turns 5 in September.

He’ll be a KINDERGARTENER this year!!  How did this happen?!

I turn 30 in October.

Lame.  Not going to be my favorite day.

It’s a big year for all of us!

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Travel: Exploring Red Rocks, Las Vegas

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Recently, our family traveled to Las Vegas for the Pac-12 tournament.  Road-trips are always a good time.  Wait, actually they’re not.  haha.  Ours are usually very very loud and full of “are we there yets”.  However, this one was super fun and well worth the time on the road.

We love exploring.

These Red Rocks have been on my list for a while so I was excited to see them in person.  Surely, the other Red Rocks on my list are just as incredible, but these were AMAZING!  It’s impossible to snap a photo which can give you even a glimpse of the creativity of God in these rock formations.  The colors are mind-blowing.  I even muttered at one point that it was prettier than the Grand Canyon.  Don’t judge.  It’s been a while since I’ve been there.  The Red Rocks have so many different trails, spots for rock-climbing, interesting desert plants like agave and joshua trees, picnicking areas, and a wonderful nature center that is well worth visiting.  Plus, they have a few desert tortoises, including the famous Mojave Max.  We were there the day after he came out of his hole after hibernating.  Apparently, that is a big deal to witness.

Don’t miss the hilarious tortoise crossing sign at the bottom.

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How I get stuff done

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However good or bad they are, we all have our own systems that we use to get stuff done.  By no means do I think I have mastered the art of efficiency, but I’m trying!

My friend Deborah, from My life at Playtime, asked me a few questions for her series, “New To Me Blogs”.

The questions relate to efficiency or getting things done.

Go check them out here on her blog!

Thanks for having me, Deborah!

Travel: Sea World

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Sometimes it’s just nice to escape cleaning your room and doing your math worksheet to just enjoy what nature has to offer.  God has given us so many awesome, intricate, hilarious, and inspiring animals to look at in this world.  At Sea World San Diego, homeschoolers are very welcome.  They give us a special day, a few times a year, to roam around for $6 (amazing!) and soak in the wonders.  I’m so thankful for opportunities like this for my kiddos…and I kinda have fun too.  Check the site to see if they offer it in your area and check here for San Diego dates and info!  You’ll love it!

This time, we had a little foster girl with us who ended up staying with us for a month.  Seeing her face light up with all of  her new discoveries was amazing.  It was a little rough to take all 4 by myself, considering this sweet little girl knows no boundaries, but I’m glad I took her.  One of my favorite moments was when she stood eye to eye with a dolphin after a lady showed her how she calls the dolphins over.  Apparently, this lady is a frequent visitor of these mammals so they recognize her.

 So sweet.

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