Camping Trip #1

We survived and totally enjoyed our first camping trip of the season.  I hesitiate to type this next sentance because I might jinx our future trips this year but . . well . .this trip went off without a hitch.  It was almost too easy.  From hitching up the camper, to setting up, the weather (for the most part), and tearing down.  As the boys would say, "we beat our records for setting up and tearing down."  We'd love to get both of those events to under an hour but doing it in about 1 1/2 hours seems to be as fast as we can go for now!

I mentioned last week I talked about some stress-free camping ideas and the new one to us was two vechiles and let me tell you, what a game changer.  We loved having all four bikes, plenty of room to keep all of our snacks/coolers in the van and just to not have to jam things into one was great.  Plus, I got quiet time since I drove the van by myself HA!

We arrived on Thursday, set up the camper, unloaded and promptly decided that we were going to our favorite Pizza Place (Bernie O's) for dinner because we were HOT AND TIRED!  We came back to the campsite and took showers and put on PJ's before heading to the drive-in!  Just a few days Prior, I had checked and Captian Underpants was showing which the boys wanted to see.  Well, we got that and it wasn't showing because someone had a private party at one of the screens!  So, we made a quick decision and decided to see Pirates of the Carriabean instead which is not a choice we would make with the boys normally.  In the end, it was ok - there was no language or anything else - just lots of fighting which the boys loved HA!  Plus, when they got bored, they just played on their Ipads.

 Josh sat in front of the van with his blanket, bear and the left over pizza!!

Nate enjoying a peanut butter sandwich.  He wanted to sit next to the speaker :-)

Our second full day included Bike Rides, Sand Dunes, the Beach, Ice cream, and great Steak Kabobs over the fire!

 The water was cold and the waves were big which made it so much more fun!  The beach at Lake Michigan is truely my happy place and I'd pretty much rather be there than anywhere else!

 The boys loved the freedom of riding bikes everywhere.  This year they are able to go on longer bike rides by themselves and made lots of new friends. (And rescued a few lost littles too!)

 We always walk to the pier.  This year, the boys planned out a bike ride for us that took us to the pier before heading to a huge sand dune.

 Josh managed to climb to the top of the sand dune.

 Nate made it part way before Josh was already on his way back down.

One of our favorite meals is steak kabobs cook over the fire and they did not disappoint.  Yum!

Satuday was our last day - which we really wished we had one more day!  A pretty heavy (and loud) storm rolled through during the night which brought lots of mud puddles.

The rain also brought us some duck friends (There is a duck in this photo!).  The boys had fun feeding them (it was a couple :-) ) and they flew back to us a few times throughout the morning.

We are already looking forward to our next trip in July and we added an extra day to our planned trip because we decided it is way too much work to set up/tear down a campsite without spending at least two full days there!

Scripture Sunday

End of the School Year

We ended our second year of homeschooling with Connections Acadamy on June 9th.  I feel like it was another successful year and I felt like I had things a little more under control than I did last year.  I have some plans for this coming year to make it better - better scheduling around our co-op events and field trips; some schedule extra days off before Christmas and after New years; ending everything in our school year by May 15th.

 Josh with his 2nd grade teacher.  She was really awesome and worked well with us through his online classes.

 Nate's first grade teacher.  (No, he's not crying - that's just his "smile" right now HA!) He loves her :-)

Josh ran his first race yesterday and Nate and our little friend walked the path to meet up with him and ended up walking almost the whole thing too!

These photos were from our year end field trip which was awesome.  We also played on the splash pad, swam in the lake and played, played, played!

Weekly Meals - The one with camping

When I wrote last weeks menu, I was still on the "high" of thinking I could cook all kinds of stuff for camping.  Then I remembered that I don't want all of that work (yesterdays post!).  So I revamped it alot and here's the plan for the coming week!

Friday - Our annual dinner of Steak Kabobs (over the fire) baked potatoes (crock pot) and macaroni salad (Compliments of Walmart).

Saturday - After enjoying the last morning of camping, then loading up, coming home, and unloading . . I never want to cook.  We will either have leftovers depending on what we didn't eat while gone OR we will do a Taco Bell Run!

Sunday - Father's Day!  I have a nice breakfast planned - Waffle House Waffles (I found the recipe online) and Sausage.  Darryl hasn't decided what he wants - he is torn between going out or me cooking so once he decides, then we will go from there.

Monday - It's a busy night with baseball and I have practice.  So I think something simple for the kids and maybe hot dogs at the park for Darryl and I.

Tuesday - Finally.  Home.  Sloppy Joes and Baked Beans!!

Wednesday - We are meeting family for dinner in Grand Rapids!

Thursday - Chicken Alfredo, green beans and garlic bread.  Seriously, chicken is so expensive, I might buy a bag of that pre-cooked chicken strips and just throw them in with the pasta and store baought Alfredo sauce.

And then it is time to go to the store!!!

Camping- Can it be easy and stressfree?

Isn't this what we all really want? 

A nice, peaceful time camping without any stress or worries? 

Well, let me tell you.  It seems like more often, camping is like this.

Last year, on one of our camping adventures, I realized that I spent more time cooking and cleaning while camping then I did at home, or so it seemed.  I started with coffee and breakfast; cleaned up and got lunch in the crock pot; cleaned up and put dinner in the crock pot; made dinner and cleaned again before getting out snacks and, yes cleaning again.  On our next trip, I went on strike! 

I decided to focus on what we enjoy about camping which is family fun and sitting around the campfire.  Instead of labor intensive meals (either prepping at home or at the campsite) I went with stuff we could easily cook over the fire (Brats, Hot Dogs, ect).  I kept crockpot use to minimum with things like baked potatoes or corn on the cob.  

Every year, while camping, I say to myself, "Self, this year lets start working on camping stuff all winter - ideas, organizing, prepping crock pot meals for ease in meals."  And every year I don't do it HA!  So even this year, as we are getting ready to head out on our first adventure, I find myself scrambling to even find bins that I used last year because, well, I used them for other things throughout the year.  I WAY over planned meals and had to re-plan and remind myself to stop with the hard work!!!  (To think, I thought I would make an overnight breakfast so we could have a nice breakfast casserole one morning that only Darryl and I would eat anyway!!) 

Camping is supposed to be stress free. 

Especially now that the kids are older.  

Here are a few of my tried and true . . .and a new . . .ideas for stress free camping. 

1) I buy prepackaged snacks; like snack sized bags of chips, cookies, and popcorn.  These are kept in the snack bin.  We use these for snacks, obviously, but also to eat with meals.  

2) Use an electric cooler.  My mother-in-law found one for me at a garage sale a few years ago and it's great for keeping food cold without it being buried in ice.  Between the mini-fridge inside the popup and the electric cooler I can keep the food cold; I still use an ice cooler for drinks to keep them extra cold. 

3) Each person has a tote for their clothes.  Since we only camp for 2-3 days our bins are small but they are perfect.  At the end of the trip, all of the dirty clothes are then in the pop-up hamper and I can stack the containers together to save room.  I did this last year for the first time and it was a game change.  Bags just fall over and take up way too much room.  The containers sit right on a shelf in the camper. 

4) Take two vehicles HA!  This is new this year.  The latch on the back of the truck needs to be replaces so we can't open it up fully.  We realized that we'd need to take the van too and have now realized that this is a game changer.  We can fit all four bikes in the van plus all of the stuff.  Prior to this, Darryl and I stopped taking our bikes because we couldn't fit all four on the bike rack and the boys bikes had gotten too big to tie on top.  

I'm hoping that once we are on the road, the "stress free" feeling will take over because my lack of planning this time around does have me feeling slightly . . well . stressed HA! 

June goals (even though it's half over!)

Earlier this week I posted my year goals using my birthday as the "year" date (even though I posted it a few months late ha!).  I have always liked to get a little more specific each month on goals related to and not related to that list. Yes, June is half over.  But, we had to finish up the last lagging details of school before I could focus on anything else.  Now, though, school is done and it is time to be diligient on things OTHER than school!!!  (Homeschooling really does take up a good portion of my time from Sept. - June!)

Here is my plan for the rest of the month:
1) Being intentional with weekly planning.  Each day I will post the schedule of the day for the kids.  I've found a few inspirations on pinterest but, as is usually the case, mine will be much simplier!  I like the idea of posted schedule because it will allow the kids to see what is planned (and unplanned) for the day. Included in this schedule are reading times (for reading programs) and school review - we are specifically practicing handwriting and reviewing math.
2) Scrapbooking - my nephews book is done!  (It had to be!) Moving forward with scrapbooking here's how June needs to shape up:
     a) Put together the shelf I ordered to hold all of my scrapbooks and then some.
     b) Put scrapbooks on that shelf AND tag (in some way) each book that needs work.  So, basically, as I put them on the shelf, I want to take a quick peek and see if it needs anywork.  Then I can go back through and finish them up)
     c) Sort all of the photos I have ordered already
     d) Scrapbook a total of 12 two pages spreads (basically 2 a day . .. with some free days thrown in since we will be busy sometimes)
3) Home - Finish the living room painting.  We did the bulk of it over memorial day but we need to paint out the trim and the door.  In general, I'm working on a "be a minamalist" plan for cleaning.  I'm planning to focus on a room a day (for example, every Monday I will work in the kitchen, Tuesday the bathroom ect).  Finally, the garage and basement are just projects that are never ending that Darryl and I continue to work on.
4) Family - I'm working really hard this summer to do things as a family.  We are camping, swimming, and more.  (June is kinda busy already!!)

I think that's a good starting point for June (especially since, well like I said, it's almost over!)

My 45th Year.

For me, it seems like my birthday is a start of a new year.  I feel like I've been given another year to make a difference and need to set some goals.  There is a place I want to be in a year from now so instead of starting on January 1st maybe it makes more sense to start on my birthday.

1. I'd like to read some books.  I have a stack of books that I've been wanting to read for about 10 years HA!  I used to be really good at setting my books goals and reading them and then, along came digital books and I'm not so good at that anymore.  I find that I need non-fiction books in paperback so I can make notes, re-read, and start over - something I struggle to do in digital format.

My plan is to read down my list and have my two books for each month in hand by the first of each month (some I already own and some I don't)

So here's my list for the year - 24 titles.  (2 books a month in case you needed help with the "new math" haha)
1. Listen, Love, Repeat
2. Wait and See
3. Uninvited
4. 5 Habits of Women who don't give up
5. Unglued
6. Taming the To Do List
7. The Mended Heart
8. What Happens When Women Walk in Faith
9. Keep it Shut
10. Am I messing up my kids?
11. Living So That
12. Breaking Busy: How to find Peace and Purpose in a World of Cracy
13. Choose Joy
14. Girl Meets Change
15. Hoodwinked
16. Own your Life
17. Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World
18. Simply Tuesday
19. Steadfast Love
20. The Fringe Hours
21. The Mingling of Souls
22. Women of the Word
23. Parenting: 14 Gospel Prinicples that can Radically Change your Family
24. In This Hosue we Giggle

2) Scrapbooking - I've finally back in my groove.  Attending crops, budgeting to get caught up, and, well, trying to catch up.  I'm currently working through 2014 and 2015.  I don't usually do two years at once but I accidently ordered photos from each year (I had Jan-March of 2014 but thought, later I was 2015 so I ordered April-June of 2015 - oops!). I've also started ordering pages from 2011 that are completed but I never ordered digitally.  Yes, that's three years I'm working on now HA!  So here's my basic goals for the next year.

1. Complete my nephews grad book by June 1st.
2. Complete all of 2014 and 2015 completely - all pages in scrapbooks; any memorabilia on pages and in the book; page protected and completed.
3. Go through all of my old scrapbooks and hopefully have them all completed - I say hopefully because I know I'm missing page protectors and I'm not sure if I can fit all of that in the budget throughout the year but I'm going to try.
4. Update the family albums with the boys year by year photos, sport photos ect.
5. I'd really like to have 2016 also done within this next year so that I will only be technically one full year "behind".
6.  Order one month of the digital pages each month AND order enough pages to put them into an album each month - this might be a stretch on the budget so, it might be order digital pages one month and scrapbook pages for this project the next month.
7.  Since this involves photos:  Print photos of each of our animals we've had since getting married and frame them; hang them in the bathroom alcove/hallway - I project I've wanted to do for a long time.
8. Get professional family photos take THIS summer.  It's been a few years and it is time.

3) Bible Study - I have a Bible Study book to do on Psalms.  Psalms is a very long book so for now, that is my goal.  When I finish this, I will pick something new at that point

4) The House.  I have some very specific goals for the house this coming year.  Sure there are things we'd like such as a new dishwasher, replacing the garage door, replacing the house doors but, those are some bigger ticket items.  Instead I just have somethings to accomplish.

1.  Paint the living room.  We've been able to replace our entertainment center and get some new lights.  So now we want to finish the update by painting and putting up some new artwork.  I also have a shelf to order for the scrapbooks (which in turn frees up storage space in the playroom!)
2) Replace the carpet and organize the playroom.  When our dog was so sick near the end of her life, the carpet in the playroom took a beating.  Not to mention it is already about 18 years old and . .. pink.  It's a tiny room so the cost is minor.   I also need to organize again and make that room more usable.
3) Update the boys room -just some simple organizing, changing out some artwork and creating some display shelves for their TDK belts and other sport trophies.  Once the playroom is done, I'm going to finish up some organizing in their rooms.  I kind of know what shelving I want to use in their room so they each have a very specific space.
4) The basement.   My goal is to finally clean the space out.  A couple of shelves, a couple of bins, and a huge trash pile should take care of it ;-)  We've talked to the boys already about the "playroom" downstairs and that we are going to turn it more into a Lego Space.  A space for the bins of legos that they use for fun, Some shelves for storage (there should be extras left from cleaning out what we already have) and a table for building.  This will clear up space in their bedroom for their favorite complete projects.

5.  Family - If we don't plan family events, they don't happen.
1) Camping - we currently have two dates on the calendar and are hoping to get one more in before summer is gone.
2) An anniversary get away - Darryl and I are hoping, planning and saving for a three day get away in August for our Anniversary.  Nothing big, just a few days away.
3) I have a few other things on my radar - A trip to Mackinaw, A trip to Chicago, a Short getaway over spring break in 2018 like we did this year (we combined it with our annual trip to celebrate when we got engaged). A trip to a hotel with a waterpark would be fun as well as a vacation somewhere new and fun!
4) The boys are getting older so some of it is just trying to be intentional and look for things that they would enjoy.  Going to Zoos, a Christmas Concert, Birthday plans etc.

6. School.
1) Online schooling is great but I still have to plan.  I want to work our schedule better so that we have more breathing room around holidays and also giving me at least one day a week to accomplish things I need to around the house
2. Summer review - we are focusing on a few key things.  One, handwriting.  Two, Keyboarding. Three, Math and Four, Reading.  We are wrapping up school right now and I plan to give the boys a few weeks off before giving them a summer schedule.  It will be very simple (because I don't like summer school either!) Just 20 minutes a day is my goal and then reading 2-3 days a week.


I'm sure I'll add some more to my list as I go along but for now this is a good start.