This past summer we got a membership to our local YMCA, however, up until now, we have only used it for the pool. The kids love to swim and it’s a good way to get them out and moving some. Now, however, I’ve found a workout partner and we will be starting this journey together. We went down to check everything out.
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Clearwater Marine Aquarium has a new resident dolphin, Izzy. She was found in North Padre Island, Texas in June 2022. She was showing signs of human interaction and may have been hit by a boat.
Feel free to look around, read about our experiences and contact us. I hope you enjoy and get some inspiration from us.
Currently looking for ideas for new posts!
If you have any ideas of things you would like to see on my blog, please let me know. If you would like to be featured on my blog, please contact me by email: gina@smithlifestyleblog.com.
Gaming, both online and regular board games, is one of the things that we like to do as a family. We used to spend a lot of time together playing games together, however, now that I work full time, it’s been more of a challenge finding the time to play our favorite games and to find new ones. We are sometimes able to find some time to spend together playing games though. This is when we have the best family time, and we will talk about anything and everything going on. Sometimes, we even get so loud that we drive Sean out of the room (or house). He doesn’t like the loud noises and raucous laughter when we are playing together.
Read on here.
Compassion
Within the last few months, I’ve found something that I’ve become very passionate about. I’ve always wondered what I can do to help others. I’ve spent years praying, asking God what I can do to help others. We don’t have a lot of money. We don’t have a huge influence to where we can say everyone needs to do this and it gets done. We are just a normal family with no special power. Or so I thought. But a few months ago, I was introduced to Compassion International, but not by some big influencer or even by the media. It was my 11 year old who told me, after she had an opportunity to volunteer with them, about this “adorable little boy” who needed a sponsor. She was so concerned about this one little boy getting a sponsor, that she was in tears for days afterward. She had actually wanted to sponsor him herself, but didn’t have a way to do so.
Read on here.
COVID and Travel
COVID and Travel
COVID has changed the world we live in so much. There are mask requirements that didn’t exist before, COVID testing, vaccine cards and mandates that weren’t necessary before. It has also changed the way we travel. If you fly, you are now required to wear a mask. Many hotels are now charging extra fees for cleaning that they didn’t charge before because of all the extra sanitization that is necessary. Many companies require vaccination in order for a person to even enter the building. There is always concern for another possible shut down in the future. So how do you plan for a trip with all these new changes?
Read more here.
Even though it’s still months away, I’ve already started planning for Spring Break 2022! This includes deciding where we are going and what we are hoping to do while there. We have already decided that we are going to Louisiana for Spring Break and we are lucky that we will be able to stay with family in Shreveport. So since that decision is made, now we get to start researching what’s around there that we can see and do. I was very young last time I was in Louisiana, so this is going to be a new trip for me as well, and one that I’m really looking forward to. This is my current bucket list for Spring Break 2022 in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Read on here.
You are getting ready for your next vacation. You have chosen your destination and have decided whether you are driving or flying. You may have even chosen the hotel you want to stay at. Is there anything else you can do to ensure that your next vacation is a happy and stress-free one? My advice to you is to plan everything out as best you can and save your money, so that you can pay cash for your next vacation. If you have never had a fully funded vacation where you don’t use a credit card, so you don’t have to “pay later” for your enjoyment, are you really getting enjoyment out of your vacation? So what’s next? How can you plan for a fully funded vacation?
Read on here.
From Livin’ The Smith Life, Good Bye Winter. You will always be remembered and loved.
Our tribute to Winter the Dolphin can be read here.
Are looking to do something new, in a new place and feel like you are ready to take on your new life? Maybe you’ve already started looking at places to live and new jobs in the area you would like to move to. Have you, however, really done all the necessary research for your new move? How do you know if you are really ready for the next big adventure? How do you know if you are choosing the right job? How much should your new salary be? Where are you going to live? Are you sure you are making the right decision for yourself and your family?
Read more here.
If you follow politics, listen to the news today or talk to anyone, you are likely to hear the phrase “White Privilege”. This is made out by the media to be a bad thing, but is it really? Today, I want to really delve into what “white privilege” really is, because I really feel like this phrase is being thrown around, but not everyone really knows what it is actually being talked about. Up until now, I’ve avoided getting into politics on here, but this idea of supposed “white privilege” is just crazy. I know there are many readers who will disagree with me, and that’s fine, you have that right, just like I have the right to say what I’m going to say now. It’s called freedom of speech. However, agree or disagree with me, I ask that you read this to the end.
Read on here.
Now is the time of year that everyone starts looking toward the holidays and the end of the year. As a blogger, I look ahead, not to the holidays or the end of the year necessarily, but to the New Year. Now is the time that I get to start planning for the New Year; trips, blog posts, ect. I’ve taken time off from blogging due to family life, COVID and not being able to come up with good topics. Now though, I have a lot of things that I would like to say, do, plan for, ect. So, now is the time for my 2022 goals.
Read on here.
Sunset On Summer 2021
As we come to the end of another summer, it’s my time to reflect on the year. Since summer is my favorite season, I often feel like the end of summer is the end of my year, even though there are still a few months left. Once September gets here, I feel more like hibernating than anything else, because I don’t like the cold and I more often feel sad, especially this time of the year. So what has happened this year?
Read on here.
Spring Break 2021
We decided to surprise Leslie for Spring Break 2021. We had originally made plans to go to Myrtle Beach but had to change plans at the last minute. We didn’t let Leslie know about the change in plans, so she thought we were still going to Myrtle Beach the morning of our trip. Only Hailie knew about the change of plans.
Read on here.
2021 Travel Bucket List
With coronavirus running rampant right now, all 2020 travel plans have been put on hold. There are hopes, however, of being able to plan a couple trips for 2021, at least that’s my current plan. So where are some of the places that I would like to travel in the near future?
Read on here.
Getting back to blogging after an extended break
It has been quite a while since I have posted on my blog. You may ask why, though if you are a blogger yourself, you know that there are many reasons why an extended absence may be needed. Sometimes life gets in the way, sometimes you are out of ideas, some may get burnt out for a time, or you might just need to allow for “me” time. Well mine was a little bit of all of these, but mostly I was taking time to decide how the best way to proceed would be, considering that it’s hard for us to currently travel and that’s mainly what I was wanting to focus on when starting this blog.
Read on here.
Ark Encounter
We got two press passes to the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, KY. This was a very exciting experience for us since we have been wanting to go ever since it opened up in 2016. If you haven’t heard of the Ark Encounter, it is a full scale, life size Noah’s Ark.
The Ark itself was built to the dimensions provided in the Bible! It is the largest timber framed building in the world at 510 feet long, 85 feet wide and 51 feet high.
Read on here.
White Bean Potato Soup
I love potato soup and I love bean soup. My husband likes white beans in particular, so the other day I had the idea of making a white bean potato soup.
I had to think about how to do this, because I didn’t have a recipe to follow and didn’t want it to be a lot of extra work when we still have sick kids in the house. So, I got a lot of already prepared frozen stuff last time I was at the grocery and put it in the freezer to have on day for a day when I didn’t have a lot of extra time, which was today!
Read on here.
Chances are, the first thing you do when you get to your travel location, will be to go find the hotel (or where ever you are staying). Here’s a tip. Don’t immediately take your bags in. Chances are, the hotel and room you stay in will be okay, but every once in a while, there will be something wrong…
Read on here.
So, you have chosen the location, saved up the money for your planned trip, made reservations at the hotel, researched activities and restaurants you want to try out and are all ready for your trip! (If you haven’t, see the first of this series “Travel With Kids Without All The Stress”.) Now comes the hardest part (in my opinion) of the trip. Packing.
Read on here.
Are you planning a trip to Kentucky? What are some of the best places to visit? What is there to do in Kentucky? Are you having trouble trying to decide what to do or where to visit? Well, hopefully this bucket list will provide some help in planning your next trip to Kentucky!
Read on here.
New Year, New You Organization
You have heard the phrase “New Year, New You” before I’m sure. We are really taking that phrase to heart this year in the Smith house. Not only are we focusing on more clean eating and spending less (read my post on our No Spend January), we are also working on getting the house better organized. We are having a New Year, New You organization month.
Read on here.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
I found a recipe the other day that I decided to try out. I loved it so much that I had to share it here! So if you like buffalo chicken, you have got to try this dip. You can adjust the spiciness to your liking. I will probably add a little more heat next time I make it!
Read on here.
Travel with kids without all the stress
Everyone knows that planning for a trip can be stressful, whether it’s one person, a couple, or a family with kids. Are there any ways to make it easier? Of course there are. I’m going to give you the tips that I use to plan our family trips!Read on here.
Mexican Casserole Bake
For dinner recently, I was in the mood for tacos, but didn’t have all the makings for them. However, finding certain things around the house gave me the idea to experiment. I saw a recipe recently for a mexican casserole that sounded so good, but I couldn’t find it with a search. Since I had read the recipe when I found it, I could remember the basics of it, so decided to try and create something similar. I ended up with an amazingly good meal. Even my semi-picky eater gave it a thumbs up! Here is what I did.
Read on here.
No Spend January! Updated Jan 21
I’ve seen a lot of people doing “No Spend” months. This is a concept based upon Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace courses, where you put all your extra money towards your debts, rather than spending it on stuff, in order to get debt free faster.
Read on here.
I do have a “full time” job!
When was the last time you were asked about your family? When someone meets you for the first time and you get to talking, do you talk about your family at all?
Read on here.
Welcome to 1980
I was born in 1980. I thought it would be entertaining to look back and make a post about what the year of 1980 was like!
Read on here.
Review: NewAir 126-Can “Beers of the World” Fridge
I received a NewAir 126-Can “Beers of the World” Fridge as a gift and I absolutely love it. It’s small enough for any room and yet will hold all your beverages, up to 126 normal sized cans, or the shelves can be adjusted to hold larger cans or bottles of beer. It may look small , but this fridge has an amazing capacity!
Read on here.
What you can learn from dolphins.
Leslie did an animal research report for school. She decided to do it about dolphins, of course, and while reading a book about dolphins together, we discovered that there are a lot of life lessons that we can learn from studying dolphins.
Read on here.
December has been a busy month with Lorianna’s 11th birthday and Christmas. With everything going on, I barely had a spare moment to relax and breathe.
Read on here.
2019 Goals and Bucket List
I have been working on goals for 2019, blogging and personal. Here they are! I will add and adjust this list through the year as I meet goals or come up with new ones!
Read on here.
Get your family on a morning routine!
I talk to a lot of parents in my children’s school. We talk about a lot of different things, teachers, stuff going on in the schools, what the kids like to do, our hopes for our children, ect. One of the biggest issues that I hear from many of them is getting their kids up in the mornings and getting them to school on time. It has become such a struggle, that one parent says her children are late almost every single day because she can’t get them motivated in the mornings. But many of these kids are not on any kind of schedule, they go to bed whenever they want, then it is hard for them to wake up in the mornings and the TV is always on in their house.
Read on here.
I hope everyone had a good Christmas this year! I was tagged by Wanderlust with the DeVaulls for this Christmas post. Here are the answers to my tag.
See the play that my girls were a part of. All the kids did such a good job!
I’m sure everyone has been asked this question at one time or another, and everyone has different answers for it as well. There are as many different answers as there are people in this world. Everyone wants that million dollars for something or another, right? So, I asked each person in this house the question and here are the answers of each person (including myself).
Read on here.
Cookie and Santa Party
We went to a cookie and Santa party that one of my sisters-in-law hosted at her house. This is the second year that she has done this and the kids love getting to hang out with their cousins. This year, we also got to hang out with family that was in from New Mexico, so it was even more fun! We enjoyed visiting with family and loving on cousins that we only get to see a couple times a year.
Read on here.
Lexington Seventh Day Adventist Church Christmas Service
Our church had it’s Christmas service on December 8th. It was an enjoyable service and I want to share it with everyone who loves Christmas! So here it is, perhaps not in the same order, because my bulletin didn’t make it home in one piece. Enjoy.
Read on here.
Dinner with Santa
The kids attended Dinner with Santa at their school. It’s a yearly event, hosted by the PTA, that the elementary school does. The kids had a lot of fun, had a good dinner and got to hang out with their friends. It was cold enough to actually feel like Christmas.
Read on here.
Cinnamon Candy Fun
One of our Christmas traditions is making cinnamon candy! We have done this for as long as I can remember. I did it with my grandmother as a child as well. I went from being the one to put the powdered sugar on then and move them to the sides of the tray, to supervising the kids moving them and preparing then heating up the batches. To this day, my grandmother still cuts the hot candy. One day I will be taking that over as well, and will teach the older kids how to prepare the batches.
Read on here.
Christmas Traditions
How important are Christmas Traditions, or any holiday traditions for that matter? If you have a family, you may find that traditions are huge for you. Things that you do with your family, and kids, that they come to expect every single year. I’m sure if you are reading this, holiday traditions are something you do, or maybe are a new family just starting out and you are thinking about for your family. Here are a few ideas for holiday traditions that you may or may not already do.
Read on here.
Thanksgiving 2018
Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to prepare for Lorianna’s birthday and then Christmas. Before we do so though, here is a quick review of our Thanksgiving day.
Read on here.
Successful vs unsuccessful people
I saw a chart posted recently that made me think about my life in a different way. In the world, there are really only two different types of people out there. There are people who are upbeat and have a can do attitude. We will call these successful people. Then, there are people who are constantly complaining and saying that life is “too hard”. These people give up easily and feel like everything should be handed to them on a silver platter without having to do any work for it. These people are unsuccessful people.
When most people think of successful people, they think of business people in suits who make more money than most of us will see in a lifetime. But this isn’t necessarily the case. It’s really not about how much money you make, its about your attitude. Throughout life, you can choose to be successful or unsuccessful. We are going to look at what makes a person successful or unsuccessful.
Read on here.
50 things that make me happy 🙂
I was given this challenge by Wanderlust With The DeVaulls! The DeVaulls are an American family living in England. They blog about their experiences and how they are adjusting to British life. You can find their blog at https://withthedevaulls.com.
Here are the 50 things that make me happy!
Read on here.
The Art of Patience
While we were out with a friend, shopping for new clothes for Leslie the other day, Sean overheard the employees in the store talking. One of the employees was talking about how she didn’t like to wait, she disliked lines because it took too long, and that she ALWAYS used Amazon Prime for next day shipping because she wanted her things to arrive “a week ago”. I have noticed recently that this is a new “trend”. Many people, especially the younger generations, don’t have patience and they want things NOW rather than waiting a few days. They will pay whatever it costs in order to get something almost immediately, rather than save their money and have to wait a few extra days.
The problem with this trend is that they are not learning the “art of patience”. This is a very important skill that is not being taught today.
Read on here.
Potato Asparagus Bake
The other day, I decided to try something new. A while back I saw a picture that someone posted on potatoes and asparagus mixed together. It looked so good, that I decided I’d try something similar. It turned out so good. Here is what I did.
While at the grocery, I got a bag of petite red potatoes, a bunch of asparagus and grated Parmesan and Romano cheese.
Read on here.
Someone had quite a bad start to their morning
My morning started out like every other. I got up, had some coffee, checked my social media and then my blog for comments. At 7, I got the kids, who were still asleep up and everyone got ready for the day. I walked the younger kids to school, came home, and got breakfast for Kyle, checked on Hailie then had another cup of coffee before taking Hailie to school. This is where my day varied.
Read on here.
Time Change and Epilepsy
Most people with kids don’t like the time change. I am included in that because it throws off kid’s schedules and takes a few days for them to adjust. There is another reason, though, that I don’t like the time change. Time change in our house can mean more breakthrough seizures.
When it comes to epilepsy, time change can be a really bad thing if it isn’t handled right. This is because, if someone with epilepsy has a sleep disruption, it can cause more seizures. In adults who know, they can adjust by making sure they still get the right amount of sleep each night. In children, however, it can be a major issue. Kids will do everything they can to fight sleep the first few nights of time change. Their bodies are on one schedule, while the time is on a different schedule.
Read on here.
Nature’s Beauty
In a discussion Leslie and I had the other day, I gave her another piece to work on, and in return, she asked me to do one about nature’s fall beauty. So here is my piece, assigned to me by my 8 year old daughter.
As much as I dislike the fall season, because of the cold, I can’t deny that this is the most beautiful season. The leaves changing colors shows God’s handiwork. I love the colors of the leaves. This is also the season where the sunsets are the most beautiful. I could sit there and watch the sunset every evening. I love the sunrise as well, but sunsets kind of help close out the day! God’s beauty is all around you.
Read on here.
Not Ready For My Kids To Grow Up Yet
Hailie had her boyfriend come calling yesterday evening. I really had to bite my tongue, swallow back tears and accept that this was going to start happening now that she’s 13 and getting interested in boys. She asked if she could go with him (they were going to walk through the park) and I said yes. Afterwards, I realized that I’m not ready for all this. My firstborn, going out with boys? When did she grow up?
Read on here.
Family Dinner at Cheddar’s
We had a family dinner at Cheddar’s recently. We haven’t had many of these in the past yeah since my husbands hours have been cut back and money has been slim, so I was happy to be able to have this one.
It was a fairly good evening, with good food and 3 out of 4 children being fairly well behaved. Lorianna of course had a hard time sitting still, listening, and was talking at the top of her lungs but that’s Lorianna for you. Hailie was a huge help with Kyle, keeping him occupied and taking him to the bathroom when needed, and of course Leslie was a good as could be, cuddling up with me as we waited for our food and talking about school, her animal research project she has to do (she chose dolphins of course) and taking a few moments to bring Winter up on my phone so she could make sure everything was okay there.
Read on here.
Slow down and view the world through new eyes
In such a busy world, people don’t always take the time to slow down and take everything in. Leslie reminded me the other day that we should take some time every day to slow down and take in what’s around you. When you are moving fast, trying to get from point A to point B within a short period of time or always on your phone all the time, you miss the beauty around you. Leslie is always noticing things that I miss; a simple flower or a butterfly for example.
While listening to KLOVE in the mornings, a lot of times, the song “Breathe” by Jonny Diaz comes on and it helps me by reminding me of Leslie’s comments that EVERYONE needs to slow down and take in their surroundings. I frequently walk my younger kids to school in the morning. I use this time to enjoy God’s creation. My kids don’t really need me to walk them to school, but I enjoy doing it and watching Leslie stop and look at every little thing helps me see the world through her eyes.
Read on here.
October in Review and November 2018 goals
Now that October is over and November is here, it’s time for some new goals! For October, my goals were to reach 1000 Twitter followers and to post at least 2 times a week on my blog. I reached both of these goals, sometimes posting daily and focusing on reaching my Twitter goal.
Read on here.
What we are thankful for!
As we close out October and move into November, we move into a month where everyone talks about all that they are thankful for. We should be thankful year around and even though I’m sure many are, so many people spend their lives griping and complaining about everything that goes wrong, rather than finding things through the year to be thankful for. My husband and I are also bad about this too, so today, I’m going to make a list of things that I’m thankful for.
Read on here.
Workout Journey-2 month update
Two months ago, I decided I needed to do something to help with getting healthier, so along with a friend, I started working out at the local YMCA. Many of you have seen that first post where I made the decision to start working out. If you haven’t, you can see it here. Many of you have been following the journey through the pictures I have posted nearly daily. How is it really going and has it helped any?
The answer is a resounding YES! I have noticed huge changes in the way I feel, my energy level, and I’m not nearly as breathless when I’m walking and can even jog and run small distances without becoming breathless or getting severe pain in my side. I even raced Leslie yesterday down the street from her friends house and didn’t have to slow down…
Read on here.
Why I love dolphin! Guest Writer Leslie Smith
My mom asked me to write about why I love dolphins. In this report, I will talk about why I love them and why I want to be a dolphin trainer. I love dolphins because they are smart. Dolphins can be trained to do tricks. They can jump really high and touch balls. They can wave with their flippers, which are also called pectoral fins. They can “dance” across the water on their tails, which I learned are called flukes. They love to play with other dolphins and with their trainers. They can blow water out of their blowholes. Dolphins can stay under water for a long time, anywhere from 8 to 15 minutes at a time.Read on here.
Toxic Job: To Stay or to Leave.
After having many conversations with my husband over the years and just today, talking to someone who was struggling with this very question, I felt the need to write this. Do you have a stressful job? Are you trying to decide whether to say in that job or look for something else? Are you trying to decide between a lower paying job with less stress or a higher paying job with more stress? I think a lot of people have to make this decision every single day.
Read on here.
Why I can’t wait to move to Florida.
Every person has their dream place, somewhere they would love to live. For some people, it’s busy places or places with a lot or people like New York or California. For others, it’s in the country, far away from all the hustle and bustle of life. Some people like cooler weather and snow, they move north to places like Michigan or Wisconsin. For me, it’s Florida. One day, I want to move to Florida.
Read on here.
Meet Kyle
Kyle is my youngest child and only son. He’s currently 5 years old. I’m sure it’s hard being the only boy with three older sisters, but he seems to handle it well. He can be the sweetest child one moment and the next he will be running around like a terror. I will be the first to say that he is all boy too. He’s obsessed with lawn mowers, garbage trucks, construction equipment and “tow tow trucks”. He loves watching “Chuggington” on Netflix and “Mighty Machines” on YouTube. Give him a stick and watch his imagination run wild. One day it will be a gun, the next day a weed eater and lawn mower, another day that same stick will be a sword. Just whatever he feels like that day, that stick will become whatever he wants it to beRead on here.
Alba Botanica Hawaiian Detox Towelettes
The other day I was looking for a new cleanser for my face. I wasn’t really happy with my old cleanser. As I was looking at the shelves, I was feeling discouraged because there were so many products and I knew nothing about any of them. As I moved on down the aisle, I saw this black packaging with flowers and it caught my eye, Alba Botanica Hawaiian Detox Towelettes. I had never heard of Alba Botanica and when I got home, I looked them up and realized that they have a whole line of products. Why had I never seen this company before? I guess none of their packaging stood out to me until now. This product is new and because the packaging is different than others on the shelf it just stood out more.
Read on here.
Meet Hailie
Hailie is my oldest daughter. She’s now 13 years old. She is a smart and kind young lady. She loves spending time with me. However, she’s every bit the teenager. She has the typical teenage attitude and is wanting to become more independent. She will let you know if she doesn’t like something. When she speaks up, you aren’t left trying to figure out how she feels about something, she lets you know.
Hailie loves cats. If she had her way, we would have at least a dozen cats in the house and feed every stray around.Her favorite cat is Harmony.
Read on here.
The Versatile Blogger Award
Thank you to Vinny at Artsy Draft for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award. Be sure to check out her site. The Versatile Blogger Award is an award given to bloggers by other bloggers. It’s an amazing way to engage with fellow blogger friends and meet new bloggers!
Read on here.
Blogger Recognition Award
Thank you to Mind of Molly for nominating me for the Blogger Recognition Award. It’s an honor to be thought of and to be nominated for this award. This makes me feel like what I blog about is being noticed and that others enjoy what I have to say. I started this blog 3 months ago and didn’t know what to expect from it.
Read on here.
Klarbrunn Sparkling Water
Klarbrunn: The drink of bloggers. Well this blogger anyway. Whenever I sit down to start blogging, I always have my phone, a jar of peanuts and a can of Klarbrunn Sparkling water beside me. A year ago, I decided that I was going to stop drinking pop and needed something to replace it. I usually drink a lot of water, but wanted something different than water. I was looking for something natural with no sweeteners. If you have ever looked for something healthy to drink, you can probably imagine how hard it is to find something like that.
Read on here.
Why I started blogging
A year ago, I would have never thought that I would ever start a blog. I was getting fed up with the computer, but it’s the only way that I can stay up to date on what is going on in the world, because we only have one TV, with local stations plus Netflix. The kids are always watching something on it, and even if they weren’t, there isn’t very much on the local news stations that I was interested in seeing anyway. So I would spend an hour reading the fox news website, and then 20 minutes or so reading about the weather. After that I’d jump on facebook for a while, see what is going on in friends and families lives then I was about done with the computer. If Hailie was on her computer, I might play a game or two in Roblox with her.
Read on here.
We were nominated for a Sunshine Blogger Award by Wanderlust with the DeVaulls. The sunshine blogger award is a peer recognition to inspire positivity and joy and to encourage bloggers. Blogging is hard work and being nominated for this award shows me that my hard work is being noticed. We connected with the DeVaulls on Twitter and I’ve enjoyed reading their posts and tweets. When I started this blog, I would have never expected to win awards or even be nominated for one.
Read on here.
Review: The Adventures of Frank and Diesel-A Day At The Circus
I was sent this children’s e-book to review. It’s geared toward younger children and early readers, however my older elementary age kids enjoyed it too. The pictures in the book are bright and colorful and just so adorable. The story is so cute and it’s fun to read. Your kids will love exploring the circus with Frank and Diesel. It’s an all around good book for children and I would suggest this book for anyone with young kids.
Read on here.
A Day In The Life Of The Smith’s
The Smith house is quite hectic, however, I try to stick to some form of a routine in order to get the kids, out of bed, ready and out the door each day, whether it’s going to school, church or a planned (or unplanned) activity. So what does our routine look like?
ean usually has to be up and out the door before 7 AM. So he wakes up sometime between 6 and 6:30. Sometimes, I’m awake enough to get up with him, more often than not, I’m not. He heats up a breakfast burrito or sandwich, I remind him to grab his lunch, which are usually leftovers from supper the night before and he’s gone before the kids are up. At 7 AM, I get a wake up call from Sean, in case I’m not yet awake. I then start getting the kids up.
Read on here.
Dolphin Obsessed
Leslie is quite a different child in some ways and just like other kids in other ways. Like other kids her age, she’s becoming independent and stubborn. She has friends that she looks forward to hanging out with. She likes music, dancing and cheerleading. She is growing up and learning. However, there are some things about her that make her quite different from other children.
First of all, she has a very strong faith and she loves to share it. She is happy any time she gets to talk about God, the Bible, the Sabbath Day and why she worships on the Sabbath instead of Sunday. She frequently asks others if they are Christians and will come home talking about someone she found out was a Christian.
She is also dolphin obsessed. She is a child on a mission and won’t let anything stop her from reaching her goals.
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Why I don’t like fall
This is the time of the year where you read about why people LOVE fall. They talk about fall leaves, cooler weather, and upcoming holidays. Well a lot of the reasons that people give for why they love fall are the exact reasons why I don’t like fall. They are the reasons that, if we had the means to do so, we would move to a warmer climate. So here are some of the reasons why I don’t like fall.
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La Quinta Inn South Indianapolis
If you are taking a trip to Indianapolis, IN soon, this is the place to stay. It’s fairly easy to get to and not too far from the Indy Zoo, which was a plus for us. While we were there, the hotel was under construction, so we couldn’t see the lobby since they had it blocked off. Maybe in the future when they are done, we will be able to go back and see it. The clerk at the front desk was friendly and pleasant as she checked us in.
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Indianapolis Zoo
We took the kids to the Indianapolis Zoo for fall break. It was amazing! There really is no other word for it. The whole family had an absolute blast. It was the first time visiting for everyone, except for Leslie, who went with some friends of ours last year. The zoo was clean and the animals looked to be well cared for. They stress the importance of conservation and explain how they are doing their part. So, what did we see while at the zoo?
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El Puerto Mexican Restaurant in Indianapolis
While we were in Indianapolis, we did what we always try to do and looked for a Mexican Restaurant to try. Since Mexican is one of our favorite types of food, we always try to find one while we are traveling. There were two choices within a mile of the La Quinta we were staying at. We chose El Puerto because it came up first. We didn’t know anything about it or what to expect from it.
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Fire Prevention Festival 2018
We got an advertisement from the school about the Fire Prevention Festival at Masterson Station Park and decided it would be fun to take the kids. We got there a little early so the kids sat down to wait for them to open the gates.
Walking in the first thing you see are, of course, the fire trucks.
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Champion Force Cheerleading
Lorianna and Leslie love to cheer! They cheer for Champion Force, which is a competitive cheer team. They have 2 competitions a year, one in the fall and one in spring. Each season usually consists of 14 to 15 practices in order to get ready for competition. Lorianna is in her 4th season and Leslie is in her 2nd season of cheer. They have been lucky to have an amazing coach. Coach Destini and her helpers work hard for our kids and are good at what they do. She has helped all three divisions come in first or second place at competition year after year. Lexington, Kentucky’s team has become the team to beat.
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10 Year Anniversary
On September 27th, 2008, Sean and I got married in a little ceremony in my grandmother’s backyard. Rev. Jim Stratton conducted the ceremony. I was so happy and Sean was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. He also loved my kids like they were his own. Our wedding day was perfect for us.
Fast forward to September 27, 2018. 10 years later, I still feel the same way about Sean and clearly remember the day we got married like it was yesterday!
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Excitement for our fall vacation!
We are a little over a week away from our fall break vacation. We are going to the Indianapolis Zoo. The kids are bursting with excitement. In Leslie’s words, “I just can’t wait! It’s going to be so fun and exciting.” I’m excited too, maybe as much if not more so than Leslie, or maybe it’s Leslie’s excitement flowing over to me.
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Girls On The Run
Today, Lorianna and Leslie started Girls On The Run at school. For those who don’t know what Girls On The Run is, it’s a program that inspires girls to learn about themselves and what they can do. The program is nation wide, so girls all over the US are doing it at the same time. It’s for girls from 3rd grade and up. There is a program for 3-5 grades and another for 6-8 grades. They have a curriculum that helps them build up their self esteem and learn how to encourage others to do the same. They also do a small community service project about halfway though and at the end of the 10-week program, they finish with a 5K run.
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Touch A Truck 2018
I took Kyle to the Whitaker Bank Ballpark for Touch-A-Truck 2018. He was so excited about going! He has carried the ad for it around with him everywhere he went for the last 3 weeks. He was even taking it to bed with him! That is how excited he was about going to Touch-A-Truck. He was going to make sure I wasn’t going to forget about it. He was looking forward to seeing the cop car, the crane and the “tow tow truck” the most. He talked about those three continuously and if I heard “I hope I get to see the cop car first” once, I heard it a dozen times.
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Fall in Kentucky
The coming of fall means the coming of fall festivals and cool nights around a fire. Days spent working and evenings hanging out with family and friends. Weekends full of activities with the kids and sitting around the TV watching football. So what is there to do in Kentucky in the fall? This list is just a few things that can get you out and spending a day with the family.
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Midway Fall Festival
Midway is a small town located about 15 miles northwest of Lexington, KY. We decided it would be fun to visit Midway during their fall festival. I’ve never been to the Midway Fall Festival, so we didn’t know what we would see there. There was plenty of parking for about $5 close by, or you could park further away for free, but there is quite a walk in that case. We chose to pay the $5 parking so that we didn’t have to walk too far. It was a very warm day.
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Where Would The Smith’s Like To Visit?
Traveling and exploring new places is fun to us. There are places that we love to go, places that we’ve been once or twice and there are of course, places that we’ve not been yet, but would love to visit someday. I’m not going to talk about the places I’ve been so much as places that I’d like to go to, or go back to soon.
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Just Another Trip
I had to go to Cincinnati Children’s hospital today to discuss Lorianna and what we want to get out of this next neuropsychological testing session. For me, it was just another day, just another trip. Lorianna didn’t really understand why I had an appointment there without her. However, we were able to discuss how she’s doing, my current concerns about her and discuss her sleep issues. The trip up there wasn’t too bad, however, traffic was heavy once I got close to Cincinnati. It was heavier than I expected for the time of day.
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We Have A New Favorite Restaurant
Sean and I had a date night plus Kyle at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen. It’s a place that we have only been to a couple times before, and something different, as our normal date night places haven’t been up to par recently and we wanted a nice, peaceful and relaxing meal. We had an amazing meal; it was a calm, peaceful setting and the service was great. It wasn’t so loud that we had to yell at each other in order to be heard. We could talk in a normal conversational tone and be easily heard.
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Review: Dial Sea Minerals Skin Therapy Body Wash
I was looking through the body washes at the store the other day. I needed something new because my most recent body wash wasn’t leaving me feeling refreshed after my showers. I just felt like it wasn’t getting the job done. As I looked (Lorianna was also wanting a coconut body wash to go with her coconut shampoo and conditioner) at the options, I came across the dial section. The first thing that caught my eye was the coconut body wash and immediately had to start sniffing the different options. Who wouldn’t when you have a child obsessed with everything coconut scented? Well I found the perfect coconut Dial Body Wash for her then went back to scanning the shelves for something for me.
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Leslie’s Chuck E Cheese Party
Almost anyone who has children knows the name Chuck E Cheese. We celebrated Leslie’s 8th birthday at Chuck E Cheese. It wasn’t the first time we have attended a party there, however, it was the first time one of my children has celebrated a birthday there. Leslie made it clear that she wanted her own party this year instead of sharing a party with Kyle, so this was the place we chose for her. We were very pleased with the way things went while we were there.
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Nicole’s Party At The Academy Gymnastic’s Center
We went to a birthday party for our niece, Nicole, who just turned 6 years old. The party was at The Academy Gymnastics and Cheer center. It was slotted to be a 2 hour party. Unfortunately, the party started late, because the locks on the main door had been changed and the employee hadn’t been given the new key yet. However, once we were in, the party went very well. It was a clean place with plenty of room for the kids to run and play. There was a foam pit with various ways to swing into it and was all the kids’ favorite place to play. They all were swinging and jumping into it.
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Review: Garnier Whole Blends Shampoo and Conditioner
For years I have tried to find a shampoo that doesn’t make my hair feel greasy the minute it dries. I have tried many shampoos and have a few that I kind of like, but still am not completely satisfied.
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Leslie’s 8th Birthday
Let’s go back to August 24, 2010. I was in the hospital getting ready to have a baby girl. Sean and I had decided on the name of Leslie Louisa for this child, naming her after two amazing people. An aunt who was like a 2nd mother to me, teaching me about clothes and makeup (which I can’t stand to wear now). Then a great aunt who I only met a few times, but had a huge impact on me as well, teaching me how to speak proper English and how to eat biscuits with tea. I felt that this little baby would make an impact on the people she met and deserved to share the names of these two amazing ladies.
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Back to preschool
Kyle went back to preschool on Wednesday. It’s his 3rd year in preschool and he is the oldest in the class. He knew the routine well and was able to show the younger kids what they needed to do. He led the way to the preschool room, walked in and put his backpack into his cubby. Then he went to the sink and washed his hands before grabbing the chair that they had him sit in last year, because all he wanted to do was lay on the floor, sat down and picked out a book and started looking at the pictures. We accompanied him to the room, but at that point we decided that he didn’t need us there and left.
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Gatlinburg, TN 2018 Trip
We went to Gatlinburg, TN in July 2018 for our family vacation. We stayed at Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge on Cherokee Orchard Drive. This is a very nice place to stay, and we stay there every time we visit Gatlinburg. The rooms are clean and the staff is friendly. They have a lovely outdoor pool with a slide. The pool, of course is the kids favorite part of the trip. They love playing on the slide and making new friends in the pool. Lorianna made a new friend who she has stayed in contact with since we left. I like sitting in the chairs by the pool, and just relaxing while watching the kids play, or even relaxing on a raft floating in the pool.
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Clearwater Beach, FL 2017
In the summer of 2017, we went to Clearwater Beach, FL. This is the first time I’ve ever been to Florida so I didn’t really know what to expect. I’d been told it was an amazing place, which is why we chose this destination. Well, that and also Leslie wanted to go to Clearwater Aquarium to see Winter the dolphin. That was one of her biggest dreams.
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Newport Aquarium
This past spring we went to Newport Aquarium in Newport, KY. It’s just outside of Cincinnati, OH. Leslie had an opportunity to do a shadow program there and we went around it while waiting for her. It is a nice aquarium and it has a lot of hands on things for kids. If you have kids, they will have a blast here. They have lots of kid friendly areas and a play area about halfway through. Every year they have some special display they focus on. Last year it was the “Ring Of Fire: Octopus” display. If you live close enough and have kids interested in aquatics, they have an amazing shadow program. There are a number of choices for kids to learn about the ins and outs of an aquarium. Last year Leslie did the husbandry program and loved it. This year she wants to do the women in stem program there.
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Jungle Jim’s
If you are in the Cincinnati area, one of the places you have to stop at is Jungle Jim’s International Market. It may be one of the largest grocery stores you have ever been in. With items from every part of the world, you can most likely find whatever you are looking for there, eventually. Expect to spend the day there, it will take that long to see everything.
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Kyle Is 5!
Yesterday was Kyle’s 5th birthday. I don’t know where the first 4 years went. The time seems to have gone so fast. It seems like the older the kids get, the faster time goes. He woke up in the morning in a good mood and we immediately told him happy birthday. We spent most of the morning cleaning, like any Sunday morning. Then we took the kids outside to play and Kyle got to open his presents from us. He was so happy with the sharks and tablet. The tablet was his favorite thing. He spent at least an hour playing with the sharks and shark truck, then started installing the games he likes to play on the tablet, of course Roblox was the fist thing he put on there. Then mid afternoon, we went over to my grandmother’s house for cupcakes and more presents.
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Back To School 2018
The day has come! The kids go back to school. This year, Hailie is in 7th grade, Lorianna is in 5th and her last year of elementary school and Leslie is going into 3rd grade. These kids keep growing up right before my eyes! Why does it seem that time goes faster and faster the older they get? Why can’t time slow down for just a little while? We have worked hard to get the kids back into a routine over the last couple of weeks, knowing that it will make the first day of school easier.
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Meet Lorianna
Lorianna is 10 years old and epileptic. She had her first seizure a few days before she turned 3 years old. It was a complete shock to us and we didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know anything about seizures and even though I had heard the term epileptic, I really didn’t understand it very well. It turns out there were a lot of things I didn’t know about in the beginning.