Don't Blink

My baby boy is growing up so fast it is unbelievable. Especially how much he has changed in only a few weeks! I put together this video of some pictures and video clips to capture these last moments of babyland before we fully enter into toddlerhood!

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Explorer at Heart

       I am an explorer at heart.

Hiking and spending time outdoors has always been my happy place. As a mother it is important to me to pass on this joy to my children.

Even if it is just out in our own backyard, God has created a marvelous world for us to explore.

Flowers from our yard.
Only in Florida
will flowers bloom
 in January!

  To help us appreciate nature and fully enjoy our yard we created our own trails. Join us as we go for a walk and show you what we did!

Camp Blanding Museum

They say you get what you pay for so I wasn't sure what to expect when I discovered there was a free musuem on the Military base only 10 mins away from my house. But I figured for very little gas and no money it was worth checking out. So Friday afternoon we packed a picnic lunch and headed towards Camp Blanding Museum.

Tripp was excited about going because he was excited to check out some weapons. We were pleasantly surprised for when we got there outside was already an awesome display of tanks, military vehicles, helicopters and airplanes! This created even more excitement to go check things out. 

As we walked into the museum were greeted by some very nice men who knew their facts! They were eager to share what they knew with the children and I. Which I personally love because it just makes the whole experience more enriching.

The museum was very intriguing. They had a ton of original artifacts from WWII...like a Hershey bar and a military dinner in a box! It was interactive and the kids really enjoyed checking things out!

They had mannequins all over dressed in different uniforms depending on what part of the world they were serving in. We learned about how they handled medical challenges while on the battlefied and why the medic was everybody's friend.

There were tons of weapons, guns, machine, guns and tank replicas. We learned about the woman's role during WWII and they even had a replica of the barracks. 

After spenidng about an hour inside we headed outside to eat and check out the big tanks, trucks and airplanes.

We thoroughly enjoyed our day at the Camp Blanding Musuem. We met vets who shared their stories and taught the kids how they used to have to climb in and out of the tanks because there were no doors. We saw many memorials for the troops that served at Camp Blanding and were humbled by how many people have served to protect our freedoms. 

This was one of those rare occasions where you definitely did not get what you paid for. It was over and above what I was expecting and if you are ever in the area I would recommend stopping by and checking it out! It won't cost you one cent but it will enrich you in a way that is priceless!

Gone Fishin'

This year for Christmas we decdied that we were going to mostly get fishing and camping equipment. We were getting tired of saying we wanted to do these things, but never having the resources to follow through. So the kids got sleeping bags, fishing poles, camo hats, tackle boxes and mud boots so we could be fully prepared.

It is a rare weekend when my husband is home both Saturday and Sunday, and this past weekend was one of those gems! So we decided to take advantage of the opportunity and try out our first family fishing outing!

So we packed up the car and headed to Ronnie Van Zant Park. We heard this was a good place to take the family fishing, so we thought it would be a good place to start!

We got lucky and found a dock all to ourselves. After a few minutes of preparation we were fishing!!

The scenery was beautiful. The weather was perfect. The geese were loud and playful. The mallards swam peacefully around, while the rest of the ducks were praying for food.

Unfortunately though, no one caught any fish. So we tried out a few other spots around the lake, but with no luck. So although we left empty handed, we left satisfied after spending a few hours outdoors and most importantly spending a few hours together as a family! It was a wonderful day! We can't wait to get out and try some other spots and catch our first fish.

What do you and your family do for family time? Do you go fishing? I would love to hear what you are up to ! Be sure to leave me some love! Like and follow my blog to keep up with my latest post! Hope you have a great day!!

Being Present

Oh my it's been a while since I posted! Ever since my lap top broke it has been hard to get into the swing of writing. But now that I have taken a break from Facebook, I have decided to get back into my blog. I think it is the perfect way to share what is going on in our lives with loved ones and friends while maintaining the balance of being present and active as a parent.

Facebook is such a distraction! I did not realize how much time I wasted on Facebook until I actually felt myself bored on Monday afternoon after a full day of schooling, housework, prayer time and exercise...it was a great place to be!!

I have felt so present since I have decided to limit my time browsing my newsfeed. I think many of us tend to forget that  Facebook is not the real world and No matter how much time we spend on it clicking the like button and leaving commemts, it doesn't foster true relationships the way spending time with one another does. Without spending time with people how can we really get to know them?

Now we do live in the modern world and I don't think Facebook is horrible or the root of all evil, I am just in a season where I want to remove the distractions so I can develop and deepen my relationship with God and deepen the relationships God has blessed me with. I want to put down the phone and pray and interact with my husband, my kids, my parents and my friends face to face. I'm  even working on taking less pictures. I don't need 50 shots of the same thing. I need to be present.

And yesterday I was! School went smoothly and was so enjoyable I had to snap a few shots to document God's glory. LOL

Sometimes it is easy to forget how enjoyable life can be. But when we remove the distractions and become intetional and present it can become clear how wonderful life can really be.