Marine Corps Nomads » Family

Hike to the Falls – Lower Calf Creek

Heather — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:00:02 +0000

Wednesday’s adventure took us to the Lower Calf Creek hiking trail. Our destination? A 121 foot waterfall. It was a 6 mile round trip hike up and down through rocks and sand. It was a beautiful hike filled with great scenery and glimpses into our country’s past. It was not an easy hike, but it was worth it.

Munchkin is on the mend. This was the first day where she was actually acting more like herself. She was really excited to be out exploring and hiking.

Red Canyon

Heather — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:49:18 +0000

For more Wordless Wednesday, head over to see 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordless Wednesday.

Dinosaur Tracks

Heather — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:43:13 +0000

We arrived in Bryce Valley on Saturday evening and promptly crashed. We were exhausted from our travels up here to Utah. We left even though we knew that Munchkin was still sick. It’s never an easy decision, but since she was dealing with things related to her allergies, we knew that it wouldn’t matter if we were home or away. Either way, she’d be feeling less than stellar. She was able to rest on the long car ride here.

The campground is surrounded by the beauty of nature, and it’s in the middle of nowhere. If we need anything other than basic necessities, we’re pretty much out of luck as there aren’t any stores close by. We’d have to travel 80 miles or so to the closest city where they would have stores.

On Sunday, we headed out to explore the area. For the most part, we just stayed in the car, so she could continue to rest. One of our stops was Bryce Canyon. After we saw how crowded it was, we knew that we wouldn’t be doing too much there until after the Labor Day weekend was passed.

After making that decision, we stopped by to see the local park ranger and found out about a place that had dinosaur tracks. Munchkin perked up at the mention of dinosaurs. Off we went on a dinosaur track finding expedition. It truly was an expedition as the location of the dinosaur tracks is known (to some extent), you honestly have to locate them for yourself after a good hike.

We had a blast, and we believe we even found some of the tracks. Munchkin has decided that she wants to go back again and spend more time there looking. (We had limited time due to the time of day we arrived at the location.) It was so much fun watching her get so excited. After all, it isn’t every day that you get to find genuine dinosaur tracks.

You have to climb on top of this formation to get to the location where you can hunt for dinosaur tracks. It’s quite the hike to get back here, and then you need to climb to get to the top. (Honestly, getting down almost seems worse than going up…) Munchkin got the adrenaline burst to do this even though she was feeling yucky all day. She was on cloud nine the whole time. In the picture, you can see Munchkin and D just climbing on the lower portion of the site. We were no where near the top of the formation at this point in time.

Willis Creek – Slot Canyons

Heather — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:54:47 +0000

Today’s journey took us to the Willis Creek hiking trail which contains a beautiful stream and slot canyons. Munchkin is still under the weather, but she’s able to do some hiking. Right now, we’re sticking to easier trails. This trail involves the possibility of getting your feet wet as hikers cross back and forth over the stream through the canyons. The beautiful slot canyons made for a nice hike.

Another Sick Day

Heather — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:09:06 +0000

Munchkin’s allergies have been giving her fits, so she’s down sick again. She was just sick last week, so it’s a bit frustrating to both of us. She has all of these plans for things that she wanted to do today, but it’s not happening. Instead, she’s resting in bed and watching movies.

I’m getting some things done around the house while trying to make sure that she’s drinking water and eating at least a little something. Since her throat hurts, getting her to drink and eat can be a difficult task.

Sick days mean a delicate balance of giving Munchkin the attention she craves when she’s under the weather and getting things done around the house.

On a positive note, the weather today is beautiful. I know it’s too soon for the hot summer weather to be completely gone, but for now, we’ll enjoy the break in the super heat.

**edited to add** I spoke too soon about the weather today. lol! It’s a lovely 100 degrees now. Hey, it’s better than 115, right?

Monday Meanderings and Giveaway Winner

Heather — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:46:09 +0000

We have declared weekends, especially Sunday, family time.

On Saturdays, we get various things done that are unable to be done during the week. This could mean doing tasks around the house and/or getting errands done. We try to get these necessary things out of the way as quickly as possible. Saturday evenings, we sit down and enjoy a movie together as a family. This past Saturday, we watched Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story. It’s a great, inspirational family movie. (We rented it from Netflix.)

On Sundays, we head to church in the morning and come home to a nice meal together. The day may be filled with relaxing, exploring, watching a movie, playing games, or whatever we decide to do as a family. This has worked out very well for us, and Munchkin looks forward to this time.

Last night, Munchkin and Daddy started up with some dissections for her Marine Biology class. This week, she’s working on completing the labs for her class to wrap things up. She has already completed the book portion. She chose to do most her labs at one time instead of throughout the unit.

Today, I started back up with the Body Gospel exercise program. Due to a few health issues, I had to take some time off. I’m basically starting back at the beginning and working my way up again. I look forward to getting back to exercising. I was able to pick up a nice pair of good quality tennis shoes for exercising for a really great deal which will help. I was using Munchkin’s shoes, but I really needed a pair of my own.

Munchkin is working on taking one of her essays and creating a book out of it. She’s been working on painting illustrations to go with the story. She’s having fun with it.

What do you like to do on the weekend? Is it family time or a time to get things done or both?

**** Zhu Zhu Pets Rockstar Giveaway Winner ****

Here are your random numbers: 12 Timestamp: 2010-08-30 22:32:41 UTC

Congrats to: Mami2jcn who likes Ryder says: I like you on Facebook (Mary Happymommy)

~~Updated~~

Our winner has asked that I pick a new winner since she actually won one on another blog. I love that she wanted to spread the Zhu Zhu love!!

The new winner is:

Heather S says: My favorite is Ryder. That is my son’s name!

Thank you to all who entered!!!

This post contains and Amazon affiliate link for the family friendly movie that we enjoyed. If you purchase the movie through this link, I will receive a small portion of the sale. Thanks!

5 Favorite Family Time Activities

Heather — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:37:37 +0000

We love spending time together as a family. Some of the things that we enjoy doing together as a family include:

Camping and Exploring:

There is something great about being away from all of the craziness of every day life. Things seem just a little simpler when we’re camping. We get to enjoy the great outdoors together without an interruptions. We can enjoy the greatness of God’s creation while holding interesting conversations. We also end up learning things from each other as we inspect the many things around us.

Games:

Whether we’re playing on the Wii, playing sports, or playing board games, we find ourselves laughing and having a good time. Even though I don’t care to sit down and play very many board games, I do try to participate on a regular basis as this makes Munchkin (and D) happy.

When the weather outside is not so hot, we enjoy heading out to one of the fields and kicking around the soccer ball or throwing around the baseball. Sometimes, we head over to the basketball court and shoot around. Somehow, we almost always end up laughing and laughing over some crazy thing that happens.

Movie Night:

We enjoy sitting down with pizza and/or popcorn for a good movie night. Great movies can lead to wonderful discussions as a family. We try to carefully select movies that will be good for the whole family. While I realize many families don’t talk during movies, our home is rarely quiet as we watch. Not to mention, there are often other activities taking place while we watch the movie. Munchkin likes to play with her Legos or animals while she watches.

Playing:

Munchkin loves playing with animals, Legos, blocks, American Girls. When we take the time to sit down and play with her, she is thrilled. Legos are an easy, fun family activity as we can all work together to create a fun project. We can also work on individual projects, and then bring them together as a large project. Munchkin likes to have us recreate a movie we’ve watched or a story that we’ve read.

Reading:

Sitting in bed or sprawled all over the floor, we come together with a good book. Our imaginations soar as we enter the story. Reading together as a family allows us to enjoy the book and following discussions. We can talk about different things that we may or may not agree with.

No matter what we decide to do together, it’s important that we spend quality time together as a family. It helps keep our family solid and strong.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and LEGO blogging program, making me eligible to get a prize pack. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

A Day in Our Homeschooling Life

Heather — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:03:56 +0000

We’re not very big into strict schedules at our house, but we definitely have some regular routines in place that keep things moving along smoothly. I try not to have activities during our regular school hours when possible. I had planned on actually blogging our day today, but Munchkin woke up sick. We’re having a sick day which means cuddling, watching some tv, and reading.

Our normal routine looks a little something like this…

D gets up between 5 and 6 to head to work. After he gets up and goes to work, I go back to sleep until Munchkin wonders into my room. We cuddle, watch an animal planet or food network show that I’ve taped for her, and eat breakfast. Yep, we eat breakfast in bed almost every morning.

I check my emails while Munchkin gets started on her school work. On a good day, I’ll get some exercise in and take a shower while Munchkin does her independent work. We then work on the school work that requires my assistance. While I make lunch, she usually completes her school work. Sometimes D is home for lunch, so we spend some time with him while he’s home.

After lunch, it’s time for chores. Once chores are done, Munchkin is allowed to play or work on projects. I usually work on housework and other projects that I need/want to get done until it’s time to start supper. My computer is on all during the day, so I periodically check emails and work computer tasks here and there.

When D is home in time for supper, we eat together. If he’s running late (sadly more often than not these days), then we eat without him and sit with him once he’s home to eat. He likes to sit in his recliner while he eats supper as it’s more relaxing.

Evenings are cooler, so the kids usually play in the evenings. Sometimes, we’ll head outside and talk with our neighbors. Other times, we stay inside and talk while Munchkin plays with her friends. D needs to be able to relax after work, so I follow his lead.

By 8:00 we’re usually inside and enjoying an evening snack. After the snack, we head to our bedrooms. Munchkin does her devotions and reads until lights out at 9:30. I give her hugs and kisses goodnight, and Daddy has a tickle fest/giggle fest prior tucking her in for the night. Daddy falls asleep shortly after Munchkin.

Once D and Munchkin are asleep, I get to work on school stuff, blogging, emails, devotions, and housework. It’s not unheard of for me to be baking or doing laundry at midnight. lol! I get my best work done late at night.

We don’t keep a “typical” homeschooler schedule as we’re not up early, but our routine works for us. Obviously, this is just a skeleton, basic schedule. It doesn’t include outside activities as those haven’t started up for the year as of yet.

When do you get your best work done? Are you a night owl or early bird or maybe somewhere in the middle?

Another sign she’s growing up…

Heather — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 06:56:53 +0000

Today, I had to run out and pick up our Azure Standard order from the semi-truck delivery location. Munchkin requested that she be allowed to stay at home, so she could complete her school work instead of riding along with me. Since I knew that I wouldn’t be gone long, I agreed to her request.

When I arrived home, Munchkin immediately helped me unload all of the food and verify that we had received everything that we had ordered. She helped me get everything organized and put away.

After everything was put away, I made her lunch, and she informed me that she had completed all of her school work while I was gone. I checked it over and found that she had not only done it all, but she also did a little extra. Wow! There are certain things that she really doesn’t like to do, but she tackled them to prove that she could be trusted to get things done. Needless to say, I was/am so proud of her.

This, That, and a Smashed Finger

Heather — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 02:57:17 +0000

How’s that for a crazy title?

On Saturday, while helping D work on his truck, I smashed my finger, so I’m trying to type without the use of my index finger. Not an easy task. lol! My finger is red, black and blue and swollen. The swelling is starting to go down some, so hopefully, I’ll be able to use my finger again in the near future.

D and I are praying about some decisions in our lives right now, so that has really been our focus for the last few days.

I’m working on getting a few projects done and organized for the upcoming Awana year. Munchkin completed book 4 for T&T last year. Since that is the last book for T&T, Munchkin will be working on the gold sections for the books. I created a workbook for her to make this a little easier.

Munchkin has started up with her pet sitting job for the rest of the month. She really enjoys taking care of our friends cat and dog while they are away. It’s a big responsibility, but she does a great job stepping up to the challenge.

With that, I will say goodnight….