Because We Don't Get to Decide When We Play Our Last Game

We are all family here in Nebraska, at least that is what I like to believe. When you pass a vehicle on the road you wave. When you have extra cucumbers from your garden, you take them to the neighbor. When a 22-year-old young man dies tragically in a car accident, it breaks your heart knowing the pain his family is experiencing.

Husker football is more than a sport for most Nebraskans, it’s a way of life. When I was a child those players were my super heroes. When “we” won the National Championship in 94 and again in 95, it felt life changing. As an adult I see those young men playing on the field giving time and dedication that should be applauded regardless of the season outcome. My brother-in-law played for the Huskers and I was able to see first-hand the love the teammates and coaches have for each other. They are more than teammates, they are brothers.

As Nebraskans we are all family, we “bleed Husker red” and this weekend we all suffered a great loss as punter Sam Foltz passed away. According to www.huskers.com “Sam Foltz was a preseason candidate for the Ray Guy Award and was expected to be one of the nation's top punters in 2016 before he tragically lost his life in an automobile accident on July 23. The 2015 Eddelman-Fields Big Ten Punter of the Year, Foltz died after attending a kicking camp near Waukesha, Wis. He was 22 years old.” Take two minutes and scroll through social media #RIP27 and you will find that Sam Foltz is being remembered as a man with a kind heart, honorable character and Christian faith. “You never know who’s watching,” Foltz tweeted last Tuesday, July 19. “What impact do you wanna leave on the next generation to aspire to?! #DreamBig”

I had something else written to post tonight for my #prayersofgrace this week, but I feel that Sam Foltz and his family, friends and teammates need our prayers in a big way. If you all could also please pray for the family and friends of former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler who also passed away in the crash. Also, pray for LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye who was also in the vehicle at the time of the crash and according to ESPN.com “needed stitches and suffered burns on his legs.” We don’t get to decide when we play our last game. #RIP27

Vacationing on a Budget

Last week my husband took his first vacation of the year and it was SUCH a blessing for our family. Because it was his first vacation of the year, it was also the first time we had taken a vacation since I had become a stay at home mom and our family transitioned into living off of one income. For this reason, we had to be a little creative regarding how we were going to get the most bang for our buck. Budgeting is key for us. We knew that he was going to be taking vacation in July, so I did research regarding low cost activities for families during the summer. Listed below are some activities that didn’t put a huge dent in our budget.

-FISHING- $0 We already had the equipment to fish. If you needed to buy your poles or fishing license this would cost you some money.

-SWIMMING AT THE LAKE-$0

  

-$5 MOVIE DAY AT MOVIE THEATER- Our local theater offers $5 Tuesdays and you don’t have to pay for children 2 and under. We splurged on popcorn and pop because we very rarely go to the movies (I haven’t been in 3 years!)- $25. Our theater also did a summer series with $2 movies on Wednesday mornings ($1 if you bring the coupon). We didn't do the $1 movie because it was Goosebumps and Brecken isn't ready for scary movies yet.

On Friday we drove to Omaha to enjoy some of the opportunities that the big city provides. We spent a little bit more money there, but by purchasing memberships we were able to justify the money spent because we will be able to enjoy their entertainment all year long.

-OMAHA HENRY DOORLY ZOO- This zoo was named Top Zoo in the WORLD by TripAdvisor in 2014 and it lives up to that title 100%. Jeremy and I are convinced that our children will both end up as veterinarians because they absolutely LOVE animals. Brecken woke me up at 6:00am on Friday and said “It’s time to go to the zoo!” I could (and still might) write an entire post dedicated to how awesome this zoo is for families.

The coolest new addition for our family was the Alaskan Adventure splash park. It was such a fun surprise because we didn’t know it was there. It is a splash park complete with whale and sea lion (statues) that squirt and splash and mist. I would recommend bringing swimming suits and towels. As I said, we didn’t know it existed so we weren’t totally prepared. I told Jeremy a family like ours could spend hours just enjoying the Alaskan Adventure. We purchased the year family pass for $120. The pass is good for 2 adults and up to 6 children. Also a great bonus is that as long as at least one adult member is in attendance, you can bring 1 adult guest on the pass. So if Jeremy was working one of my friends could come help me with the kids! Members also get 5% off of concession and gift shop items as well as tickets for additional entertainment. Also, did I mention the membership includes unlimited access to the zoo IMAX theater!  A 1 day pass for our family would have been $53.85. So after 2 trips and some concession and gift shop items, it will basically be like we are going to the zoo for FREE the rest of the year.

-We stayed the night at a hotel in Omaha. We love the Embassy Suites and typically stay at the downtown location. But again, because of our budget, I price matched in the area and the La Vista Embassy Suites was $50 cheaper for Friday night so we decided that was a better option for our family. Even though most of our entertainment was on the downtown end of town, the drive to the La Vista Embassy Suites was not bad at all, and we drive a Prius so the gas did not equal out to $50. My suggestion for finding the best deal on hotel stays is to be flexible with your dates. I priced out every night of the week and found that the Friday night stay was our best option. We initially planned on going Saturday night, but really it all worked out perfectly in the end. The Embassy Suites provides a cocktail hour with drinks and snacks. We figured, depending on what you order and how much, that is AT LEAST a $30 value. They also provide a top notch breakfast with made-to-order omelets and chocolate chip pancakes as well as a buffet of delicious and nutritious options. This breakfast is AT LEAST a $10 value for adults and a $5 value for children, so around $30 for our family. Our stay was $120 for the night, with taxes and fees it equaled out to approximately $150 (prices differ depending on dates and demand). When I asked Brecken what his favorite part of the trip was he said the hotel :) Which was very surprising because he saw tigers at the zoo and he LOVES tigers.

  

-On Saturday we went to the Omaha Children’s Museum. This is the only part where I kind of want to kick myself from a financial standpoint. The cost is $12 per person and children 2 and under are free. A family pass for the year is $110. We couldn’t decide if we wanted to do the family pass or not so the attendant at the front desk told us that we could spend the $36 and if we decided at the end of our day that we wanted to purchase a pass they would take off the $36 from the pass total. Brecken had such a great time there that getting him to leave was kind of a battle and I forgot to stop and purchase our pass. When I called the next day they said that in order to get the $36 off you had to purchase the pass the same day as the visit. Moral of the story, do not make the same mistake I did, purchase the family pass. The Family membership includes a 10% discount on gift shop purchases. Also, it is set up the same way the zoo membership is, so if Jeremy is working I could take an adult friend or family member who would get in on my membership. It also includes discounts on special events and birthday parties.

My favorite part about the Omaha Children’s Museum was the face painting. Brecken of course wanted to be a tiger so after a quick look at Pinterest I found the cutest example and painted him up. He didn’t want to smile the rest of the day because he wanted to look like a tiger and “Tigers don’t smile mom.” Annabelle was supposed to be a butterfly fairy, but she wasn’t as cooperative so she ended up looking like a kind of owl tweety bird. Brecken’s favorite part of the day was the Pirates and Mermaids Voyage to Creature Cove special exhibit. They had seashells in water that you could touch and play with and he thought that was so cool. I will probably also write an entire post about the Omaha Children’s Museum because of how great it is and how many great pictures I took :)

-Before leaving Omaha we stopped at Nebraska Crossing Outlets in Gretna. We had never been there before and definitely want to return to spend more time there (probably without the kids because they don’t really like to shop). We went to the Under Armour store and were able to score some shorts and a shirt for Jeremy and shoes for Brecken at 50% off!

The best part about Jeremy’s week of vacation was the time we were able to spend together as a family. That time and those memories are truly priceless!

Have you and your family had a successful family vacation on a budget? I would love if you would leave ideas or links in the comments section so I can start planning our next family vacation!

ABC Hide and Seek

Earlier this year I reached out to one of my best friends because I was worried about my son Brecken’s interest in anything educational. Brecken is 3 ½ years old and is an active, funny, adventurous, sweet and kind little boy. He has a great vocabulary and actually seems kind of grown up for his age, but it was worrying me because he just didn’t seem interested when I tried to teach him things.

I loved to learn and school was very easy for me. My husband Jeremy on the other hand did the very minimum he had to do in order to get through school and was never very interested in his studies. Brecken’s disinterest in learning had me worried so I called my friend Catelyn to get some education advice. Catelyn is a School Psychologist.

The specific thing I was concerned about was Brecken’s seeming inability to identify his ABC’s. He has been able to say his alphabet for a long time, but when I started trying to get him to read and write them, he just got frustrated. Catelyn gave me a wealth of advice and suggested making a game out of learning. She said that it is possible that Brecken gets frustrated because I ask him too many questions. So possibly, if I steered away from asking questions until he was comfortable in knowing the answers, he would not get as frustrated with my educational attempts. She suggested playing ABC Hide and Seek.

We took pieces of different colored construction paper and I cut them into different shapes. I then took a marker and wrote A, B and C on different colors and shapes. Brecken covered his eyes and I then went around the house and hid the alphabet shapes. When I was done, he had a basket and I asked him to find all of the letter B’s. He went around and to my surprise was able to easily identify all of the B’s. Then we repeated the process with A’s and C’s. When he would bring them to me I would ask him the colors and shapes.

Brecken really enjoyed this game and he did not seem to get frustrated at all. What are some educational games that you play with your children? Please leave links in the comments section to blog posts you have written regarding early childhood education. I am always looking for new and fun ways to teach Brecken and Annabelle!

Frozen Fruit Cups

Frozen Fruit Cups have been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. My mom always made them when we were growing up and they were an easy snack or a special breakfast treat :) When I was pregnant with both Brecken and Annabelle I CRAVED these fruit cups. I honestly had a fruit cup almost every night before bed.

If you make ANY of the recipes I have posted thus far on my blog, this Frozen Fruit Cup recipe is the one I would recommend. They are super easy to make and a great summer treat.

Ingredients:

-6 ounce can of frozen lemonade

-6 ounce can of frozen orange juice

-8 ounce box of frozen strawberries

-16 ounces crushed pineapple (use juice)

-4 ounce jar of maraschino cherries

-2 bananas

-2 ½ cups water

-1 cup sugar

Additional supplies:

-small plastic cups

-tin foil

If you make the recipe like this it will make around 10 fruit cups ¾ of the way full. I typically double or triple the recipe just to have them on hand.

Thaw lemonade and orange juice and put into a large bowl. (I online shopped at Hyvee and accidentally got a bigger orange juice than lemonade. Follow instructions for proper ratios).

Cut strawberries into smaller pieces. I prefer bit sized. Add strawberry pieces to bowl.

Pour can of crushed pineapple along with juice into bowl.

I cut or tear the cherries in half and add them into bowl. You can use the juice if you want to, but I typically don’t.

Slice and halve bananas and add to bowl.

Pour 2 ½ cups water into bowl.

Add 1 cup of sugar.

Stir until it is mixed evenly.

Ladle into plastic cups until the cup is around ¾ of the way full.

Cover with tin foil and I typically write the date on the top.

Put in freezer and let fully freeze.

You really can't go wrong with these Frozen Fruit Cups. Children love them, adults love them, they have fruit in them so they can't be that bad for you. It's really just a win/win all around!

#prayersofgrace Cancer

This week there has been so very much to pray for, but one thing in particular stuck out in my personal life. This week I am focusing my #prayersofgrace on cancer: those who have cancer, those who have had cancer, those who have beat cancer, those who have died from cancer, those who have family members and friends who have cancer, children with cancer, mothers with cancer, fathers with cancer.

My cousin Jenifer was diagnosed with breast cancer this week which was heartbreaking news for her and our entire family. Her mother, my great-aunt Vicki, also has cancer and her sister-in-law Tara underwent a bone marrow transplant last week due to her cancer. One of my best friends’ father is undergoing treatment for cancer. My husband’s aunt also has breast cancer. I have had very best friends who have lost their mothers and fathers to cancer.

As you are praying this week, if you could please take some time to pray for those who have been affected by cancer. Pray for healing and peace of mind for them and their families and ultimately a cure for this disease.

Please leave your prayer requests in the comments, or hashtag #prayersofgrace on social media and I will be sure to pray for you throughout the next week!

#prayersofgrace

Last week my husband Jeremy was offered a new position with his company and will no longer be working swing shift! Jeremy has been working two weeks days, then two weeks nights for the last 5 years. When he first started the job it was just him and I, and though I wasn’t thrilled about the schedule, it wasn’t that big of a deal. But after we had children, it became evident that not having Jeremy home at night was a huge deal. When I was still a working mom I would get home at 5-5:30pm, we would eat supper and Jeremy would have to leave for work at 6:30. That left me to do the nighttime routine by myself, get a 2 year old and a newborn to bed, and then try to sleep myself. I have never been able to sleep well when Jeremy isn’t there, and also, I was up 2-3 times a night to nurse Annabelle. Then I would have to wake up the next morning and do the 8-5 grind before coming home and repeating the same night-time schedule again. It was less than ideal.

Since becoming a Stay at Home Mama, his schedule has been a lot easier for me to manage, but it still leaves me feeling lonely at night and I never get a good night sleep when he isn’t there. Jeremy applied for this job a couple of months ago and we have been praying and praying and PRAYING about it. When he told me he had been offered the job I just started crying and thanking God because this is such a great opportunity for my husband and our family. Jeremy has worked very hard at his company and he is a perfect example to our children that hard work pays off.

Last week, after he found out that he got the job, I surprised him and scheduled him a massage and a pedicure :) Jeremy loves massages and he has never had a pedicure, but I have always wanted him to get one just to see what it was like. He went and got his massage and then we took the kids to my younger sister’s house and Jeremy and I went and got pedicures and then went out to dinner. It was so nice celebrating how awesome of a guy he is- and getting a pedicure because let’s be honest mama needed it :)

Whenever there is a big life event like this or something hanging in the balance that might happen, I always have my group of girls that I text and ask to pray about it. This got me thinking, wouldn’t it be nice to have an online thread for prayer requests every week!? So I have decided to start a #prayersofgrace prayer request thread. How this works. I will post a picture on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and on my blog and I may include a personal prayer request for myself, my family, or someone we know. Then in the comments section you can put your prayer requests and hashtag #prayersofgrace. I promise to pray for each and every person who comments or hashtags and I would encourage everyone on the thread to do the same. You are more than welcome to be specific or vague with your requests, whatever makes you most comfortable. This can be prayers of thanksgiving for something great that has happened the last week, prayers of comfort for yourself or others...whatever is weighing on your heart as a prayer, feel free to comment. Or, if you aren’t comfortable commenting prayers on social media, you are welcome to email me at acreageofgrace@gmail.com.

I am a huge believer in the power of prayer and hope that this is something that will be beneficial for anyone who choses to be involved. So for my first #prayersofgrace I want to thank God for Jeremy’s new career opportunity and pray He keeps Jeremy safe as he continues to work hard to support his family.

Celebrate Your Independence (Day)

This week is full of Independence Day preparation and fun! Today I am sharing fashion tips from another guest contributor. Stephanie is the creator of the lovely peony. She started her blog as a way to showcase her passion for fun and stylish fashion while also getting back to something she enjoys: writing. She is married to her husband Mick and together they have a fur-baby (Chompie). Stephanie works in marketing at a Fortune 500 insurance company in Omaha, Nebraska. She is also a follower of Jesus Christ. She graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with her degree in Communication (Journalism-Public Relations/Advertising) and is a master's student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Please join me in welcoming Stephanie to my Acreage of Grace!

I cannot believe it's going to be Independence Day on Monday. That means JULY EVERYONE! Where has the first half of the year gone? So much has happened already and cannot wait to see what the rest of the year brings. 

With Independence Day come all the celebrations so I pulled some inspiration together to help you get ready to celebrate our nation's 240th birthday. America, you've never looked so good!

What's the easiest way to look like you're heading to an Independence Day event? Dress in red, white, and blue baby! Below are some cute ideas to get your fashion mind going.

DRINKS WITH YOUR SQUAD

If you're heading out on the town with your squad, go for a bright red dress like this one-- it's super flattering [it has a racerback and ruched sides]. Pair it with some on-trend wedges like these in a neutral color -- don't take away from the gorgeous color of the dress -- and some dainty jewelry like this watch and this bracelet. Add a spritz of perfume and you're ready to go.

Photos from the Nordstrom website and the J. Crew website

BACKYARD BBQ

If you're heading to a backyard bbq, chances are it will be casual and laid back. I am loving this cute racerback unicorn tank top, and it's only $28! If you sign up for their emails, you can get 10% off your purchase, too. Pair it with some boyfriend shorts like these and you're cute and comfortable. No need to go overboard with accessories, either. A wrap bracelet and cute bar necklace are all you need. Head out with some flippy floppies like these and you're stylin'. It's all about K.I.S.S [keep it simple, sassy]. Yes, I prefer sassy over stupid. 

Photos from Tipsy Elves website and Nordstrom website

HAVE FUN!

Don't forget: the best thing to wear is your confidence. If you don't feel good wearing it (clothes), that's what you'll portray and I bet it'll be on your mind the whole time. Stick with lighter fabrics, especially if your weather is anything like here in Omaha (muggy city) and have fun with your family, friends, and loved ones! Be safe. 

What are your plans for the holiday?

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If you enjoyed Stephanie's post and are interested in keeping up with her fashion and lifestyle blog, please visit www.thelovelypeony.com. You can also keep up with her on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.