Growing up Cook’s Pest Control had a little museum in our town.  They had bugs and other wildlife from our area.  It was wonderful and free and we spent so many times there.  It was a perfect place for Keilee’s love for nature and science.

They closed two years ago because they were going to build a huge multi million dollar facility. A new facility opened in June.  We had saved up for an annual pass.

It is a beautiful natural museum and if you are ever in the area it is so worth it.

So many exhibits.

It has a beautiful huge aquarium.

The Aquarium

Inside the beaver dam.

Owls!

I love owls. Snowy Owls are my favorite.

Shells!

This was in the original museum. I have many pictures of her over the years like this.

They have hundreds of beautiful displays.

Beaver dam!

BEES!!!

It is a lovely museum.  Keilee’s always said her idea of a perfect town would be streets filled with museums!

Always keep  learning and exploring!

Karen

We spent a beautiful morning at the Huntsvilke Botanical Gardens.

At night it’s even more magical we have heard that we don’t get in free with our passes at night. It was still a wonderful day.

We are so ready for summer,
Karen

April is almost over. But as usual it has flown by.  As of today, April 25, it is almost summer like. We rarely have much of a spring or fall.

Keilee has been squinting a lot lately.  She got glasses and contacts when she was 13 but it was just for up close work.  He checked her eyes and upped her strength just a bit.

She also added JoJo Siwa to her company.  I was unsure about it because she is a REAL person but when she posted the album she got 12 bookings in 24 hours!!  That has never happened before.  She has worked so hard learning the songs and dances because JoJo is a dancer!

She took some new Ariel pictures even though we searched high and low for a great water location to no avail. It was funny because she was so dissappointed that we couldn’t find a place after she got ready. So we took a few in front of a brick wall.  And it is her most liked photo on Instagram.  Over 1000 likes!

A also broke my car.  We were at an event at a church.  There were 2 big vans on either side of me and I didn’t see the concrete thingie and pulled forward and jerked my bumper off.  $800 to get it fixed!

And yes that is duct tape!!

We had a beautiful Easter  and Easter week.  We participated in our first Maundy celebration and it was beautiful.

I  need to work on my bunny ears obvi…

She got the final Melissa De La Cruz book in the Hamilton trilogy. She has gotten them for the last 3 years for Easter.  So of course she  had to do a Rapunzel shoot because “I’ll read a book or maybe two or three”.

Hammock reading.

Keilee is a brand rep for a company that makes 3D Printed Disney Ears.  She sent her these adorable Elsa ears!  She is also going to be a brand rep for 2 other companies.  She is so excited!

Our first year teaching homeschool co-op is coming to an end.  An observation from a Momma with ONE child.  More than one is hard.  Ya’ll are all amazing!  I had 10 5-8 year olds for an hour with Keilee helping and some days I was questioning my sanity.  Seriously I loved it and we have signed up to do it again next year.

Happy almost May,

Karen

Another month over.

We are so ready for warmer weather.  It’s getting there slowly.  And rain….we.had.so.much.rain.  Like 2” less than the YEARLY average. In March!!

She loves doing cosplays that are not Princess related.  Have you seen Zootopia? Well she had to do Flash the Sloth.  Because sloths… DUH.

Flash

Keilee as Flash

Our church did a week of serving and giving back to our community.  We served the homeless lunch.

She did a volunteer event at the park for the library and made the paper!

She did a couple of Ariel parties.

We made baskets for the firefighters in our town at church and delivered them.

Baskets

Giving back!

We also went to a sheep shearing event at 1818 Farms.  We LOVE this place!!

It was a beautiful day.

So goodbye March.  I hope that April  is chock full of adventure, love and laughter.

Karen

Another month almost gone.

Keilee stayed busy this month with Princess events and parties.

We had a Valentine’s night at our church and had so much fun.

Valentine’s Day was spent at the library for storytime and at home. And there were sloths. There are always sloths!

We also had character day at co-op. We teach 2 classes and love them so much. She was Minnie Mouse. She has done birthday parties with some of these kids so she didn’t want to be a character they would recognize.

A lot of days at home. Our weekdays are calm for the most part. At least for now. Our weekends are crazy. And isn’t she the cutest eva?

The last few days it has rained. And rained. And rained. Hopefully we will see the sun in the next couple of days.

We are ready for March. And SPRING!

Karen

We homeschooled for 11 years.  Never once did I have a yearly pass anywhere.  Except for our pool passes in the summer.

This October we decided to buy each other a Botanical Gardens pass for Christmas.  It was $85 and it costs $20 each to get in once.  We have gone twice and plan many more trips.  It is always beautiful and peaceful there no matter the season.

It was unusually warm last week and we decided to head over.  We stopped and got a  Subway (with a gift card we were given!)

There is a beautiful fountain when you enter the gardens.  Keilee thinks they should have a mermaid (her) sitting on a rock in the middle of it.  The fact that no such rock exists doesn’t deter her.

It was a beautiful spring like day.

It was also so windy.

The Cherry Blossom trees were blooming everywhere.  In the beginning of February!

The hammocks are one of our favorite spots.

Just chilling…

Kei getting pictures of the Koi.

All in all it was a perfect day.

Puxatony Phil says there is only 6 more weeks of winter.  I do so hope he is right.  But I would love ONE snow!

Karen

It was freezing but it was also educator day at the Space and Rocket Center on Sunday. So we bundled up and headed over after church.

We are very lucky to live so close to the Space and Rocket Center.  We have never bought a pass but there are so many days that are free or low price.  Keilee was in Space Warriors when she was 12 and we went every day for weeks.

She tested the Mission to Mars when she was 13.  We were able to walk through it and she told me all about it.

One of our favorite places there.  The Saturn V rocket.

It was a great day.  I’m so glad that even though she is technically not a ‘homeschooler’ she still is so interested in learning!

Karen

“A blade of grass is a commonplace on Earth; it would be a miracle on Mars. Our descendants on Mars will know the value of a patch of green. And if a blade of grass is priceless, what is the value of a human being?”
― Carl Sagan

Almost December. How in the world?

In a month she will be 19!!

She read at some elementary schools. It’s one of her favorite ways to give back.

Lots of parties. This is only a few she has this month.

And Thanksgiving.

Bring on the holidays. (Not really, I’m NOT READY!)

Karen

Keilee was asked to attend the Chattanooga Greater Promise Pancakes and Princesses Event.  She doesn’t travel that far but this was an all expense paid trip.

They wanted Elsa and Anna so Keilee, Karessa and I left early Friday morning so we could spend Friday exploring Chattanooga.

We rode all  over downtown Chattanooga on the FREE shuttle. We visited the Chattanooga Choo Choo and RiverPark.  That night we had tickets to Lake Winnie’s Spooktacular.

They so cool…

Lake Winnie

The event Saturday.

There were so many little girls attending.  It was a beautiful event for an amazing cause.

Karen