Fun In The Sun At Cedar Point

Our church had it's annual Cedar Point trip for the middle school and high school students. I have attended every year for seven years as a chaperone. This gives me the opportunity to get to know the middle school girls that each year I have had the pleasure of leading in the TURN program at Heritage Christian Church. It also gives me an opportunity to hang out with my own children who are able to participate.

Kelaiah invited Megan, her life long friend to go with us. The girls turned it in to a few days of girl time. In preparation for the big day, Kelaiah and I had gone shopping for fun girls stuff. She got matching t-shirts, flip flops and backpacks, lip gloss, nail polish etc.. On the back of the t-shirts she wrote "Best" on one and "Friend" on the other. Megan came over on Tuesday evening and they did their nails and laid out their clothes as they planned the next day's events.

Later on that night, I took the girls and Nehemiah shopping for snacks and beverage for the bus ride to and from. They were all so excited. This was Nehemiah's first time going to Cedar Point. He really was not interested in the big roller coasters, but his sister convinced him to go. She worked to purchase his ticket and bought him a water bottle and a hat just for the trip. He was excited about the fun to be had with her and his friends.

This was the first time I took a baby with me. Yes, baby Malachi went to Cedar Point. I was not willing to leave my little guy for a whole day, so I packed him up and took him with us. It was a joy to look down at him in the front carrier throughout the day. When the children were all on the rides it was me and my baby gazing into each others eyes as he smiled and cooed at his mama.

Having a big family I have learned to make adjustments as not to miss a single event. Each of the children have looked forward to my participation in this annual event; I did not want to disappoint them. I think it is very important to show them they are more important than my circumstances and well worth the sacrifice. I am grateful to God for his provisions of good health, a willing heart and a wonderful husband. It truly was a fun day in the sun!

Vacation On A Budget

As I shared in my last post I am diligently planning our vacation. I look forward to learning and relaxing together. It is always important for us to stay on a budget even when we take a vacation. When we travel the greatest expense we have is hotel cost. I will use Choice Privilege Points I have accumulated for one of our overnight stays and to earn two additional night stays from this vacation we will stay at a different Choice hotel location, closer to the beach for a couple of days.

The cost of gasoline is another big expense. I have been making wise purchases at Giant Eagle and Kroger to earn fuel points. I have also been taking advantage of the FREE $10 gas cards at CVS. My goal is to have 6 FREE gas cards. We will fill up at Giant Eagle when we leave and we will use the gas cards on the road. These efforts should really help save money.

Feeding our family takes careful planning so we don't break the bank. The kind of room and the amenities of the hotel play an important role in this. We always stay at a hotel that offers FREE breakfast. As long as the children eat waffles and fruit they are happy campers in the mornings. If we don't get a suite hotel, a refrigerator and microwave are a must because I will make most of our dinners. I will make fun things like hearty salsa with refried beans, chicken, corn and mexican cheese that we will eat with tortilla chips, over lettuce or wrap in soft tortillas, make your own sub night and chips, and coney dogs with coney sauce made from home. I will bring groceries from my pantry and my freezer. To transport the food we have a refrigerated cooler that we will pack and plug in while we travel.

I've been buying craft supplies, games and swimming toys. Walter will take care of the movies we will watch while on the road. The activities in Virginia will be very nominal expenses as we get a good discount as a home school family.

Is there anything I have left out? What tips can you give me to save money on this vacation?

Bowie Summer Vacation 2011

I am in the midst of planning our summer vacation. One of my goals each year is to include a little learning as we relax and have fun together. The learning is based on our curriculum for history and science for the current year. This year in history we are studying the Late Renaissance-Early Modern history era. I am planning a trip to Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown where we will have the opportunity to experience the culture of life in the 1700's on the eve of the American Revolution. To lead up to this trip we will be reading books and doing online activities as a family. These fun times are what make me appreciate the privilege of home schooling.

The relaxing and fun will take place at Virginia Beach. This will be a surprise for our children (hush...don't mention it), one they will really enjoy. Walter introduced them to Alum Creek Beach this summer and they have found that to be a fun adventure, making sand castles and riding the waves (smile). I can only imagine the fun Virginia Beach will be.


It's another long trip for the Bowie's, but we are used to long road trips, it's the only way we've traveled. Though packing is a chore and must be done strategically, there is some fun in planning the road games, hotel activities, and meals. So, the next couple weeks will entail me looking for sales for these things...what fun!


What cool trips do you have planned for the remainder of the summer?