Transferring Your Pictures


I know it's a pain. But you've got to do it. Transferring your pictures regularly from your camera to your computer is a must if you're going to keep track of your photos, print them out, or have room on your memory card to take pictures of your next excursion. I've found too many times that I'll get somewhere, take out my camera, and start snapping away just to find that I only have 3 pictures left. But I can't erase any of the other pictures on the memory card because they're just as precious as the new ones and I haven't transferred them to my computer yet. At those moments I could truly kick myself! Lately, after I use my camera I've been transferring the pictures to my computer just before bed. Make time and just do it. You'll be thankful you did!

Our Field Trip Today: Leo Carrillo State Beach

President Obama Supports Gay Marriage


This is not a political blog, and I try not to be political in my postings. But this surpasses politics and is an issue that will affect all of us in many ways. So I just wanted to make a quick post reminding people to pray for our country and for our president. This nation continues to spiral downward and for our president to come out and support gay marriage, that says something drastic about the direction our nation is headed. I read a great article about gay marriage and why we need to--as Christians--stick our necks out for what is right, for Jesus. You can find that article HERE. It's entitled, President Obama vs. Biblical Truth on the Issue of Gay Marriage. It's a wonderful reminder of who we are called to be in Christ.

Safety Drills for Kids--Getting Lost


On a recent road trip, as we pulled away from a gas station, I turned around to do a head count of our kids. We had our two, plus my niece, so I wanted to make sure nobody got left behind. Sometimes when things get hectic, I can see how a family might leave behind a child on accident. I've never actually done it, but can see how people do.

This brought up a discussion with our kids about what to do if they were ever left behind. It reminded us that we haven't had this talk in a while and it was a great refresher. As you take your road trips and vacations this summer, weave in some safety as you go over your family plan about what to do if your child found themselves in a situation where they were separated from the rest of the family. What is your plan? It's smart to have this talk often and over many situations (the zoo, vacation, a theme park, etc.) and if you fit it into an actual trip, it won't be random and scare your child too much!

Bug-Out-Bags and Why You Should Have Them


What is a bug-out-bag? Well, it's a bag that contains everything you would need in order to survive in the event of an emergency or disaster that caused you to have to get up and leave your house in a hurry. Who should have them? You should have one for each person in your home.

photo credit: survivalcache.com

There are a few different scenarios in which you may need to use a bug-out-bag, so a lot of people like to have one at home and one to keep in the car as well. It's most important though, to have at least one bag for each person in your home, ready for when the day comes that you need to "bug out." When you have these bags packed, you can drop everything else, gather your family, grab the bags, and leave.


You should pack enough for each person to survive a minimum of 72 hours with nothing but the contents inside the bag. You'll need a big backpack for this and you can find them online. (We kept our eyes open for sales and picked up two of them on clearance at Walmart). The other one came from a garage sale and I believe the 4th one was something my husband had left over from his time in the military.


I've found some other websites that have great information pertaining to bug-out-bags, so follow these links to find what should be inside your bags. One of the following links also has a check list that you can print out and use to pack your bags. This is important, so do it well!


Emergency Mama (printable list)
Survival Cache
American Preppers Network 

The Wonderment of Nature


Today was a beautiful day in Oregon and Washington. We got to see Mount St. Helens covered in snow, tour the visitor center, and then we took a walk outside along a bridge that took us over a lily pad-filled lake where we saw flowers that were foreign to us, frogs jumping around, fish splashing, ducks swimming, and Canadian Geese wandering down a dirt path. What an experience!

photo credit: milepoint.com

The sun was shining brightly and there was just a tiny bit of humidity as we walked over that lake and the sun reflected off the water back onto us. The kids ran, played, giggled, and explored as we enjoyed the beautiful outdoors God gave us. What a day! Definitely a day in which I was reminded that the mountains declared the Glory of God!