Wildlife Wednesday - Nature post link up & a giveaway

I participate on Wednesday with Kathy Balman @Kathy's Cluttered Mind and Master Books at Creation Conversations to bring you Wildlife Wednesday. We share our adventures in nature and information about encounters with God's beautiful creation.

This week: Kathy Balman is hosting the WW post here

Around our place - we are always on the lookout for a new critter to observe! 

Are you finding any fun critters around your place for some up close observation? 

We are giving away The Ecology Book from Master Books!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Link up your own wildlife and nature posts and be Pinned to the Master Books Wildlife Wednesday pinboard and shared around the web. Please provide a link back to this post in order to spread the word!

Grab the button below or use a text link:

Field tripping our way to Teach Them Diligently - you can too!

It's that time again! We are getting geared up to hit the road for Teach Them Diligently in Nashville!
I just wrote about why TTD Convention is a frugal choice for our family (and why I think everyone should check it out). I mentioned that we plan family adventures around these conventions and things.
Road trips are a wonderful opportunity to get out and explore new areas, visit museums, and learn new things.

We join a local science museum associated with the ASTC Passport Program (Association of Science and Technology Centers) which gives us access to hundreds of museums across the country - for free!

Check out the full list of participating museums and science centers here to plan your own museum stops along the way. We will also be camping and exploring all we can from Southwest FL to Nashville.

We are heading from waaaaaaayyyyy down south. If you'll be headed this way

 (like maybe for TTD Marketplace in Ft Myers) You may want to check out the links under the map for a few exciting family field trip ideas. 

Ft. Myers - Edison House, Sanibel Island and Captiva, Ding Darling Wildlife Preserve

Boca Grande- beaches, fishing with Captain Mark Becton  

Just a few local parks with Hiking, fishing, kayaking: 

• 1 - Ainger Creek Park
• 2 - Amberjack Environmental Park
• 3 - Anger Fishing Pier
• 4 - Bay Heights Park
• 5- Boca Grande Fishing Pier Park
• 6 - Cape Haze Pioneer Trail
• 7 - Cedar Point Environmental Park
• 8 - Myakka Park
• 9 - Placida Park
• 10 - The Learning Garden
• 
  

North Florida: Once we get out of our general area and head into North Florida, our adventure begins:  

On our list: 

 Paynes Prairie Preserve to see the bison and wild horses! 

Oleno State Park - for a picnic and a beautiful walk by the river - small history museum here too with the 

old grist mill: 

We can use our Science Center membership at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainsville

We also love Ichetucknee Springs in that area and Stephen Foster

In the Panhandle: 

 

Lake Jackson Mounds in Tallahassee

FL Caverns is amazing (we just did that one on the way back from Real Refreshment w Apologia) 

We will most likely just keep working our way up I75 into Georgia and may do the Panhandle on return! 

Kathy Balman @ Kathy's Cluttered Mind - has a wonderful list of GA field trips here

Here is a link to the GA state Parks page

A few of our favorite stops in Georgia: 

Reed Bingham SP - is not too far off the beaten path and is a great place for a picnic and to stretch your legs (they have mini golf!) 

Ocmulgee National Monument  and more on Ocmulgee history here (Macon, GA) 

High Falls State Park  - right off the highway with trails and waterfalls 

On our list: Shoot the Hootch! 

There are quite a few places to use your ASTC Passport - in and around Atlanta - and on up into Tennessee go here for list. We are heading out early so we can meet up with Marcy @ Ben and Me for a field trip to the science center in Nashville. 

Chattanooga is a fun place to visit. We enjoy Rock City (cave tours) and  the Battle Grounds 

(the battle grounds on top of Lookout Mountain are a MUST DO for us) My grandfather was born in Chicamauga and it holds a lot of history for our family. Read the Battle history here.

 We will also visit the Parthenon in Nashville.

AND the Nature Centers! (there are 4 big ones)  

We've got our field guides, we've got our back packs and our nature journals - and we'll be headed off! 

I hope you can join us at TTD in Nashville -  there are other options available here: 

Here's a great list of some others who will be field tripping their way to TTD! 

Free #Letter of the week studies - all have bible and handwriting, most have spelling, geography, science and  history as well - Freebie link at bottom of each post - You will find recipies and fun ideas for study in the posts themselves: 

Aa is for . . . All we like sheep

Bb is for . . . Behold the Lamb 

Cc is for . . . Create in me 

Dd is for . . . Do unto others 

Ee if for . . . Even a child 

Ff is for . . . Follow me 

Our Homeschool Week - AdventureZ on the road

Letter of the week . . . B

We are joining Marcy +Ben and Me  for her Blogging through the alphabet series - we plan our homeschool week around the letter of the week.  The boys are now helping to find ways to incorporate new words for our theme - it's become a family project. Jump in and join along as we make our way through the alphabet.

B is for Blooms - the yellow is Bear Foot 

We read about the wildflowers in FL Caverns State Park and then went on a hike to find them 

Wild lilies, periwinkle, bears foot, and trillium. 

In my life this week. . . B is for Believe 
At the Apologia Real Refreshment Retreat we heard from Heidi St. John who eloquently, gently and with a gracious sense of humor - encouraged us in the Word. If you have not been to a Real Refreshment Retreat - I highly recommend it. I wrote about it here. 

I will have the privilege of hearing from Heidi again (along with many other great speakers) at Teach Them Diligently, in May. If you don't have your tickets yet, you can get them through my affiliate link here. We will be heading to TN. The conference was fantastic last year and I have had a behind the scenes look at what to expect this year - don't miss it! It's a powerful thing having a strong group of believers under the same roof for this type of unique homeschool experience. Amazing.

People we are seeing . . . B is for Boys and Best Buddies -birds of a feather 
Time with family is the best - We love making cousin memories. I have special memories from my childhood filled with silly cousin antics. It does our hearts good to see our children enjoying that same family bond.

                       

In our homeschool this week . . . B is for Barns and Spring Blooms 
This is one of my favorite pictures from the week (scenery pics anyway) The people are always the most special - but I love the dreamy peaceful feeling this photo invokes. We pulled off the side of the road and I stood in a mud puddle to get it! 

As we left GA heading into Alabama - we hit the back roads looking for adventure.

B is for Biography . . .  We came across the area where Franklin D. Roosevelt enjoyed spending time. We didn't have time to go all the way to the FDRoosevelt State Park  or to Roosevelt's Little White House  but we did get a look at why he loved the area in general. It opened up conversation for us about that time in history as well as how it related to our own family history. See a video about him here.  We will be watching it as a follow up to our adventure. 

B is for Bluff Trail . . . hiking at Florida Caverns 

We learned about the limestone bluffs in north Florida hands on by hiking the trails and through first hand observation.

 We read more about them inside the little museum at the park. 

We are reading, learning, exploring  - B is for Beneficial Bat . . .

                      

Wild America - Bats (free streaming video with Amazon Prime- free trial) View here

All about bats - for kids here online 

Bats around the World - book 

Places we are going - B is for . . . Back roads of Alabama - We went from Southwest FL to Atlanta, GA to Eufaula, Alabama to Marianna, FL and then back home!
We loved the historic homes and National Wildlife Refuge in Eufaula - historic paddle boat, birds,
bugs and buds.

                      

B is for bare essentials and backwoods . . . it was a Bit chilly! 

We made it to North FL to camp at Arrowhead Campground. We decided it was a wee bit too cold to pitch our tent, so I spent an extra $20 to spring for a small cabin. Worth. Every. Penny. It smelled of Murphy's Oil Soap and had sweet little plaid curtains, a half bath and a space heater. Perfect with the bare essentials to keep us warm and cozy. 

I'm thankful - B is for Boys will be Boys . . . They got to run and play, fish with a cane pole and shoot into the pond with sling shots. We hiked and explored a cave.
We sat by the fire and talked long into the night.
Beautiful. Boisterous. Boys.

B is for . . . By the light of the moon, historic buildings (brick and mortar), more blooms, baby turtles and Bald cypress 

We read about the Battle of Marianna and then visited the Bold Civil War Monument honoring the men who fought there. 95 "old men and boys" stood their ground against 900 Union soldiers. It was one of the few Civil War Battles which took place in the State of Florida. 

                       

                       

B is for . . . "Behold the Lamb" - Free Bible verse printable here (both print and cursive)

Best of all - B is for . . . Bouncing Baby Boy 

We finally got to meet our new baby cousin - we love him so much! 

Be still my heart! 

Linking with - Holy Spirit Led Homeschool , The Imagination Tree , Creative Family Fun hammock tracks

Sun Scholars  , Camera Phone Friday, Favorite Resources this Week, Homeschool Freebie Fridays, Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers  ABC blogging, Collage Friday, Educating Laytons ihomeschoolnetwork Mommy Teaches   homeschool fridays  friday faves Read.Explore.Learn I choose joy

Our homeschool week: A is for AdventureZ

We are beginning a new ABC blog series with Marcy @Ben and Me - it has inspired our homeschool to work around a letter of the week with them.
This week the letter is . . . A for AdventureZ 

In my life this week…

These two headed off into the yard to set traps to capture Big Foot. They are dead serious. This was the beginning of our AdventureZ . . . . 

We had plenty of down time to rest and relax. In order to avoid abiotrophy (degeneration; loss of physical vitality or ability) We recovered nicely from our trip and prepared to hit the road again . . . 

In our homeschool this week…

AdventureZ road school -  

We stopped at O'Leno State Park and saw a beautiful woodpecker - and learned about the history of the area. We took a nature walk . . . . . . . 

The old grist mill was interesting -
 we learned about the pioneer town of Leno 

AdventureZ with deer tracks . . . . 

AdventureZ in nature . . . . yes, that is a deadly coral snake (I used a zoom)
A is for Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh AAAAA snaaaaaaaaaaaake! 

                       

We are still on the road enjoying our AdventureZ - the Real Refreshment Retreat was
Amazing - I will Absolutely be back for more - I look forward to hearing from some of
those same speakers in TN at the TTD convention (see my side bar - join us!)

A is for . . . "All we like sheep" Isaiah 53:6 - 

Free Bible verse printable here (cursive and print)

And we are off . . . getting back on the road for more AdventureZ - on the Agenda: A Cave Tour and

A river Kayaking Adventure! Are you enjoying some adventure this week? 

Linking with - Holy Spirit Led Homeschool , The Imagination Tree , Creative Family Fun

Sun Scholars  , Camera Phone Friday, Favorite Resources this Week, Homeschool Freebie Fridays, Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers  ABC blogging, Collage Friday, Educating Laytons ihomeschoolnetwork Mommy Teaches   homeschool fridays  friday faves Read.Explore.Learn I choose joy

Our homeschool week - Zz is for . . .

In our homeschool this week . . . 

Reading, Learning, and Exploring 

We looked up New Zealand on the map and we read about it in the Children's Atlas by Reader's Digest 
We learned about the population - did you know there are about 4,115, 771 people in New Zealand and that there are 20 x that many sheep? Yup. Lots of sheep. They do a lot of farming, and fishing.

Zz is for sheep ZONE 

We read about their volcanoes and whale sharks and so much more -like ooZy volcanoes.

Zz is for Zacchaeus 

In our Master Books - A is for Adam book - we read about: 

Zz is for Zip - how quickly Jesus will return to take back His own- those whose names are written in the Lambs book of life. (which reminds us of all those lambs in New Zealand) It gives us a chance to pray for those around the world when we realize Jesus died for them too. 

Zz is for Zacchaeus - we sang the song about Zacchaeus . . . was a wee little man, a wee little man was he - he climbed up in a sychamore tree to see what he could see - Jesus said, "Zacchaeus, you come down, for I'm going to your house today." Luke 19:5 

Free printable bible verse sheet to practice cursive and print AND Free bible lesson here
Read the passage in Luke, with your kids, from the NIV here and from King James here

In our life this week . . . 

Zz is for Zany AdventureZ - 

We went to the Disney Wilderness campground

Then we Zigged on over to Legoland FL for Homeschool day 

And then Zagged on over to the MOSI Science Center in Tampa 

Zz is for Zoom - virtually to the International Space Station 

The kids did simulated real jobs - just like the astronauts do - even driving a rover on the moon 

Our AdventureZ weren't over yet - we headed for the FL Aquarium 

Zz is for Zealous - the boys worked on their photography and were really excited about it! The shots above were some of theirs. 

We learned that even the fish need to catch some Zz's 

And I'm now in recovery mode . . . . . Zzzzzzzzzzz Zzzzzzzzzz 

These are just a few of our Fave's from this week - Read about how we enjoy frugal AdventureZ here. 

Linking with - Holy Spirit Led Homeschool , The Imagination Tree , Creative Family Fun
Sun Scholars  , Camera Phone Friday, Favorite Resources this Week, Homeschool Freebie Fridays, Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers  ABC blogging, Collage Friday, Educating Laytons ihomeschoolnetwork Mommy Teaches   homeschool fridays  friday faves Read.Explore.Learn I choose joy

Frugal Family - Frugal in Florida

In an effort to save money this year,  I'm joining my friends Marcy +Ben and Me  as well as Sam +Sam's Noggin  to bring you this weekly  link up full of tips for becoming a more Frugal Family. We will be sharing ideas to help you save money on groceries and meals, homeschool, crafts, and plenty of frugal DIY posts. 

We've made many sacrifices so that I can stay at home to teach the boys, and I've become pretty frugal in order to help make that possible and to keep it that way. It's become a challenge I truly enjoy, and one I enjoy sharing with you!

Fun in the Sunshine State doesn't have to break the bank. We are sharing our Spring Break AdventureZ this week to give you a look at how we roll - frugal style!

We started our fun at the Disney Fort Wilderness campground with a $149 tent I bought on clearance at Walmart for $75 (it's the one with the red rain flap in the background of the pic below). We can easily fit 2 queen size mattresses and a twin with room for a dinner/game table. It's like a condo tent. You can rent a campsite there for just $54 per night and be treated to some genuine Disney fun.

We were invited to be part of a group camp with my nephew's cub scout troop. We used the Disney free transportation system (buses, boats, monorails) throughout their resorts to visit the pools, the shows, and movie night on the big outdoor screen. Even getting from place to place was a fun adventure with a Disney atmosphere.

Cost: $125 for 2 nights ($50 for a tank of gas)

I packed a cooler of food for the trip to save a bunch more as well. I cooked up some steak (bought on sale of course - $6.56) I seasoned it with our taco seasoning and brought grated cheese and tortilla's to roll 'em up with. We eat plenty of fresh fruit and raw carrots while on the road too. See here for more info. We ate chicken from Publix, beans and hot dogs and enjoyed smores with the group too! All in all, I didn't spend much more on food than we normally do each week.

Save on food while traveling by cooking ahead, by planning ahead and instead of running to a restaurant or fast food joint - step into the grocery store! There are many places to grab a picnic table to sit and enjoy a healthier meal together while on the road.

Next on the list: LegoLand Florida - $130 including LegoLand, hotel, breakfast, and lunch- 5 people

When we left Disney, we headed a short piece down the road toward LegoLand Florida. I had booked a hotel room using my Choice Privileges Membership. It's simple to find hotels for any taste with their system. I was looking for cheap but safe. I found a Quality Inn with entry from the lobby only (no outside doors to the rooms) for only $60 including tax and breakfast. It was older, but it was clean and affordable. It included a microwave which we used to cook beans and hot dogs and a fridge where we stored our milk, carrots, and cheese. 

The kids loved it and we brought our snacks too. We splurged on lunch with a bucket of chicken, fries and drinks for $29.99 - it fed 5 of us and we got free refills on the 4 drinks. I shared one with my little guy and no one seemed to mind. The GoGo Squeeze and raisin snacks were easy to carry in the backpack too!

Choosing the right day to go to LegoLand was the key. It was homeschool day, so we got in for a great deal. Only $8 per student (normally $69) $25 for parents (normally $79) - for every 5 students you get a free "teacher" ticket. LegoLand has several homeschool days planned each year, see dates here. You must provide homeschool ID and make advanced reservations to take advantage of those special rates. We had extra homeschool friends so I got in free.

. . . and then we were off to Tampa Bay. Again I used my Choice Rewards Membership and booked a safe, cheap, clean hotel for only $50 (no fridge and microwave and no breakfast) I bought dinner at Publix and breakfast as well - we did have the cooler. We used our blow up twin mattress for an extra bed in the hotel rooms - because we were traveling with a friend.

The next day we used our membership to MOSI Science Center to explore the new NASA exhibit and learn all about life on the International Space Station. I bought the membership using my free homeschool ID card from Homeschool Buyers Co-op here. (also used at LegoLand for hs ID)
The membership to MOSI usually costs $99 for the family, but we paid just $50 as a homeschool family. We also get free parking which saves an additional $4 on every visit.

*As part of the ASTC (Association of Science and Technology Centers) the MOSI pass gives us access to some 300 + museums around the world - get more info here. We plan entire getaways around the ASTC museums.

We spent the rest of the day at the Florida Aquarium where we also have a family membership. It includes other museums and aquariums in the SHARE program here for Florida and here for the AZA reciprocal program. We have visited the FL Aquarium at least 5 times this year saving plenty of money since adult tickets are $21.95 and children are $16.95 each visit. It would cost our family $85 per visit + parking, so our $144 membership was well worth it. We've also used it to visit other reciprocal museums during the free months.
Call the membership line and give my name "Kelli Becton" to receive 15% off your membership.

Total cost: $56 for the room and ice cream - memberships provided free entry and parking- $50 gas

The kids were on a photography assignment during the aquarium visit. Some of their pictures are being shown above. We are studying Swimming Creatures with Apologia Science so this trip fit right in with our homeschool studies.

Our big splurge at the aquarium was on ice cream for a snack! That, with a tank of gas for the 1 1/2 hour trip home was the biggest expense of the day. All in all - it was a whole lot of adventure for a little bit of green.

Total big adventure: $461 includes 5 people for 5 days - camping at Disney, hotel stay with breakfast, LegoLand FL with lunch, hotel stay, science museum, and aquarium - gas to Orlando, Tampa and back home.

Using discount memberships can be well worth the effort if you make the most of it and plan wisely!

Link up your own tips for saving money on our Frugal Family link up for January

Please grab the button to use or link via text - Visit others to encourage each other and

share great information! The group Pinterest board is here - I'm pinning away!

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