• About
    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • Ministry
    • Video
    • St. Peter Institute
  • Contact

A Little Flower Grows

Catholic Blog by Stephanie Peter

Exploring South Florida, Part I: The Everglades

May 23, 2016

After finals, I stayed at school for an extra week to complete the labs for my online summer class, Environmental Science. We spent the week exploring and adventuring in southern Florida, doing all kinds of exciting things ~ like taking nature walks, going on an airboat tour and a swamp buggy ride in the Everglades, and boating and fishing for critters in an estuary. We also got up close and personal with some alligators ~ I even held one!

Even though I’ve gone to school in Florida for two years, I haven’t done much exploring down there. So it was really exciting and fascinating to see and experience some of Florida’s awesome wildlife, unique environment, and sheer beauty. 
Today, allow me to share with you my adventures in the Everglades! (A heads-up: these adventures include bears and alligators.)
Airboat Tour
We went on an airboat tour with Wooten’s Everglades Airboat Tours, and it was such a blast! Our captain, JR, shared lots of interesting facts about the Everglades, and he enjoyed driving the boat really fast and taking sharp curves ~ causing us to get sprayed with water, of course. It was so fun though ~ and so beautiful, as you can see!
Swamp Buggy Ride
Next we went across the street for a swamp buggy tour, for which we drove through the swamp as well as on land through the woods (as you can see). It was beautiful, and we saw all kinds of wildlife, including deer (lots of babies), squirrels, and even a black bear! (bottom photo) He was a 3-4 year-old bear who has lots more growing yet to do, and who was contentedly munching away on some corn when we pulled up near him. He was so cute! 
Alligator Time
This same place had lots of animals in enclosures, like crocodiles, otters, panthers, and of course alligators. One employee demonstrated, with the alligator in the top picture, how the Native Americans used to capture and tie up alligators, and he also gave lots of interesting facts about gators. Then he showed us a smaller type of alligator, which we got to hold! So there’s me, holding a little alligator ~ he was so cute! It alllllllmost made me want a pet alligator 😉
Stay tuned for another post or two about my lab adventures ~ I have more exciting stories and pictures for you!
Have you ever been to the Everglades or to Florida?
Sincerely,
~Stephanie
facebook // instagram // pinterest

Related

Categories: adventure, college, Florida, fun, Summer, travel

Related Posts

Highlights of Europe: Prague
2015 In Review
{Summer Wardrobe Essentials} Colors
Previous:
How to Decide if You Should Transfer Colleges
Next:
Exploring South Florida, Part II: Boating + Fishing + Beaching

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Me

Hi, I'm Stephanie!

Catholic wife, mama of two, and homemaker. Michigan native, thrift shopper, and tea drinker. Embracing and striving for authentic womanhood as God designed. Welcome to my little corner of the internet, where I share from my heart about wife life, mama life, and Catholic life. Pour a cup of tea and stay awhile!

Let’s Connect

Recent Posts

  • Top 12 Catholic Board Books
  • 8 Tips to Get More Done with an Infant
  • Welcome to My Blog Relaunch!
  • 8 Essential Baking Supplies Every Beginner Needs
  • Top 9 Powerful Novenas for Catholics

Topics

Blog Archive

Selfie Shade Match - trèStiQue

follow me on instagram

alittleflower_grows

Catholic 🙏🏻 Wife 💍 Mama 👦🏽👧🏽 Homemaker 🧺
Embracing authentic femininity as God designed 🤍
Shop: @alittleflower_thrift ✨coming soon✨
Blog + links👇🏻

Stephanie Peter | Catholic Womanhood + Motherhood
Soaking up all the nice weather we’re still havi Soaking up all the nice weather we’re still having here in SE Michigan, and feeling a little reluctant for fall to come. I love fall, but it’s always a reminder that my least favorite season is rapidly on its way 😅 But we’ve been having a lovely September and I’m here for all the pleasant temperatures and abundant flowers and time spent outside in the refreshing air 💙 
(Pictured here: my son while we were out raspberry picking last weekend)
Just some August memories (okay, and a couple from Just some August memories (okay, and a couple from very early September lol) 🤍 What a blessed month August was with lots of family time, our daughter’s 1st birthday, and slow sweet summertime.
“Not all of us can do great things, but we can d “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” (Mother Teresa)
Motherhood + homemaking are full of “small things.” Vacuuming, washing dishes, changing diapers; picking up toys, folding the laundry, reading stories. And so often we find ourselves doing these things with bitterness, annoyance, or reluctance. But let’s catch ourselves and instead try to do them with “great love” in our hearts. Making this simple mindset shift can make all the difference! Instead of seeing drudgery in all our day-to-day tasks, let’s see them as opportunities to love our families (and, by extension, God) even more. ✨
“The homemaker has the ultimate career. All othe “The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only - and that is to support the ultimate career.” • A beautiful quote about homemaking from one of my favorite authors, C.S. Lewis.

Fellow homemakers & mamas, we are not “just” homemakers or “just” stay-at-home moms. We have the most important job in the world: caring for our children & our homes, forming little souls, shaping the next generation, and most importantly, raising future saints. 

It is a privilege and a blessing to have such a job, one that God designed women for in a unique way. May God always give us the we need to do it well. 💕
New mamas, I know how hard the transition can be w New mamas, I know how hard the transition can be when you bring a new baby home. When you feel like you can’t get anything done anymore. Between feeding, changing, and holding the baby, oftentimes there’s no time (or energy) for anything else. And while caring for your baby is of course a worthy job, it doesn’t change the fact that there are things you need or want to do. 

I get it—I’ve been there and still am! But I’ve figured out some hacks along the way that I want to share with you.

So mamas, here are my top 8 tips to get things done, even with an infant in the mix!

1. Prioritize prayer over everything.
2. Make checklists.
3. Prioritize 1-2 tasks for the day.
4. Babywear.
5. Take advantage of small windows of opportunity.
6. Accept help.
7. Practice teamwork with your spouse.
8. Go easy on yourself.

Read all the details in my newest blog post! Link in bio. And always remember mamas, you’re doing a great job, and God chose YOU to be the mother of your baby! There is no greater mother for your baby than you! 💗

What are your best tips for keeping up with tasks after a baby? Let me know in the comments!
One of my favorite quotes about motherhood comes f One of my favorite quotes about motherhood comes from my favorite saint (and the namesake of my little babe featured in this video), St. Thérèse the Little Flower: “The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God is the heart of a mother.” Her own mother is also a canonized saint, St. Zélie—so I know Thérèse spoke from firsthand experience! How beautiful that the love in our own motherly hearts is a reflection of God’s love for us! Let’s strive to live up to that reflection, and to follow St. Zélie’s example in our own motherhood and raise wonderful saints.
Hi, I’m Stephanie 👋🏻 Welcome if you’re n Hi, I’m Stephanie 👋🏻 Welcome if you’re new here, or welcome again if you’ve followed me before! I’m revamping & relaunching this account, as well as my blog (A Little Flower Grows) with a whole new sense of inspiration and mission ✨

A little bit about me:
• I’ve been married to my husband, Marcus, for a little over 4 years
• We now have two babies, Benedict (20 months) and Therese (6 months)
• I’m a full-time stay-at-home mom and homemaker, and it’s my dream job
• I’m a devout Roman Catholic
• We live in southeast Michigan where I grew up
• Check out my blog post to read more! (Link in bio)

I can’t wait to dive into this account and blog to bring you inspiring, encouraging content on womanhood & motherhood from an authentically Catholic perspective. 

Please feel free introduce yourself in the comments—I can’t wait to get to know you all!
Yesterday’s Memorial Day cake, baked by yours tr Yesterday’s Memorial Day cake, baked by yours truly 🇺🇸 Speaking of baking, did you catch last week’s blog post about my top 8 essential baking supplies?! Hop on over to read my list - from one beginner baker to another - of baking supplies that every beginner needs! Link in bio👩🏻‍🍳
——
I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! 🙏🏻
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Theme by SkyandStars.co
Back Top

Copyright © 2023