Blog List Missing

Um - I think I am going crazy - has anyone else lost their list of blogs they are following. I had like 10 and now there are none, hummmmm.....?

Call me paranoid....

Hey everyone - I thought I would just put a little note on here to let everyone know I have decided to stop giving any details about when Michael is specifically away both on here and Facebook. For those who may know me well, you know I am pretty layed back, but recently I have been a little paranoid that someone is going to break into our house or something. We even had a little incident on Saturday with some ladies coming to our door to ask for money and we thought they may be "checking out" our house. So, crazy me decided to call the sheriff's office and they came to check things out. But anyways - I am not going crazy I promise but figure that I should take care of the proper precautions. Hey, you should be impressed that I actually got the key to the garage door out and on my keyring now :) Anyways - I do love my husband and while he is not going to be here to much I am going to not broadcast those details to everybody and their brother in the web world that may be watching us. :) Take care - Hope to give some baby updates soon and scan in the ultrasounds from well - a while back. Have a great Tuesday!

Thinking of Doing Around Town

Ok - so here I go again - I had all this typed at 8 this morning, but (I am blaming my kids) I lost it so......

So, I look forward to going to MOPS (Moms of Pre-Schoolers) twice a month for various reasons, but one is the newsletter because it has some great happenings and such around town. So, I thought I would just get the info and if anyone wants to join me for anything then we could plan from there. Not necessarily doing them all - they just got my interest and thought I would share with others who may be interested.

Mystical Arts of Tibet - This week - Jan. 26-29 Visual Arts Center - Heard of this one on the news - Main Idea - These Monks take a four day process of creating a mandala out of sand. The sand is all different colors and they way they apply it it looks like liquid. This is like a spiritual cleansing process for them so after the full piece has been created and the crowd is in awe, they distroy it. Looks really interesting. I am considering the 4 day pass. You can get a one day pass for $6 or a 4 day pass for $20 to view it throughout the process. http://www.vac.org.cn/exhibitions.html

Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy - Feb 1 Marina Civic Center - Straight from Broadway - it was actually showing when we were in New York in August, but we did not make it. I would love to go, but it is a little pricey - but figured I would just list it and see :) Tickets are $40-$50 http://www.marinaciviccenter.com/events_calendar.aspx?CalDate=2009-Feb-01

President's Fun Day - Feb 7, 2-4, PC Renaissance School - Not sure about this (and it's the same day as the parade) but sounds interesting. Parade, games, crafts and prize for best president costume. www.panamacitykids.org

Mardi Gras Parades and Festivities - I must say that I enjoy a good Mardi Gras parade. I have never done this here, so I need to make sure all is safe for the family but here are the three I have found info on. Mike is only here for one, so if you are interested in any just let me know and we can go together, otherwise we will probably just go on the 7th.

Krewe of Massalina Feb 6-7 Parade is 7th at 3 down Harrison, activities will be taking
place in McKenzie park Fri 6pm-10 and Sat 11-10
Krewe of Dominique Youx Feb 14 PC Beach Parade starts at 3 heads from Front
Beach to Pier Park www.dominiqueyoux.com
Krewe of SAINT ANDREWS Feb 20 (4-10pm) Feb 21 (10-10) Parade is at 3 downtown
St Andrews http://panamacitydowntown.com/Default.aspx?tabid=2184

Bob the Builder!!! Apr 22 Calling all Bob the Builder fans - this is not until April, but we are planning to take Landon as a suprise - probably a daddy date night. If think your kiddo would like to sit with Landon we will be buying tickets this week. Prices range from $16-32 each Need to get tickets soon! http://www.marinaciviccenter.com/events_calendar.aspx?CalDate=2009-Apr-01

Weekly events I am always interested in making into a playdate...
Reptile Feeding at the Jr Museum - Thursdays at 3:30pm Admission is $5 a person unless you have a membership - The Museum is also always FREE on Mondays (unless it has changed) http://jrmuseum.org/index.htm

Toddler Skate every Friday 10-12 Rock It Lanes PCBeach - this is really fun. $4 for the kids and that includes a hot dog or pizza lunch. This isn't actually skating. You can bring a toy, bike or whatever and there are lots of different items for the kids to play with and a bouncey castle. My boys loved it the first time. Since the older ones are in school the kids aren't run over.

Also there are story times at the library - I am still trying to figure it out because I have two seperate age groups, so they officially aren't suppose to be in each others class. Hummm

Well anyways - I figured I would just put a call out for some interaction if you are interested :) If you know of any other deals or free activities please pass them along :)

Have a good weekend. Michael got home a day early so we have the entire weekend which is nice. Glad this one will make it to posting - that was a lot of typing to lose!!!! I just hope I got it all.....

A quick update

I haven't written in a while, so I thought I would just do a little hello. I have several ideas of things I would like to post - I hope I actually do it. Life is treating us well this New Year. Last year ended a little sour just with me not having my heart in the right places and not allowing Christ to be in charge of my life. I definately could see it - patience was NONE with the kids, my attitude was sour, my days were regretful and Michael and I seemed to be struggling over little things that I probably could not even remember - life was petty. This year I am seeking to be more near Christ therefore allowing him to be in charge of my life. I couldn't sleep this morning so at 4:30 I decided to wake-up, I did a little busy work - put a load of laundry in, cut some fabric for a flip-flop project I am helping with and then I settled into my Philippians Bible Study. I am in a Wednesday morning Mom's Bible Study. This next week we are starting the actual study of Philippians - a book with the theme of joy and unity, of accountability and confidence in God within the believers of Christ. What a fresh way to start a Saturday. My theme verse for this week that I am planning to read over myself daily is now posted 3 times on this blog - so if you are reading, I am holding you accountable to pray this over yourself out of the love of our friendship..."And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God."~ Philippians 1:9-11

Well, I am looking forward to a COLD but good weekend as we try to have some family time. Michael heads out this Monday-Saturday, then home for 2 full days and out again. The good thing is that the negativity that was there all last year as he was away so much is not there - yes there will be sligh remarks, but you know :) We spent over an hour last night in candlelight and a simple flashlight - for no other reason that to enjoy playing with the boys in a fort turned into a tent that I started, got destroyed before Mike got home and then he reconstructed to a much better design :) Well, the boys are rousing - it is 6:50 and I am thinking in my prego mind, sausage, pancakes and eggs!!!! YUMMY!

It's all in a Day!

Well this is a day late ~ but we are enjoying our visit with Leigh and the time that Michael is off this week. Yesterday was quite a humorous day. If only a camera was around, but maybe you will get your own giggles through words.

It all started fairly slow - Landon's first day back at school (3 hours allows so much without two extra hands!) Well, Michael was wanting to go pick Landon up by bike, but Landon was expecting Aunt Leigh to be there as well. Solution - we took a family bike ride about 1 1/2 miles down to the school. The day was very nice if only for the wind. But the ride was enjoyable. Mike and I had not been on our bikes in over 6 months and Leigh - well ages beyond the stationary bike. I am sure there will be some hurting tooshes today! We joked that we needed to go buy that 12" bike seat at the bike store - looks rather comfortable to me. It is a little difficult deciding which side gets to sit and which just hangs on for the ride if you know what I mean :) So that was pretty eventless though a site to see the three bikes and bike cart heading down the road.

While Landon was at school we did a little cooking. While the Chocolate Chip Snicker Cookies turned out rather well, the crescent cookies on the other hand....Ummm, well, you see.....We call them crescent bars now. There is absolutely nothing crescent about them. BUT they are eatable! and rather tasty. It wouldn't of been such a big lose had we not all three sat and cracked 1 cup of pecans by hand. It was rather funny looking at the "completed" flat pan of cookies cool on the table.

Now, for the real giggles. Last night I was afraid Michael would wake up and I would be laughing in my sleep because it still makes me laugh out loud. WHAT A SITE!!! Through the wind we were still able to get some good outdoor time. Leigh and I at one point were enjoying the hammock in our backyard haning between a tree and the swingset Michael made for the boys a few years ago. All was going well. They we were - two grown ladies, my head at one end with Leigh's head laying at the other end. All the world was at peace and then BOOM! It was hilarious! Everything was just fine until Landon came and put his full weight on the hammock. All was well with Leigh and I so it is apparently Landon's whole 30 pounds that caused all the drama. As we just lay there Mike slowly turns around and ask if we are ok. HELLO - a prego woman and your sister laying on the ground. It was all good. We were joking about being all "stove up" as the older generations call it. I do have some aches in my shoulder and back today and Leigh is feeling the pain, too. But we are fine. I just can't help but laugh out loud when I think of it. I am giggling now. HAAAA Hilarious!!!

Well, by now it is Thursday afternoon - we are hoping for pedicures in bit. I did my fun sugar test today so we shall get my platelet count and sugar test results on Monday at my next appointment I hope. Take care and STOP LAUGHING at us!!! HAAA!!!

Insights of a 3 Year Old

Landon never seems to amaze me with his questions, insights and observations. He has hit a very whiny stage and comes up with some down right funny things to complain about - I find myself trying not to laugh at him when, for instance, last night he had a meltdown as I was starting to make grilled cheese because he first did not want the butter directly on the bread and then was beside himself about how the cheese was placed. While Michael finally sent him to timeout for whining, I myself was trying to hide my laughter.

But just today alone he has said some things that just seemed blog worthy. Some of you know of the marker incident. Well, long story short - Landon does not get markers until his 4th birthday. Some days he is fine with this, other days he is questioning why he can't have markers - as if the whole experience wasn't completely traumatic for all involved. So, this morning I had some cards for him to place in his wallet. We always put a big X on the back to know they are play credit/discount cards for confusion sake. So he ask me - "why can't I put the X on the back". There was no reason so I said, "That's fine you can put the X on the back." Then in all his honesty says, "But I can't use markers." I was going to let him make a simple X, but since he said it I was like "You're right, you can't have markers til you're 4 so I guess you can't make the X's." I love the honesty of children! (I did let him use a pen and make the X's :) The next thing was as we were taking Michael to the airport we did a small detour at Lowe's so I could do a quick return. As we are sitting at the red light leaving Landon randomly starts expressing how he doesn't like the bank on the street corner so close to the store (Lowe's). While it is beside the parking lot, there is plenty of room between the two. But, he was insistant as to why they did not put it across the street with Home Depot and the collection of other stores crammed on the opposite side of the street. It was amusing. Michael finally just said, "I am sorry they did not ask you before they started building." This of course did not stop the questions but was the start to the end.

Little boys - little kids. Just think when Zach starts really expressing beyond throwing his temper tantrums and then Baby ?????. All 3 - now that will be the day!

Michael is heading to Washington State so this is a full weekend for me, yet with nothing to do but keep my sanity. Monday can't come soon enough - oh and I finally finished my Christmas shopping today - I know only a week late, still have to get one gift made but since it is for Leigh who is coming on Monday we are still in good shape - Out to enjoy this beautiful day - Take care!

All Christmas Had to Offer in 2008

Wow 2008 has already passed us by and we are into 2009! Just 9 years ago Michael and I had our first "Christmas picture" taken before we were ever dating. I was completely not even in the market for a date, yet who would know that we would start dating in January 2000 and 9 years later celebrating our Christmas as a family of four, soon to be five with 6 years of marriage behind and so many more to go. This year has been rough at times, completely enjoyable at others, suprising, enlightening, complicated yet full of blessings all the same. Finally I am getting around to our Christmas season highlights and I hope you will enjoy them with us. (Top - Christmas '99 at the Wesley Foundation at Mississippi State - there's a good story behind this picture, Right - This '08 Christmas)

Christmas this year was so fun to watch unfold in so many ways. Landon who is three (4 in Feb) finally got the idea of Christmas and was so excited about everything! Zach who is 1 (2 in March) still seemed clueless about everything, but surprised us on several different occasions with how in tune he was with everything. Last year Michael was away for Christmas so this year was our first year to really start some traditions of our own you could say. It all started with decorating as soon after Thanksgiving travel as possible. We tried to allow the boys a chance to help whenever possible. Their favorite part was setting up the Nativity outside with daddy. Landon had insisted that he wanted a new train for Christmas, but on this special morning as he was patiently waiting for dad to get dressed and ready, Landon already dressed with shoes on decided he needed a toolbelt and managed to fit all his "necessary" tools in the many pockets of his pants. So the need for a train, though still on the list, was overrided by the obvious need for a toolbelt. Thank you Nana and Grandpa Mihalik for taking care of this!!! Then there were cookies that had to be made. Michael has his famous, secret family recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies of which I dare not to attempt. So it was fun seeing how excited all of them (more Mike than the boys :) were about making many cookies starting for Thanksgiving and going throughout the holidays. That is one thing that Michael can cook! Zach even got in on the fun and never wanted to be left out of any action taking place. The decorating of the tree was fun. Of course we had to provide a little direction, but the best part was when Michael showed Landon his baby ornament. Landon was so proud of his cute little ornament that he kept showing it off. At one point we looked and the last 4 ornaments that Landon had hung were all on the same branch right with his special ornament. Zach, on the other hand, thought it more fun to take ornaments off or play in a string of beads I made back when we had Kayla and Cheyenne living with us. This January Landon will be attending Good Shephard Lutheran School for one year (3 half days a week). The Spring show did not go over very well, but boy did he get into the Christmas play this year! His class were the donkeys and what cute, yet simple outfits they had. A white t-shirt with the face of a - Landon painted - donkey velcroed to the front. They even had a little tail hanging in the back all finished with a pair of black socks on their hands. He asked us for weeks when we would come and see him and we were so proud to watch him as he knew the words and motions so well and truly was excited to be on stage. I must say that as I videoed him I couldn't help but get a little watery thinking of how he is growing (and the complete 360 he did from that last performance which was just - wow!) As I mentioned I did video it and am proud of myself for not just letting it sit in the camcorder like all the rest. I used iVideo and made a great little DVD if I may say so myself with subtitles and all! We have watched that movie so many times. Landon ask daily to watch his donkey movie!

Also, the boys really enjoyed doing the advent wreath this year. My Wednesday Bible study made advent wreaths and we lit the candles every night we were at home. Of course the stories were kept short. Actually I have a board book that broke the story of Jesus down into 2-4 pages (10-15 sentences at most) and so most nights we just read a story from there. Some nights we sang a song, but we always let the boys help to light the appropriate candle. It was fun sometimes hearing Landon to correct us if we by chance said the candle names out of order (hope, joy, peace, love). Zach was so cute as they also were allowed to blow out the candle they had lit. Zach decided on his own that of course the best way to blow out his candles would be to crawl up on the table - better wind speed.

Christmas Eve Michael's parents drove in after we had attended our Eve Service. Michael always insist we put cookies, milk and carrots out for Santa and the reindeer. Throughout the season we actually sat and watched several Christmas movies as a family. Zach is our little movie goo-roo and Landon is getting better about sitting through them. Landon was extremely into Santa this year, which we always directed him to the true reason - the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, but allowed him all the delight he so found in Santa. Michael had this "grand" idea to wake the boys up at some point in the night and "sneak down to see if Santa has come". I looked at him rather crazy and put my two cents in that I thought it a crazy idea to wake a 1 and 3 year old in the middle of the night, but he was more than welcome to do whatever he wanted. So, I slept.... while I did wake up early to get the day started, the fam made it downstairs around 7ish I guess. Michael had come down with the boys and successfully got them back to sleep without any problems it seems. The best part though was that our little Zach who is always taking everything in, though doesn't express any knowledge in many words knew EVERYTHING that was going on. He has been starting to sleep in his big boy bed which of course comes with more freedom. Well, apparently it was Zach who woke Michael up around 12:30 only after he had already taken himself downstairs in the dark to the den only lit by the lights of the Christmas tree, rearranged and played with his Little People from Santa before heading to our room to get Mike. Guess he needed to verify Santa had visited before waking the house :) It was also fun watching Michael get the boys all excited about tracking Santa all around the world. Funny how just as Mike went downstairs Santa had just been tracked right in our area - Good timing! Well Christmas day was filled with all the joy of the morning. I finally managed to get our meal on the table around 4pm and it wasn't half bad. The weather here was typical - in the 70's though today as I type it is rather "brisk" for the area. But, as for Christmas we were able to take a nice walk in the neighborhood with the grandparents and visit some of the holding ponds aka - alligator ponds to Landon. While no alligators were spotted (and never have been) we did find a rather nice box turtle enjoying his day. Michael's parents headed out mid-day Friday and we just relaxed enjoying the fact that Michael was home and all the rush of cleaning, cooking, enjoying and such had come to a stand still. It was a good Christmas, quiet to some degree yet very nice in the other. Both of our families were seperated this year to cover Texas, Mississippi, Louisana, South Carolina, Missouri, and even elsewhere - but the memories of past gatherings was there.

2009 is a year so yet unknown put still offerring so many memories and moments to cherish (maybe a few to forget :) We are looking forward to having Leigh, Michael's, sister come in just a few days for a week and Landon has already started planning his 4th birthday party for Feb. So, until Baby ????? is born we have something big planned for each month. I am looking forward to it. Enjoy the pics!!! I hope to get an actual card in the mail here soon, but until then keep looking at the blog or just get in touch with me - Take care, I love you and send my best to you this New Year!!!

(Oh, for New Year's we were a little boring, but still enjoyed having our friends Jake, Jill and daughter Rebakah over for dinner, snacks, a good game of Settlers of Catan and the ball dropping. We stayed up until after midnight! I am impressed are you? Since I just realized Michael never grew up with fireworks, we are definately doing fireworks next year!!! I mean, the little glow sticks worked well for the ball dropping and all, but really!!! (and yes we did have the little $1 from Target glow sticks!) Happy 2009!!!