Spring Break '15: Part 2

Since Austin got the chance to go on the big deep sea fishing excursion that I talked about here, Troy got the choice of something fun he would like to do. 

Mini-golfing he chose! And ice-cream at "Coneheads" afterwards. There were 2 super cute mini golf places close by but we chose this one with the pirate ship. It was 18 holes and all were very unique. I didn't play but the 4 boys did. 

He mainly just wanted to hit that golf ball as hard and far as he could :). 

Having a great time!

This boy also was crazy for the sand and water at the beach. 

Running free like he loves to do.

We decided to spend a day walking downtown. Austin and Boppa had a good time reading the signs. At this exact Church, Martin Luther King spoke.

And he stayed overnight in this house.

Austin enjoys learning about all that special history stuff. And he really is inspired by the amazing things that Martin Luther King has done for our country.

"Martin Luther King Slept Here"

There was a really cool Pirate Museum and of course, this little guy wanted in. He got the chance to meet this pirate. Who even gave the kiddos a special golden coin. Troy was pretty astonished!

These kids loved this serious pirate. 

With my sweet Mom!

No flash photography in the museum for fear of ruining the old artifacts. But I still got some decent pics. 

Troy was digging all those big swords.

Steering the big wheel. 

More reading for this big 1st grader.

Arggghhhh! Trying our best pirate face.

The hubby and I.

My Dad loves history and he will read every single thing there is to read. He is a history lover and I love that quality of his. 

After that exhibit, we walked. And started listening to some awesome music and hung with this decked out dog. Apparently the dog use to do tricks in his younger days but now just sits and people watches. Still super adorable.

The kids didn't want to leave.

This free magic show was really neat! The guy with the pink sleeves said "No photography during my magic show because I don't want to give any tricks away and mostly because my Mom thinks I'm a lawyer!" 

Haha! So funny!! And the show was honestly really mind boggling! Stuff was flying and his wallet was in flames. Cool stuff!

After all that walking and sight seeing it was beach time. This lil boy was so excited!!

With his slingshot ready :).

Me and my boys!

And with my Dad.

He told me "Look, Mom, I'm a lizard." He was not at all scared of the chilly water. He had the best time in it.

And Daddy was going to put this big boy right into the water. 

But he didn't. Just a little tease :)

Austin took these photos for me. I love that he can do that now. There were many outtakes but we still got some cute ones. 

Loved the time with the wonderful man on vacation.

Jamie :)

Spring Break '15: Part 1

We returned from a fun family vacation about 2 weeks ago. Having my wonderful husband off from work and to spend a whole week with us was priceless! He is loved more than he will ever know :). The kids were so excited for this trip and for the chance to spend it with even more family at our destination. I love to remember our special family times and I find when I blog about them with pictures it is the easiest to do. So here we go...

This photo below was taken at the airport while we were greatly anticipating our flight from MN. And thank goodness for the wonderful playground that was close to our gate. That was amazing! 

The kiddos loved playing there and even met some lil friends. 

Happy to reunite with my sweet Dad.

Love him so much!!

So, shortly after we arrived to Florida Austin started getting fevers and was coughing some. Poor boy. He was feeling better and really wanted to go fishing. 

I asked him if he was feeling better while he was fishing and his reply??

 "I've got a fishin pole in my hand so I'm feeling great!"

 That boy and his love for fishing. He is so cute!!

And what a HUGE pole, huh?!

And this little sweetie got to hang out with some friends that we had met last time we were in Florida. 

Here we are on our way to the big boat. Seeing the huge assortment of boats was so cool at the dock.

And these birds were pretty awesome.

3 of my favorite men!

Boating was so much fun! The pretty lady on the right is my Mom and the pretty lady on the left is my Auntie Karen. How beautiful are they!

Here we are with the captain of the boat: My Uncle. He is an amazing host and captain! :) 

Austin got to drive. And he did a remarkably well job, even though I was a little bit worried.

One happy guy.

Nice selfie, hunny! I'm making a point to get more pictures of the 2 of us. Because if you are like me, I have tons of the kiddos and not many of just the 2 of us. It's a work in progress ;).

Troy is one of the cuties who loved driving that little 4 wheeler around. 

Teaching Troy how to fish. He really does like fishing but he is a little more interested in exploring and such. We met a super nice guy with his wife and son while fishing. After sharing some about our lives we find out he is a Baptist Pastor and his son is adopted. Him and his son will be coming to MN this summer to do some fishing. And his son was 10 yrs old I think and he caught a big crab. He showed us how he takes the pinchers off and turns it into bait. Such a brave boy! A & T were so amazed.

Out to eat at my Dad's favorite restaurant "The Oasis." And it was really good! Good music and delicious food! 

2 happy boys below!

Such a stunning view that was! 

We were on our way to our deep fishing destination. We went through the "Sea Love Charters" in St. Augustine and they were exceptional! 

Honestly, if you want to go deep sea fishing check them out HERE. It was one of the coolest experiences we have ever done.

Out we go! 

It was on "April Fool's Day" and Austin and I had some amazing plans! However, since this was the day we decided to go fishing (had to be at the boat at 7:15 am) and for some other reasons we didn't do them. Let's just say that next year will be epic ;).

But it sure was fun talking about our plans on the airplane. He loves to joke!!

This was at the center of the boat. And with all the excitement of going I didn't even get a photo of the outside of the boat. This guy was cutting up squid to use as bait at this time. Which was pretty slimy and gross. But after the joy of catching fish and getting a bite on your hook sets in...you could care less. I started wiping my hands on my coat. Austin was a true fisherman putting his own bait on his hook!

And of all the people we could sit by and meet, we met neighbors to where we were staying. And such nice people, too!

Once we got to our destination which was 17 miles from shore everyone quickly put their lines in the water. 

Someone at the back of the boat caught this shark. It was pretty cool to go and see. Austin was shocked! He actually told some family members and friends at school that he caught a shark. Silly boy!

This was a pin fish which were a very common fish to catch during this trip. And their fins are so sharp a glove needs to be used to take them off the hook. Apparently they are called "pin fish" because of their pin-sharp fins. And a really amazing thing with this trip was that the awesome workers on the boat took off all the fish for us. And also they help if lines get tangled. 

My first fish I caught!

We had a pretty full boat of people. So this is how close our poles were in the water. We didn't get tangled that much considering the close proximity. It was so much fun!

That is one happy camo boy!

Reeling in his very first fish of the trip. Daddy was so sweet in letting him reel in all his fish he caught. But, Austin was hoping for his own fish on his own line to reel in. And he got it! 

Here he is with his big fish. 

And meet "Captain Gary Z." 

One of the most interesting people I've ever met with such enthusiasm when he speaks. He was such a blast!! He had a cool accent and told us about his huge passion for always wanting to be a Captain. Ever since he was little he told us that his Mom knew he'd be a captain. And he is an amazing one at that! He was constantly asking if we needed any help and making sure all were well taken care of. He said he gets to do what he loves every single day. And I believe him!

That's my boy, Austin!! So proud of him. Seeing such a love for fishing in this boy is super cool! He instantly brightens up when fishing. 

The 3 of us :).

The nice man who was actually the one who caught all those fish let Austin take a photo with all his catches. He said "You can tell your friends you caught all of 'em." Austin looks very proud. 

There's that shark, again. What an experience!

And here are the fish we all caught. I think a total of 5 or 6. 

So happy!

We had such a fun time together in Florida! 

 And what beautiful weather we've been having at home now. So much to be grateful for.

Jamie :)

Enjoying the present

There always seems to be something I'm looking forward to...

Spring weather 

My kid's birthday parties

Summer fun

Fall weather

Date nights with the hubby

Shopping time

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Spring Break Vacay

Easter

End of the school year 

Beginning of the school year 

This list just goes on + on...

But for those times when there is not really anything in particular to look forward to...it's kind of a let down. I'm not going to lie.

Like when your special thing you're looking forward to is...over? Then it's on to the next thing. 

For example it is so exciting to prepare for a vacation. Getting it booked. Dreaming about the scenery there and how relaxing it will be. Getting clothes for the trip. Thinking about all the fun things you will be doing. But when it is over, it's kind of sad that all that planning is done and the vacation is over. However, I do always enjoy coming home. Because I love being home with my family.

Or I can remember to my wedding day. My beautiful wedding :). All the planning, preparing and excitement prior to and during. Then the day after we went on our honeymoon. Which was full of even more excitement. Returning to our real life in our new home as a couple was also exciting. But the big fancy wedding and honeymoon was over. And it seemed like forever that I was waiting for it.

 Not all the time is this true. For example I love preparing for Christmas and looking forward to spending time celebrating Jesus' birth and being with family. Not to mention seeing my cute kiddos excitement when they open their gifts. I actually enjoy the day after Christmas, too. Because generally it's a relaxing day and fun to reminisce. And it's my sweet Mom's Birthday! Which is very fun to celebrate.

With all the exciting things that will be happening in the FUTURE...what about the PRESENT. 

The today? The NOW? 

My sweet and amazing friend from Bible study posted this recently:

I Was Dying

First I was dying to finish high school and start college.

And then I was dying to finish college and start working.

And then I was dying to marry and have children.

And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough for school so I could return to work.

And then I was dying to retire. 

And now, I am dying. .. and suddenly I realize I forgot to live.

Anonymous. Submitted by Nicole Zablocki
Find it HERE 

How true is this? It is definitely a great reminder. I remember when I was in H.S. looking forward to college. Then being done with college and working as an RN. Then I had babies and all I wanted to do was be with them as much as possible. And now that I have one in 1st grade and another headed to Kindergarten next year, I want to spend as much time in the "now" as possible. I want to soak in the time at home with my littles. Because before I know it they will be having littles of their own.

Live in the moment. Be excited about the day you are living now. Make the most out of it. Love who you are and what your calling in life is. I know I need to work on this and remind myself daily. 

Jamie :)

Airplanes and Blessings

I am guilty for doing just about anything to make my kids happy and quiet on the airplane.

 This past week when we were flying home I was not exactly prepared. In my carry on bag I had books and coloring books with crayons in the front pocket. However, that bag got checked on at the gate to go under the plane during the trip. Whoops! I completely forgot to grab those things. 

When we were on the plane I was digging through my bag finding things for my littlest ones to play with. Hey, I even let my youngest color in my new book because I didn't have any paper! The book which I purchased at the airport in hopes to read. My sweet Mom even had Smarties suckers for the kids as a last resort. They definitely came in handy at the end of the flight.

The reason I tell this story is because if we can OPEN our eyes and hearts and see other people we can experience huge blessings.

 In front of us sat one of the MOST wonderful Moms I have ever met. She had a beautiful, calm, sweet and thoughtful voice. And she was very prepared...unlike I. Next to her sat her very pretty daughter who had Autism and mostly communicated with her I Pad. In which I learned from talking to the Mom. Watching that Mom (and Dad) interact with her daughter was amazing to witness, they were such awesome parents.  Her daughter would peek through the middle of the seats and look at myself and my kids with delight. And my kids were so happy to see her as well. Across the hall sat the Mom's husband and in front of the Mom sat her other daughter and son. 

When one of my kids started getting fussy that sweet Mom let us have 2 pages of Disney matching cards to play with. And how helpful that was because the kiddos were intrigued by them. She was like an angel. She spoke to me and wanted to find out more about where we were from and how our trip was. She had her own family to care about but out of the goodness of her heart she wanted to show us love. 

Because of that Mom this airplane ride went more smooth. She was an absolute inspiration and I feel completely blessed to have met her and her beautiful family!

Lovingly,
Jamie

Worship or Worry?

I was driving in the car after I had dropped Troy off at PreK. I made an appointment with the Audiologist for Troy to have his ears checked. He had his 4 year well child exam 2 weeks ago and didn't cooperate for their hearing test. So, the Doctor (along with I) felt it would be good to get his ears checked. I was feeling so worried: worried that I had possibly missed a potential hearing impairment all 4 years of his life and that it could be the reason for his speech difficulties...

(tears) 

During my worrying I was listening to KTIS (98.5 FM, Christian radio station) and they were talking about during problems that arise do we WORSHIP or WORRY. That spoke directly to me! I was worrying away! At that very moment I could feel God speaking to me...telling me to stop worrying and give it to Him because He can handle it. 

{joyful tears now} 

During the whole time I was worrying I wasn't even giving it to God. It hadn't came across my mind because I was so stuck on worrying and trying to somehow control the situation on my own. {Impossible} God is the very FIRST person I should be turning to. 

The next song that came on the radio was Chris Tomlin's "Whom Shall I Fear (God Of Angel Armies)" and I absolutely love the lyrics as follows:

"I know who goes before me

I know who stands behind

The God of angel armies

Is always by my side"

We are never alone when we have God going before us, behind us and by our side. So refreshing to hear those words in that song and be able to worship. I will choose to WORSHIP instead of worrying about something I have no control over. 

Fast forward to Troy's appointment this past Wednesday. I prayed that it would go smooth regardless of the outcome. My amazing Bible Study group was praying for Troy as well. {I am so grateful for those wonderful ladies!} And I can say that I hadn't worried about that appt. I felt completely at peace.

It started and ended a great morning! Troy was cooperative in repeating the Audiologist's words through the window below with headphones on his ears. He was also cooperative in raising his hand when he heard the birds chirping. And he sure was adorable!! :)

Based on the testing done the Audiologist confirmed that she saw absolutely no problem with his hearing. Praise God! I was so grateful! And extremely proud of my sweet boy for being so goodl!

Here we are after the appointment with Troy's very special Wreck it Ralph sticker that he got :).

The reason I am telling you this personal story is to encourage YOU. If you are in a tough place in your life please choose worship over worry. It is such a relief knowing that we aren't alone and that our almighty God can handle any situation we are struggling with. He is there for you just as He was there for me and continues to be. Choose to worship Him in the midst of struggles. 

Jamie :)

Mommy-Son Date

Troy had his 4 year well child exam last week and I thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to spend some one on one time with him!

It was so much fun to have him all to myself! 

He did so well at his appointment and is getting very tall. Our Pediatrician is amazing and he always has fun ties on to get the kid's attention. I just love that! Troy hadn't been feeling the best the weekend before and was diagnosed with an ear infection. His first one ever. He's almost done with his antibiotic now and has taken each dose like a champ! No complaints there! He actually told his Grandma "Not you get medicine! haha!" Like it's a big treat :)! I love him!

After his appointment we went to Walmart to pick out some toys/movies with his very own birthday money. We even ran into my Dad there!

And he wanted to ride the motorcycle when we were finished. So cute with his little feet up on the back like a lil pro driver!

Here was the toy he wanted! One very happy boy! He also picked out a Scooby doo movie, The Nut Job and The Chipmunks 1, 2+3. And HE wanted to give the cashier his money all by himself like such a grown up.

I didn't get a picture of us at The Bakery but that's where we had lunch. He didn't want any of his sandwich but he devoured his {massive} Cinnamon Roll and milk. His day...His way!

And he fell asleep on the way home! What a fun day with my Troy boy!

Lovingly,

Mama Jamie