We're Home!!!

Let me just start by saying that i L.O.V.E family vacations! And this one was no exception! We had a great time and i feel so refreshed as a wife, mother and friend!

We started at the Great Wolf Lodge....it was fantastic! So great that we are planning on going back with some friends in September!! I didn't get very many pictures and i am wishing that i would have been better about that but i did snap a few in our room! The room was so fun....we stayed in a Wolf Den room so the kids had their own "den" with their own tv and bunk beds. They loved it! And the room was so clean and comfortable....i just can't say enough good things about it!

From there we headed out to my Dad's in Kalispell, MT!! We really enjoy going to my Dad's and we have been so blessed to live so close to them while being stationed here! It is such a joy to watch the relationship between the boys and my Dad grow.....they adore him! And as always my Step Mom went above and beyond as a hostess! We were also blessed to have my brother, Asa, and his son there for a few days too! The last time we were all together was when Brayden was born so it was nice to be together again! Colby and Brayden had a great time with Lil Asa and it was so special to see them grow to be such good buddies! Trips like this one are what memories are made of and we made lots of special memories as a family!

Couldn't resist this one....you gotta do what you gotta do!

The 3 amigos playing on papa's toys

Splish Splash....these 3 had such a great time together!

We did alot of relaxing and letting the boys run around outside! Papa and Grandma got them a slip-n-slide and all kinds of fun toys for outside and they so enjoyed all of them!

a lil slip-n-slide action!

We went to see a local dam one day and had a picnic by the lake and then the boys swam and played in the lake w/ Grandma!

Grandma, lil Asa, Colby, Brayden, Papa

The Miculka's

What cuties!

Swimmin' in the lake

What better way is there to cool off after a swim in the lake?


We went to Libby, MT (about 90 miles north) to meet some extended family as this is the town my Dad grew up in. We stayed in a hotel w/ an indoor pool and the boys did ALOT of swimming! We went to Kootenai Falls which is a nice hike off the highway and so beautiful!! It is a big natural series of waterfalls.......so pretty and serene! Unfortunately we didn't get to meet as much of the family as we would of liked because nature had different plans! A forest fire started across the highway from our hotel and alot of the family lived in the area so they were all warned to be ready to evacuate. Luckily they were able to stop the fire from getting any structures but it did mean we didn't get to visit w/ everyone. We did however get a pretty neat first hand education on the logistics of wild fire fighting! We actually got to watch the retardant planes fly and drop the fire retardant. We got to watch the helicopters go to the river and get water and then fly over to the fire and drop the water! When it got dark we could see all the little spot fires that started up on the mountain ridge. And all while getting a detailed commentary from my Dad who actually is a member of a Type 2 fire team! (meaning he is on a team that works the logistical end of fighting big fires) So, while our little mini trip didn't turn out quite like we planned it was still neat and we enjoyed it!

Swimming AGAIN!

Colby @ Kootenai Falls

The Falls

The whole gang!

All of that haze in the mountains is smoke from the fire!

this was the next day....wish i would of thought to take some when it was really going good!

We took the boat out to one of the many local lakes one day! The boys LOVE going out on the boat and i definitely see a boat/jet ski/lake house in our future at some point! I love all lake recreational things! I'm not a big ocean girl but more of a lake girl! The scenery was gorgeous and the weather perfect!!

Our future lake house.....=)

Us on the lake!

Papa, Grandma and the boys

There just aren't words to truly sum up how special all the memories made are to me! But i can say i am refreshed, relaxed and couldn't have enjoyed my time with my family more. So now it is your turn to share with me......is there any special vacation memories that stand out for you?? I would love to hear your special memories so please do share!

A little R&R!!

This vacation has been soooooo nice!! We are truly enjoying ourselves and loving the time together as a family! I'm not going to be able to upload pictures here like i thought i would. =( I'm spoiled at home with a memory card slot on my computer so i didn't even bring my usb cable with me. So pictures will have to wait until i get home next week!



We went to the Great Wolf Lodge on Monday and played in the water park all afternoon and then went to dinner at one of the on site restaurants. Then we hit the arcade(also on site) and then the bakery for some dessert!!!! It was so nice to not have any kind of schedule or worry about getting anywhere by a certain time....we did what we wanted when we wanted and we had a blast!! It was a GREAT time and i L.O.V.E.D the resort. They had so much to do, the service was great and the staff was fabulous! And we didn't leave the resort from the time we checked in until the next morning when we checked out....the had everything right there!



Now we are at my Dad's house in Kalispell, MT! The drive over here was pretty uneventful....it is a gorgeous drive for the most part and we have all kinds of fun planned for the next week! We've had lots of down time which equals lots of reading and enjoying the boys for me! We had a YUMMY steak dinner last night and are planning on playing in the water this afternoon!! We are planning on taking the boat out to the lake one day, doing a movie night outside, going to Glacier National Park (which is only about 30 minutes away!), and all kinds of fun stuff!

Hope everyone is enjoying their week......not sure if i'll get to post again before we get home but i promise pictures next week!!

How Blessed am I?

Blessed beyond measure! It is weeks like the last one that remind me just how thankful i am to have the Lord in my life.....without the hope of knowing he would provide everything i needed to get through, i would have fallen apart.

Isaiah 40:31

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.

After my long, hard, stressful and exhausting week i came home from Stamp Camp (10hrs after i left the house!) to a SPOTLESS house and the errands all run by my fabulous hubby and flowers from my amazing friend Ashley! John managed to go to the pharmacy to p/u refills to get us through the trip, got Brayden's haircut, exchanged the dvd player we bought for the car which ended up not working, went to the store and found my FAVE soda that we haven't been able to find up here until now, AND cleaned the house! What a man! I am so blessed....it was such a huge weight off of my shoulders to have all of that done so that i can focus on laundry and packing tomorrow!

John~ I can't begin to thank you enough for all of your love and support the last week! As we face this tough time in our life i rest peacefully in knowing i am married to an amazing, honest, strong man. I love you so very much and i am looking forward to time to spend with you and our lil men....time to just be a family away from all of the worries surrounding us right now.

Ashley~ What would i do without you?? Without your shoulder to cry on, your ear to vent in, or our girls nights out to laugh and relax?? You are amazing and i am so blessed to have you in my life. Thank you so very much for your selfless nature and for thinking of me today when things aren't easy for you right now either! I love the flowers and i love your face!

I am so incredibly blessed....even in times of trial and i can't begin to thank God enough for his never ending love and presence in my life! Just had to share a couple of the many blessings in my life right now!

Random Thoughts

My life has been such a whirlwind this week that i just can't muster the motivation for a poetic post so i will just give a random list to summarize my week!

*VBS~What a blessing to be able to help in the nursery! It was exhausting but such a blessing! I had 6 kids.....a 2yr old, a 15month, 17 month, & 18 month old, a 5 month old and a 3 yr old!!! What a joy it was to create a loving environment for these lil ones so that their mommies and daddies could help make VBS the raving success that it was!

Brayden and Colby have enjoyed it soooo much! We did a farm theme this year and it has been so neat! The boys have made butter, strawberry jam and bread among lots of other crafty projects!! Today was the last day and they have enjoyed it so very much!

Colby & Brayden @ VBS today!

*Stamp Camp~ I, along with 4 other Stampin Up! Demonstrators are doing a big Stamp Camp tomorrow! It has been alot of work but a great learning experience on how to run a big event! There has been over 400pcs of ribbon cut, over 2000 individual pcs of cardstock cut, and many many hours of planning that have gone into it but we are excited!! So that is where I will be ALL day tomorrow.....FUN!

*Vacation~ The Miculka Clan will be hitting the road on Monday!!! We are very excited! We will be going to the Great Wolf Lodge with a big indoor waterpark, arcade and all kinds of fun!! We will be there all day Monday and that night and then Tuesday morning we will head out for my Dad's!! We have been so blessed living up here and being so close to my Dad and step mom Terry and we are so excited to go spend the week with them!! We are looking forward to a relaxing week full of fun, family and love! Needless to say i have a TON to get done in the next few days but it will all be worth it when we are chillin' in beautiful Kalispell, Montana!!!

My Dad, Colby & Brayden playing on the 4 wheeler last year!

And of course on top of trying to keep all of the planning for vacation and stamp camp strait and help at vbs all of the little things that could possibly come up to complicate things HAVE! Goodness.....life has been crazy but i survived! I'll most likely post from the laptop while on vacation! Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!! =0)

BB 10

Sooooo.....i think i am going to really enjoy this season of BB!! (Big Brother for all you non reality tv fans ;)!) Its hard to say a whole lot cause it takes me a few episodes to let it all sink in but there are a few standouts from last night!!

First is Jerry...the old guy! L.O.V.E. him! I'm kind of a sucker for the elderly...they're just so darn cute and he is no exception! His nominations were killer and very smart. I think everyone in the house just might under estimate him!!

Then there is Renny....seriously?? Can't stand her.....she is one of those people you either like her or you don't and i don't! She is obnoxious and was getting on my nerves just watching her on tv....i can't imagine having to live with her. Hope to see her go first!

The decor in the house this season is FABULOUS! My favorite yet.....it is always fun to see what they will come up with but for the most part it is too modern or eccentric for my personal taste. But this season...i might just have to steal some decorating ideas! Or wait...stealing is wrong....i might just be VERY inspired by some of what i see! haha! =)

There is such a diverse group in the house this season that i think it will make for some great entertainment! I'm looking forward to gaining a better sense of some of the other players and watching the season unfold!! Has anyone got any ideas what the big twist might be this season?? It's BB...there has to be a twist right?? So let me hear it...who else out there is a BB fan and what are your thoughts??

Ouch!

So....there is a pertussis break out on the island we live on. NOT COOL! At first i didn't think anything of it~the boys are immunized and it wasn't too bad. But as the last couple of weeks have played out it has continued to spread pretty quickly and i decided it was time to look into getting the booster shot for myself. (John, being military, stays very up to date on everything and is covered) So while already at the hospital this morning i went ahead and got the shot. The shot itself was cake....i've never been able to say this but i honestly didn't even feel the needle go in! But now.....DANG it H.U.R.T.S! =( My whole arm is aching and all red and i don't like it at all! Add to it the fact that i hate to take any medicine and i am just kind of cranky. This hurts so bad that i might just have to take some motrin or aleve or somethin'!

But don't even kid yourself.....i got a cool band aid! Don't be jealous of my sparkly bandaid...now if only i could rewind a lot of years back to the days of bandaids making it all better! And don't be afraid to tell me i'm a big baby....i've come to terms with the fact and i'm ok with it! I'm a great big baby and this HURTS! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

Strawberry Pickin'

We were very blessed to have hubby home from work on Monday so we decided to venture out to a local produce farm and pick strawberries! There is something so satisfying about going out and enjoying the time together as a family and picking them ourselves! And it doesn't hurt that it is so much cheaper than buying them at the store!! ;) We ended up picking 13lbs and have been snacking on strawberries for days! I am also planning on making some strawberry muffins today and hopefully this weekend making some jam and homemade strawberry ice cream!

After we were done picking we treated the boys to some ice cream which they sell there at the farm! We also picked up some rainier cherries they had for sale for much cheaper than we can find them in the stores. What am i going to do when we move and don't have all this fresh local produce?!?

So does anyone out there have any other yummy ideas for all these strawberries?? I'm always up for suggestions and ideas....so speak up! What else can i make with all these strawberries??

Heartbreak...

Anyone else completely heartbroken after the finale last night?? Jason is such a sweetheart and that was gut wrenching! My vote is definitely on him to be the next bachelor....he deserves to find love!! There is a poll on abc.com on the bachelorette page...go vote for him!! How fun would it be to see him as happy as Deanna and Jesse were last night?!?

With that said, i must admit that Deanna and Jesse sure do make each other beam don't ya think?? They were both so giddy and happy......i'm glad that she found love. I truly didn't see them together and honestly still don't see it but apparently they do and thats all that matters! It will be interesting to see if they truly make it to the wedding and beyond. They seem very sure! What are everyone's thoughts??!!?? I'm gonna miss our little bachelorette convo's ya know! So everyone weigh in.....what is your reaction to last nights finale???

What a Weekend!!

We thoroughly enjoyed our 4th of July weekend!!! We kicked it off with a bbq at John's command which was a fun opportunity to spend time with fellow sailors and their families! The kids ran and played and we had a fabulous lunch!! Friday morning we got up and headed down to the parade! Okay....i have to admit that on our way to meet some friends to go to the parade I got pulled over....BOO! And beat this.....i got a speeding ticket going 24mph.....24MPH....yes thats right folks.....speed racer here! ANYWAY....moving on....we had a great time at the parade and the kids loaded up on candy!

Daddy & his boys

Brayden, Hal'e, & Colby

Enjoying the Parade

After a trip home to finish up some cooking and get a nap in for the little one, we headed over to our good friend's Steve and Heather's house for an evening of bbq'ing, s'mores, and fireworks!! What a blessing to have such wonderful friends to enjoy such an amazing celebration with!

We had a lil frosting fight while decorating cupcakes =)

Making S'mores

Sparklers!

Steve & Heather

Ryan & Ashley

Watching fireworks

Me & Hubby!!

It was a great 4th of July....relaxed and fun! We couldn't have asked for more!! I am so thankful to live in this amazing country and to be surrounded daily by members of our military who so willingly sacrifice so much to defend the freedoms we enjoy! God Bless America and each and every soldier, sailor and airmen who are fighting today to defend her!

I pray all of you enjoyed your 4th of July celebrations as well!! And I would love to hear your speeding ticket stories.....surely i'm not the only one right??? =0) Let me hear it.....let the speed stories unfold!!!

Let Freedom Ring

Just wanted to take a quick minute and wish each of you a wonderful 4th of July! Take time to cherish each and every freedom we are so blessed to enjoy in this country! Live Love and Laugh today and pray for all those who are currently away from their families and loved ones protecting our right to enjoy this day! We attended the parade this morning and will be spending the evening w/ our "navy family" bbq-ing, enjoying fireworks and playing games! I will post pictures soon!! God Bless America and all those who sacrifice so very much to protect her!

Speechless

Okay....oh my goodness....does anyone else watch the Bachelorette???!!!??? I was absolutely speechless with the ending last night.....i was so sure it would be Jeremy and Jason in the end and she actually let Jeremy go! He is a great guy but i just didn't think he was ready for a family right away like Deanna is so i was shocked in an okay kind of way, but shocked none the less. Jesse is a sweetheart but i wonder if there is a place in his world for Deanna. Jason on the other hand.......well she just needs to choose him. If she doesn't choose him i will be heartbroken for him! I'm just so so so happy that it wasn't Jason leaving last night! Erin....any thoughts on this since i know you watch it! Anyone else?? Who watches and what are your thoughts??!!?? I am sooooo looking forward to next week's finale and hoping they do an after the final rose special so we can see how they are doing now!!