Oh my goodness ya'll!

Let's talk Bachelor, shall we?? I'd say the theme for last night's episode would easily be DRAMA!!! Crazy drama! And there was so many things that i was thinking while watching it but i didn't take notes so i'll probably forget half of what i wanted to say but here it goes....

The date w/ Stephanie and her lil girl was so sweet!! And i'll say it again...i really wish there was something more there but i don't see the connection there on a romantic level like i see with other girls. I could be wrong but i just don't see the two of them ending up together. But....John and I agree that she would be a strong candidate for the next bachelorette!?!

I was not at all upset to see Natalie go.......she just wasn't for him. And i'm going to have to borrow this from my bloggy friend at a boy, a girl, and a pug because she said it so well...."the girl really could of gone on a date with just the diamonds"!! Couldn't have said it any better! And is it just me or is it just a little odd that when asked to say something about herself she said "i really like bears".....WHAT? That one cracked me up!

The group date was fabulous! What a neat idea and a great way to have fun, give back, and get to know the girls! Shannon and Nikki were just awkward.....it just isn't there. Loved Jillian again! She is so fun! Melissa was cute as always.....i probably would have kept the whole breast reduction thing to myself but whatev! Megan needs to go.....she always seems to be at the center of the drama and seems a little too rough and confrontational. I just really don't see him with someone like that! (because don't ya know that i am the expert on who is best for Jason. ha!) Kari seemed sweet but just didn't seem cut out for that type of dating environment! (i'm right there w/ her....how in the world these girls do it is beyond me!)

Did you see the previews of next week....the part that showed him saying he couldn't give out the final rose?!? Can't wait to see what that is about! And when in the world is Deanna coming back?? I'm not sure how many girls he eliminates next week but i say there are four more that could have gone last night....Lauren, Megan, Nikki, and Shannon.......beyond that i am a little torn! Its going to be fun to see how it all plays out!!

Undecided

I used to never have any trouble making decisions. I would decide on something and that would be it. Now? Not so much....i have issues. Serious issues with making a solid decision on some things. One of those things is my blog design.....i'm not sure if i like it or not. And it may take me a few days to get it figured out and find something i'm happy with. So be patient with me....i promise i'll make up my mind soon! =)

ps....The Bachelor is on tonight!!!!!!

All together now....B-A-C-H-E-L-O-R!!!

Wow Wow Wow Wow Wow!! I'm loving this season! Sooooo much to talk about here especially since i didn't get to post about last week!!!

Lets start with last week......I actually didn't have any real stand outs. The three that kind of stood out to me were Jillian, Melissa, and Nikki. Shannon with her over the top knowledge was a little crazy to me and while the hotdog thing with Jillian was a little strange it was quirky and for some reason i thought it was kind of cute. And then there was the previews w/ Deanna. WHAT?!? I'm skeptical, i have to admit.....they tend to really chop different scenes and play them all together in previews to get us all worked up! That one is driving me nuts....HAVE to know what her being back is all about!

AND

Last night! Wow! There are two in my mind that are definite stand outs!! But first i will start with the opposite...

*Raquel~ A little over the top to hop in the limo like she did and i love that Jason cannot hide what he's thinking....his face says it all!! He was totally weirded out and i would have been too! And then her comment about finding someone who would love her enough that if something happened to her they wouldn't want to find someone else......STRANGE to say the least. Not surprised she is gone!

*Shannon~ This girl annoys me to no end! I think it is completely odd that she knows so much about his family...its one thing to know his and Ty's b-days, but to know his siblings names, who they are dating/married to, their kids names.....that is a little much! And the immature little things she does when he is spending time with other girls drives me nuts........she needs to go!

*Lauren~ Oh my goodness...this girl! "Thank God it wasn't me" when speaking of the first 1 0n 1 date??!! Are you serious? Heaven forbid you have to wear your hair up while you spend time with the man you are there to get to know and possibly fall in love with! This isn't a pageant sweetie! Way too needy and self absorbed to take on the role of a step mom in my opinion!

And now on to the two that i really like right now for him! The two 1 on 1 dates last night were great!

* Jillian is very confident and sure of herself but not in a stuck up kind of way! She seems quirky and passionate and fun and they are great together! The date was fantastic and i'm really liking her for him!

* Melissa stood out to me last week as "his type" and she seemed really sweet! Last night she stood out even more......their date was fabulous as well. Kinda cheesy but hey....it's reality tv so i'll let it slide! She seems really fun and sweet!

Those are the two that really stand out to me right now as having a great connection with him right off the bat! Stephanie is such a sweetheart and so genuine but i just don't see much of a connection there yet. I want there to be because she is such an amazing woman but so far i'm just not seeing it. And there are a couple of other girls who are cute but several of them are a little more quiet and reserved this season so we will have to see how everything plays out!!

Next Monday can't come soon enough! What are everyone else's thoughts?!? Talk to me!! And ps....loved the nerdy dance he did on the group date! Too funny!! Can't wait to hear what everyone else it thinking!! =)

There's No Place Like Home!

So...i've thought and thought about how in the world i could write about our whole visit to Texas and keep it at a reasonable length. And i've come to the conclusion that i can't! So i am going to share some of my favorite pictures with a brief description of each and by doing so will share my favorite highlights of the visit!

It was actually really cold when we first got to Texas so John's mom (aka Culka) gave the boys each one of her jackets......they loved them and they became their star wars costumes! They had a blast!

For the big party at John's parents house, his mom rented a jumpy castle and to say the least it was a hit! I think the boys jumped about 4 hrs and 45 minutes of the 5 hr rental!! A shot of the boys jumping before everyone got there.......

One of my bestest girlfriends (like since elementary school...love this girl!) braved the 2 hr drive to John's parents for the party! It was so special to get to see her sooner than expected!! Here is me & Tracy!

Culka loves to bake and the boys love any chance to spend time with their Culka so they took some time to bake together one afternoon!

Once we said goodbye to John's family we traveled to see my family and friends!! My girlfriend, Tracy, hosted a get together at her house for some of my best friends. We had such a great time visiting and watching the kids play! The kiddos all got along so well and it was fun to watch them all make friends so quickly! When the kids all sat down to open their gifts they just happened to sit in order from youngest to oldest! Caiden-2, Madison & Brayden-3, Kaitlyn-5, Colby-7, & Maddy-10!

On Christmas Eve we were blessed to get to spend the afternoon and evening @ my Papa and Grandma Lil's home! This was the tradition for me growing up and for us before we left for Washington so it was special for me to be able to be there with them again! Now, i know in alot of places people marvel at the beauty of snow and play in the fluffy white stuff around Christmas. Not in Texas! The boys raked leaves for Papa and then played in them! They had so much fun and we enjoyed watching the joy they found in such simplicity!

The boys spent quite a bit of time with my Mom which was special to them and to me! They went to lunch at McDonalds and to the pet store one afternoon. The boys LOVE going to pet stores! And then they got to go to the movies with my Mom and Meemi (my grandma) our last afternoon there. It was just such a blessing to me for the boys to have this time to make memories with their grandparents! Here is a pic of the boys w/ my Mom and step dad, who the boys call Granny and Papi...

And last but not least~Santa visited a second time!! (actually you may remember his elf jingles helped him out the first time but anyway...) Colby got a microscope set and 2 sets of pre prepared slides which he LOVES! And Brayden got a batcave toy he wanted which he has really enjoyed! Here is the loot and a shot of the boys Christmas morning....

These were just a few of the very special memories made during our visit! We feel so blessed to have had the time with all of our friends and family and can't wait to make it back to see everyone again!!

Alive

Just had to drop in like REAL QUICK and let you all know that I am alive!! The madness in the Miculka house has been over the top but we are in our new home and things are moving along! We just got the internet at home last night and i have been trying to catch up on email and blog reading inbetween unpacking, laundry, and all the usual day to day chores! Colby had his first day of school here today(long story as to why he just started) and i am off to pick him up shortly!! I pray you all had a wonderful Holiday season and that the new year is bringing lots of happiness and joy your way! I'll be back soon with thoughts on the Bachelor (OH MY GOODNESS), some favorite pictures from our visit with family and friends in Texas and pictures of our new home!!

Suitcases, Santa & More

Oh. My. Goodness. The last 2 weeks feels like an eternity! E.T.E.R.N.I.T.Y. And just think....we only have about 3 1/2 weeks of living out of suitcases to go! We are so blessed to be able to spend this time visiting friends and family and i don't want to forget that. But DANG! I am so ready to find our next house and make it a home. To settle down and put this away for a while....

I'm going to do my best to sum up everything that has happened over the last couple of weeks but forgive me if this post ends up a lil long!

Last Monday we checked into the hotel that would be home for our last week in Oak Harbor. The "room" was amazing! It was a 2 bedroom suite and was so spacious....which was such a blessing! With the stress and emotion of the move we really enjoyed having room to spread out and relax and unwind each night. The boys had their own bedroom so John and I could still have our time in the evenings and we were able to keep the routine pretty much the same! Another huge blessing in the room.....a laundry room! We were able to do all of our laundry before hitting the road which was so nice!! And the tub in the master bath...check this thing out....need i say more??

Things with the movers went really well! They had everything packed and loaded in 2 days which gave us plenty of time to clean and run last minute errands w/o rushing! We had more offers from friends to help out than we could even use and we are so very grateful to all of them. Last Thursday we turned in the keys to the house. The home that so many memories were made in. The home where our boys grew and learned so much. Where I grew to be the woman, wife, and mother that i am today. Colby went to school for the last time in the school where he attended his first day of kindergarten. It was very hard. Very emotional for me. It seemed all day long there was a continuous stream of memories going thru my mind. Good, bad and everything in between. Then we went and picked Colby up from school and got to stand outside the classroom for the last few minutes of the school day and hear all of his friends saying goodbye. We helped him pack all of his things into his backpack and we walked out while listening to Colby talk of all the special things his teacher and class did for him that day. The one that really touched me the most was that his teacher made time in the day for his classmates to write letters to Colby. Each of them was so special and i know this meant so much to Colby. That evening we had dinner with our closest friends which was such a blessing. It was so hard to say goodbye but such a blessing to have that one last evening with all of them.

Then last Friday we hit the road! Said goodbye to Whidbey Island, WA and all it has meant to us and we said a teary eyed hello to what God has in store for us. The drive was fairly uneventful. We learned that Brayden is not as great a road tripper as Colby but with a little patience and distraction we were able to keep him pretty entertained most of the way. We oohed and aahed at the wonder of God's creation as we made our way south through Washington, Oregon, and California! We got to stay in southern California and have dinner with some wonderful friends who moved a few months ago which was alot of fun! The kids exchanged Christmas gifts and we enjoyed catching up! Finally on Tuesday we crossed the Texas state line!! And the most ironic part of the trip by far is that we drove through several mountain passes in the northern part of our trip and didn't see ANY snow! We drove into Texas and hit a pretty good snow storm. In West Texas. SERIOUSLY?!? We couldn't help but laugh at the irony! And late that night we made it to John's parents house. Exhausted and ready to be out of the car but thankful that we made it safely!

We haven't been back home to visit since we moved to Washington so it is fun to be back and to see what has changed and what hasn't! The boys are thoroughly enjoying being spoiled by Grandma and Papa Culka(as they call them) and Uncle Eric! Poor Uncle Eric lost all rights to privacy or relaxation and gained two little admirer's and tag alongs! The boys just can't get enough of their Eric!

Wednesday night we decided to go to dinner and then come home and open gifts! The boys were sooooo excited and even more so when they came home and found this.....

That's right! A note from Santa's elf Jingles explaining that Grandma and Papa 'Culka had written and asked if Santa could come a little early to their house! The guy in the big red suit couldn't make it as he was busy building toys but he happily sent his best elf Jingles with a little something special!! And what might that little something special be you ask?? It's a......

And oh yes...there has been a lot of wii playing going on!! We LOVE it! Best money spent in a long time!! I can see many family nights spent playing the wii together! Santa also sent a wii fit for Mommy and Daddy which i am really excited about! All of it is great.....i have nothing bad to say about the system so far!

Tomorrow, John's mom is throwing a huge party and has invited all of the extended family and John's friends! We are expecting about 75 people!! There will be a bouncy house for the kiddos to play in, lots of food, and lots of catching up! It should be a good time...we are looking forward to it! I'll do my best to snap a few pictures and post them in the next few days!!

And thats about it for now! It was tough to try to remember and write all that the last two weeks has held! Thank you all for your sweet comments and patience while my posting has been so unpredictable!!

Quick Update

We made it!! Over 2500 miles and 4 days in a car together and we actually still pretty much like each other!! We made it to John's parents house in small town Texas late last night and have spent today just relaxing! We are going to dinner tonight and opening presents when we get home. I have lots of pictures to share and i have a usb cable to use now, so i'm hoping to find time in the next couple of days to share pictures and write more! Hugs!

My Heart Hurts

Words fail me. My heart is broken. Into a million pieces. There are sisters that are by birth and then there are sisters that God blesses you with along the journey of life. I said goodbye to two of those sisters tonight....two amazing women that God brought into my life a few years ago. We have been through one of the most unthinkable, heart breaking and gut wrenching tragedies together. We have experienced the high of absolute joy and happiness together. We've cried. We've laughed. We've loved each other's children and watched them grow. And we've done it all together. And while my head knows that this isn't goodbye forever, only for now.....my heart isn't there yet. The goodbye hurts. So bad.

Sarah and Crystal~ Thank you. I am so very grateful for the last 3 years. For the memories, the heartache, the laughter, the tears, the joy. For the beginning of a lifetime of friendship. The two of you are a such a blessing to me and to my family. I am a better wife, mother and woman because of my friendship with you. I love you and will miss you more than you know. New York City or Bust ladies.......2010!!!!!

For all of my wonderful bloggy friends.......my amazing friend Sarah has started a blog and you have to head over and show her some bloggy love!! I still don't know how to do that whole click here and it will link to something else trick (if anyone wants to help a sista out let me know!) but you can find her at Every Which Way but Home on my blog list to the right!! Shower her with a great big welcome to the blogosphere!! Hope everyone is having a fantastic week and i will be back soon with updates!! Atleast written updates...i kinda accidentally let the movers pack my usb cable so pictures will have to wait until i can get a new one. I miss keeping up w/ everyone and hope to be back in the saddle again soon!

Not. Cool.

Soooo....it's 5:45am. I've got about 26 hours until the movers get here. And i'm awake. Because i have so much to do you ask?? Nope! Because the anxiousness is getting the best of me maybe?? Not so much. Oh yeah....its because we woke up to the lovely sound of my poor baby boy retching by the side of our bed. Brayden is sick. GREAT....just lovely. Soooo trying right now to keep a positive outlook on this whole thing and if he was going to get sick I am glad that it is now and not on the road. But other than that....the timing is HORRIBLE. And now i am just praying that if anyone in the house is going to get it that it happens soon. And that it will be a short lived virus. So if anyone can spare some extra prayers for us we would sure appreciate it. Prayer for quick healing for lil man and prayer that maybe just maybe the rest of us can avoid getting it at all! I know God will get me through this....i'm just so overwhelmed that it sure feels like alot to bear right now. And i'm so thankful that i have this forum to vent a little so that these words don't spill out to John or the boys. So that i can get this off of my chest and go back to being the best mommy and wife i can. I do indeed have so very much to be thankful for and this too shall pass.

My plan was to do progress in pictures where tonight i would post before pictures and then each evening of the mover being here i would post pictures of the progress. So.....i'm going to do my best to stick to my plan. If that doesn't happen i will post once we are done with movers and cleaning and give everyone the low down! I pray everyone is have a great Thanksgiving weekend!!

A little of this and A little of that....

I am so completely overwhelmed right now that trying to compose a typical post is beyond me. But i want to post and i can't begin to tell you how many times i've thought over the last couple of weeks "oh i want to post about this" or "aahhh that would be a great post" and yet here we are. No posts about any of it and one chica doing my best to keep my head above water and take things one day at a time. So here it goes....a random list of things that have been going on around here!



*we sold hubby's truck. A true blessing and answer to prayer. Also a very real lesson about who's in control and it ain't me! It happened so much faster than we ever dreamed it would! Hubby listed it late one night and THE NEXT morning we got a call from someone who was pre approved and wanted to see it asap. To make a long story short it was a hectic two days of rearranging schedules, ferry rides back and forth, talking to the bank and so on and 48 hours after listing it we were down to one car. Isn't that just like God??!! Only He could have orchestrated every detail to work out as perfectly as it did. And He taught me a lesson....things didn't go the way I had planned but He was faithful to provide! We are so very blessed!



*i faced one of my biggest fears in life this week. and it wasn't pretty. but i did it. i went to the dentist. my heart rate just doubled because i typed that word. thats how much i dislike the dentist. i broke my jaw my senior year of high school and ever since then i have a definite dentist phobia. but i went and what should have been 1 regular visit turned into 3 visits with a total of 12 injections in my mouth over two days and alot of soreness. i knew i needed a cleaning...i had no idea what i was in for. but its done for now atleast. and guess what...i get to go to the dentist every 4 months instead of 6. FABULOUS. Just fabulous. it could be worse though right. it could be worse and maybe if i keep telling myself that i'll eventually believe it. and one last thought on this one....don't ya think w/ all the technology we have now that they could make dental torture tools silent????? i mean is that really too much to ask??



*have i mentioned that i am embarking on a cross country move in 21 days?? 21 DAYS!!! i have a list that is like 2 1/2 pages long full of things that need to be done in the next 16 days before the movers get here. Oh my goodness......all i can do is crack up. because if i didn't crack up i would either scream or cry and i'm not too fond of either of those options. so i randomly laugh out loud when i begin to think of all that needs to be done. and try to be mindful of the fact that God is so good. And he has been so incredibly faithful through this so far and He will continue to be. Why is it so difficult sometimes to just rest peacefully in knowing that He has prepared the way and will continue to provide?

*i have a hubby who is beyond amazing. i don't know that i've ever been more grateful for him than i am right now. he is always ready and willing to do whatever needs to be done to help me out. he has been so incredibly supportive, loving and helpful and there just aren't words to truly say how thankful i am. my hubby rocks!

*today when i really really should have been cleaning my house or doing one of the millions of things on "the list"...i wasn't. I gave into my 3 year old's request for me to "just yay(lay) on the cowsh(couch) and watch docor sooosss(dr suess) wif me". It was just what i needed! A little cuddle time with my lil man.......it was the most worthwhile messy house i've had in a while!

*Colby is at a sleep over tonight. it blows my mind that i have a child old enough to be reading chapter books and going to sleep overs. where does the time go??

*i have a Stampin Up! event tomorrow morning that i haven't gotten the food for or designed the project i am supposed to be bringing! So i guess i should go now so that i can go to the store and get the fruit tray and get home and design something! And maybe even get some sleep before i have to be there in the morning!!

So there ya have it.....random and unorganized thoughts from yours truly!

To sum it up....my life is crazy right now. But regardless of how crazy or hard it has been i am blessed beyond measure. I have so very much to be grateful for and i am doing my best to remain mindful of this wonderful fact and not get too wrapped up in stress and discouragement. No doubt my presence here will be unpredictable but i will write as much i can find time to!