GNO

Girls Night Out.....a girls best friend!! Friday night was girls night out for me and we had a great time! I have been so incredibly blessed with amazing friends in abundance while living here and a few of them were able to join in the fun friday night. These women are some of the best friends anyone could have! Living this military lifestyle there are of course so many trials but wow.....i wouldn't trade the friendships i've made here for anything!! God will provide and he has certainly provided friendships that have carried me through tough times on more than one occasion! Sarah, Ash & Crystal.....i am so grateful for your friendship! You are amazing women and i couldn't ask for better sisters from another Mr.!!!!

Crystal & Me (and Baby E who will make his debut soon!!)

Aubs, Crystal, Ash & Sarah

Being silly waiting for the movie to start!

"A friend is one who strengthens you with prayers, blesses you with love and encourages you with hope."

Happiest Birthday....

Brayden!!!!!

I cannot believe you are already 3 years old!!! You are growing so fast and changing so much. Sometimes it feels as though i blink and you are saying or doing something new! You are so much fun lil man......and you are so much like me it is scary sometimes! You are strong willed, determined, loving, sweet, helpful, funny, witty and just plain adorable! You are the kiddo that as Mommy is trying to correct and discipline everyone else is turning away and giggling. You are the kiddo that when you want something you WILL get it regardless of what it takes. You say the sweetest little prayers and sing the cutest little songs. You adore your big brother. You love to be outside and if there is a speck of dirt anywhere near you, then you will end up wearing it! You are truly all boy and i love it!

Such a cutie!

after picking strawberries....

Look at me go Mom....

Messy boy

It has been such a pleasure to watch you grow and learn! I pray that as your Mommy I can continually guide you, teach you, and be an example for you. I am so excited to continue to watch you grow to be the man that God would have you be!

look what i did!

2nd bday and in love w/the cake!

Cruisin' on Papa's boat!

Happy Happy Birthday Brayden James!!

3 yrs old w/ an unforgettable "cheese" grin! =)

Happy Birthday to you.....

Happy Birthday dear Colby....Happy Birthday to you!!!!!!

Colby is 7 today....7 stinkin' years old! Where has the time gone? He is growing up so fast and i am just having a hard time digesting the fact that he is already 7! What an amazing 7 years it has been......life hasn't always been easy but Colby has brought a ray of light into my life that makes any trial a lil bit easier to get through.

Where did those cheeks go??

Mommy & Daddy's wedding!

I'm a big brother!!



Colby Laine....Happiest birthday to you my lil love! It is hard for me to even begin to put into words all the love, hope and dreams i have for you in my heart. I am so blessed by you each and every day. Your love for the Lord is absolutely inspirational.....you are so excited to be a child of God and to share your love for our Savior with anyone you meet! You have such a caring, loving nature about you.....you've never met a stranger and its not hard to see why. You will do anything to put a smile on someone's face, to make someone else's day a little better. The kindness you show to everyone around you is precious. Brayden adores you and what an amazing big brother he is blessed to have! You teach him, you love him, you play with him....you are the best big brother anyone could have! You are so intelligent and your love for learning amazes me!

Preschool Graduation

1st soccer season!

My lil Kinder grad!



Colby, it is my prayer that you continue to grow and learn each and every day. That you will continue to share God's love and to be the example of that love that you are today. Keep on loving life....never lose the caring, kind nature that is you! Thank you for the love and light that you have brought to my life each and every day of the last 7 years! Happiest Birthday my lil man!

first day of 1st grade!

7 years old and missing a tooth!! =)

Daddy & His Boys

I *heart* seeing my hubby and lil men together. There is just such a special bond between a Dad and his boys and it melts my heart! I am so incredibly blessed to be married to a man who adores his role as a father and is very active in our children's lives! Here are a few pictures from the last few days of John and the boys!

Daddy teaching Colby to mow the yard!

I got it Daddy!!

Daddy & Brayden chillin'

"The guys who fear becoming fathers don't understand that fathering is not something perfect men do, but something that perfects the man....." ~Frank Pittman

Field Trip Fun

John survived going along on the 1st grade field trip! They went to Deception Pass State Park and did a nature id hike! Hubby said it was pretty much organized chaos which i can only imagine with about 100 1st graders....CRAZY!! The kids all had lil id books the teachers made for them and they had to watch for different plants and objects along the way and check them off as they found them. Colby had a wonderful time and loved having his Daddy along for the fun! John had lots of comical stories to tell about the things the kids tried to get away with and things they did throughout the day! And he even managed to snap a few pictures....good job Daddy!! =)

Daddy & Colby heading out!

Colby & friends!

Playing on the beach!

John said they probably walked at least 3 miles by the end of the day and hubby was worn out!! The kids all loved it and had a great time which is what really matters! Although i'm a little jealous that i didn't get to go, i'm so very glad that Colby got to have this time with his Daddy. Hope everyone is having a GREAT weekend!!

Bliss

What an amazing week we have been having! Having John home has been such an incredible blessing and we have just been taking time to enjoy it!! For now the boys are both still sleeping and John had to go into work for a lil while so i thought i would post some pictures and a quick update!!

We've gone for walks......

Played at the park.......

Climbed rocks at the farmers market.....

Made pizza's for dinner......

And most importantly we've been TOGETHER as a FAMILY!!!! And lovin' every minute of it! Now i must get busy packin' lunches and snacks....John is going on Colby's field trip with him today! Hopefully he will be good about taking pictures and i will let everyone know how it goes! Take time today to stop, smile, and appreciate your family!

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu

Together Again!

Yes yes....hubby is HOME!!!!! It was a tough 4 months but we are so blessed that he has made it home safely to us and are truly enjoying having him here!! =) And what a homecoming it was. (insert eyes rolling!) Hubby's plane was due to get in at midnight Monday night so i had a girlfriend coming over to stay at the house with the kids, i was going to pick him up and it was going to be a HUGE surprise tuesday morning when the kids woke up and Daddy was home!! However...God's plans were different than ours! I got to the air terminal on base around 11:45 to be told that the plane was delayed 2 hrs....YIKES....now he's not getting in until 2 in the morning. I honestly cannot remember the last time i was up at 2 in the morning unless it was with a sick child! So back to the house i go....i couldn't have my friend sitting at the house until 2am....what's a girl to do? Wake the boys up in the middle of the night of course and head back to the air terminal to wait....and wait.....and wait....oh the joys of military flights! =)

is he here yet???

watching Shrek and waiting....

Needless to say it was almost 3am by the time we got home and got the boys back to sleep! Although not ideal....i wouldn't trade his homecoming for the world!! Now we face re-integration which can be challenging. He's changed, i've changed, the boys have changed and we have to learn how to be a family again. Most definitely not easy but a challenge i cherish! For if i wasn't faced with this challenge it would mean he hadn't come home to us. We are so very blessed to face this next couple of weeks of learning and growing as a family again!

W L W

Thats right....its Weight Loss Wednesday!! The last week was crazy and busy and exciting....more about that later. But with being so busy and with the holiday weekend it was challenging to be careful about my eating and to not give in to the urge to just drive thru or order pizza but I'm happy to say that while i gave in a couple of times for the most part i fought it! One of the little things i did this past week was when i did give in and hit the drive thru i skipped the fries....very little step but huge for me! I LOVE french fries and it wasn't easy but i know it will pay off!

The gym was closed on Monday in honor of Memorial Day, so i only got 3 work outs in since last wed. Needless to say... i was a little apprehensive going in today and weighing myself! By the way...i weigh myself at the gym so that it is always on the same scale and i can rest assured that it is accurate! Now...with all that said.....I weighed in at 185 lbs!!!!!!! I have lost 3 pounds since last week!!! I weighed myself twice and then had a trainer come and weigh me just so i could be sure it was right! And it was!! 3 LBS!!!! I feel great and it sure helps give the motivation to keep it up! Here's to seeing another pound or two shed next week!

Happy Memorial Day

"And i'm proud to be an American, where atleast i know i'm free! And i won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me and i proudly stand up....."

As i sat in church this morning listening to Colby along with his sunday school friends sing this song my eyes filled with tears. What an amazing honor to be an American citizen....to be blessed with the freedoms that we are. There are so many things that i could say.....as a matter of fact there are alot of things i want to say but i just can't seem to find the right words. My heart swells with pride every time i see my husband's uniforms hanging in our closet. Marrying a man in the United States Military has brought a whole new appreciation for the sacrifice that so many men, women, and families make every single day so that each of us can live and enjoy living in the land of the free. I could go on and on but i will end by saying that I am honored and i feel it a privilege to serve alongside my husband as the wife of a US Navy Sailor! I will gladly stand watch on the home front every single time duty calls and i will NEVER forget the ultimate sacrifice that so many men and women have made. Each and every life lost weighs heavy in my heart and i pray daily for the families left behind. It is my prayer that as we all enjoy this holiday weekend that we take time to reflect on the many lives lost....lives lost in the name of freedom.....lives lost for you and me. God Bless each one of their families and give them peace. I will never forget.......

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

Weight Loss Wednesday

Well ladies and gents.....its time for me to come out of the closet and create a lil bit of accountability for myself! So here it goes.....i have made up my mind that i am going to lose this weight! A little over a month ago i joined Curves and have been working out since! Now....i wasn't as good as i wanted to be or should have been my first month...at all. But i have decided that Wednesday's here at Miculka Madness will be Weight Loss Wednesday.....i will post struggles and triumphs and my weight loss/gain for the previous week. And i know that i DO NOT want to have to tell you all that i gained weight so this accountability will help me to stay focused! And i've included a few pictures from the past......they are all taken at the size i want to get back to!

John & Me....engagement photo

Our Wedding Day!!

So here is a brief story of my weight battle....where i was and where i am now and where i want to be! Warning....i am actually going to tell you how much i weigh which is going to be incredibly difficult for me to admit but if i want to lose this weight i need to accept where i am and move forward!

On the Honeymoon

Another Honeymoon shot!

When John and I met i weighed 125lbs.....i was way tooooo skinny! By the time we got married i had gained about 30lbs and was at 155. I actually thought i was fat.....what a joke!!! Looking back now i realize that 155 was a great place for me to be....i looked fantastic! And now...GULP....i am at 188 lbs. Gosh...how did this happen???? What happened to the days of eating like a cow and not gaining an ounce??? Those days are long gone! One of my biggest struggles is portion size....i have let my eating get out of control and this is a huge focus point for me! I was very skeptical of Curves....but my girlfriend convinced me to give it a try and i have loved it! I had my first weight/measurement check yesterday and here are the results......

*I gained .5 lbs (not great but could be worse)

*I gained .5 in. in my bust(if i'm gonna gain inches i suppose this is the place to do it!!!)

*I lost 2.5 in. my waist (WHOO HOOOOO...now we're talkin)

*I lost .5 in. in my abdomen(this is my biggest problem area...i was glad to have atleast lost a lil)

*My hip measurement was the same

*I lost .25 in. in each thigh

*My calf measurement was the same

*I lost .5 in. in each arm(nice....another problem area for me!)

*I lost 1% body fat (very NICE....not gonna complain)

*I worked out 13 times in my first month at Curves


So there it is....thats where i am today! My goal is to work out closer to 20 times this next month and to see a loss on every measurement next check! Now....please DO comment....tell me of your struggles or triumphs with weight.....good snack/meal ideas......anything you think will be helpful! And please do expect a weight loss wed. post EVERY week and if it isn't there than comment on the most recent post asking for it......PLEASE! I'm excited about this weight loss journey (and anxious, scared, etc, etc) and can't wait to share this journey with all of you...my bloggy friends! =)