Mother's Day

I can't believe it's here again! 

I can't help but feel a bit sad though at not having my wonderful mom here to celebrate with, I just imagine the types of gifts I'd pick out for her that she could really use and would love.   I still really miss her a lot.  On the flip side of missing her so much, I'm blessed beyond measure to have my mother-in-law.  She's an absolutely amazing woman that I truly love and cherish!!!

I also can't help but feel sad about the babies I don't have.  I wanted to have a lot of babies and it just hasn't gone that way.  We got close a lot of times but then it didn't work out.  The sad reality is that for 12-13 maybe even 14 years, of our marriage we've been actively trying for a baby, praying for a baby, hoping for a baby and end up without a baby.  That makes me even more thankful for the wonderful blessing we do have!

 

I choose to live the happy side (well most of the time, I'm a work in progress)!

Thank God for Mikayla - she's helped our family in so many ways from losing my mom 6 weeks before she was born and coping with that to parenting with no regrets.  I really try to do that - I want for Mikayla to look back at her childhood and remember that I was a fun to be around, a bit wacky, could be crazy if I wanted to be, very loving and yet strict and have high expectations of her.

 

 

The other day she told me that she and all her little friends were talking about me and she poofed up a little bit with pride and they all decided that I was very nice and fun.  Well OK!!!  I'll take that!!!

 

 

 But we really did enjoy our day - I LOVE being a mom!!

 

 

My favorite gift...... The gift card to get mother/daughter pedicures!!  I can't wait!!!

 

 

School Program

Mikayla's school program was last night and oh what fun it was.  Her class sang two songs for us "Surfin the Net" that was to the tune of the Beach Boys Let's go Surfin Now and "A Song of Friendship."

 

Here they come! (Mikayla is the second child on the left)

 

 

The music director does an amazing job!

 

 

It is always so special how she get the children to participate and have fun. 

 

 

The friendship song was really special - it brought me tears because they were singing the song, each verse was in a different language (four languages to be specific) plus they did it in sign language!  It was simply beautiful!

 

 

 

Then the grand finale when all grades sing together. 

 

 

 

The last song that all the kids sang was a Micahel Jackson song - We are the world.  It was beautiful to hear them singing!!  The funniest part was as I was taking Mikayla to school this morning we were talking about that song so I took out my phone and showed her a video of it.  That led to why he was wearing make up and had long hair....that led to how different he looked as a little boy.  She didn't believe me that they were the same person......she still doesn't.

 

 

It was SO much fun!!  I love the programs.  Every time we leave we say it was the best one ever.... and that is still the truth!

Skeeters!

We had the opportunity to go to a minor league baseball game and what fun we had!

 

 

Michael's company had box seats where we could mingle, watch, cheer, have dinner and drinks all evening long!

 

 

Mikayla had a blast!  I really think she was more excited that she got to stay up late....  

 

 

 

See the big ol skeeter - can you imagine that thing flying at you?

 

 

 

 

I can't wait to go again!!!  It really was fun!! 

Whew!!

So after our Little Flower meeting on Friday night, when Mikayla and I got home, we loaded up the car and headed down to the boat for the weekend.

and what a weekend it was.

We ran into some old friends from some of our other marinas.  One friend Jessee - she's quite the chatter box but we said hi and found out she works for Tow Boat now in dispatch and is loving it.

We then decided to take a nice ride - and as we were leaving our marina heading out, we saw Rodney (another friend from another marina) he works for tow boat, as a boat/rescue and he was towing a boat in. 

How funny to see our old friends!

So we go out and the weather just can't decide if it's going to be windy or not...so we motored out and then when we put our sails up - there wasn't any air to get us going so we had full sails up - which if you don't know is a LOT of sail area. 

when.....

ALL of a sudden, HUGE wind burst - HUGE waves - they were white capping.... OH HOLY COW!!!!  ACK!!!!

Phew.... we were recovering from that, totally had to reduce sail area which is very difficult and could be dangerous in those conditions, we were reset and ready to have a nice ride.

BOOM

One set of the lines blew out off of the sail so HOLY COW!  we just decided to drop all sails and go back in...it was just that off/weird.

Horrible conditions today.... so safety first and foremost, we headed back in.

when......

ALL of a sudden.... ALARMS are ringing all over the place and the motor is sounding horrible....so we shut it off and quickly pulled one of the sails back out...

So we're sailing, in not great conditions wind wise... and we can't really seem to get the boat where we want it to go.... it's as if mermaids were hanging on the keel and dragging us where they wanted us to go instead of where we wanted to go.

So, after nearly 17 years of sailing - we had to call for help and get a tow boat. 

So when Michael got them on the phone - guess who he talked to.... Jessee, the gal we ran into at West Marine earlier that day...

WOW!!!! 

So what started out as a fun day sail, became a long adventure!!  We just knew we couldn't make it where we needed to be - safely.

WOW!!!

So we sailed around while waiting for the tow boat to come get us, they hooked us up, towed us in and we made it into our slip at about 10:00 pm.  It took over 3 hours to get in.... whew!!

Now to get her fixed - we don't think it's anything major and better to happen now than when we go on our cruise vacation!

These pictures were of the silence after the massive winds, white cap waves and crazy motor issues.

I do wish we had been able to see the mermaids that were messing with us though because they sure made it a wacky day!!!!

The link below is what Mikayla looks like telling her side of the story starting at about 26 seconds to 43 seconds....

little mermaid

Little Flowers the Finale

We had our last Little Flowers meeting for the season.  It was soooooo much fun - the mothers were as wacky and loud and full of laughter as the kids were. 

 

 

It was a total blast!

 

 

Always a fun craft to do.

 

 

 

The only sad part is that we'll miss the mother/daughter tea party because that happens to be the same day/same time as Mikayla's First Communion.   

 

 

Another season ending and a new one beginning- my goodness time goes fast.  This is our third year with our little group and by far our favorite, we can't wait for next year!

 

When Little Flowers starts up again - Mikayla will actually be going to school there at her new school!! It's crazy to imagine that it's coming up so fast yet seems so far off. 

 

Happy Easter!!

Ohhhhh wow!  What a great day we had!!  I'm sooooo happy with how it all worked out this year.  We started our day by going to the 7:00 church service (we left the house about 6:20 to make sure we could get a seat) but what we discovered in the mean time is that the first service of the day is SOOOOO much less chaotic trying to get in because you don't have people still trying to get out.  It was wonderful!!!

 

They started a new process during the Christmas season that the service in the church starts on the hour and then they have a second service start at 5 minutes after the hour in the fellowship hall so that people have time to find a seat!  It's working beautifully.

It was a wonderful service then when we got home, something happened........

 

The Easter bunny must have come while we were gone because the front was speckled with eggs and left a basket for Mikayla on the porch.

 

 

She saw the eggs and started screaming LET ME OUT OF THIS CAR!!!  EEEEEKKK LET ME OUT!!!!!!

 

So she was beyond thrilled!

 

Such a poser.

She smiled for me for a bunch of pictures, I didn't even have to bribe anything other than say she can't open her basket till I get some!  LOL  (mean I know....but...I have to do what I have to do to get them)

 

 

She was SO happy!!!

 

 

 

Then we went over to my brother/sister-in-laws house for the afternoon.

 

 

I cannot believe got a group picture...first time ever I think!

 

 

The kiddos getting ready to do their egg hunt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then Mikayla said her favorite part of the day was swimming with her cousins. 

 

 

There's the big pool side...but where did they end up... crowded in the hot tub LOL - silly kids!

 

 

 

 

And then we were on our way home, this happened.... bless her little heart she was tired!!! 

 

 

We had a great day!!!  I wouldn't have changed a single thing about it!!