Florida trip: Ocean

And day 3 - we made it to the ocean on St. Pete beach by Tampa, FL

It was a bit on the chilly side but that didn't stop Miss Gracelyn and Mr. Zach they were all for getting wet and feeling those waves!

And Daddy with little Isaiah. I tell you Isaiah was the best baby ever on the trip. Barely cried and almost always content. The best kinda baby to travel with.

We met up with the rest of the Malecek family

And here we are all in the ocean - and just so we didn't leave out little Jared back home, we wrote his name in the sand.

 All these sea shells in the sand... to many they hurt our feet when we walked.

Footprints in the sand - my favorite thing: Zach, Mommy, and Gracie

Florida Trip: Travel and Disney World

This last Feburary Marty's brother was getting married and it was to be in Florida. 

So after many scenarios of how to get there, how long to stay, who to take with, and how to plan the trip the result was:

Going: Mom, Dad, Gracelyn, Zach, and 3 month old Isaiah. Dear Jared got to stay home and spend time with my sister's family and my Mom and Dad, oh, and Marley too.

How to get there: via airplane

Duration of trip: 5 days (Tuesday to Saturday)

Activities:  DISNEY WORLD!!! St. Pete Beach, Wedding!!

We ended up flying on the same flight as the soon to be married couple: Jana and Kevin, and kids Makayla and Taylor.

Gracie and Zach were soooo excited!!!!

I think little Isaiah was excited too.

Day one:  flight to Orlando FL

Day Two:  DISNEY WORLD!!!!

 

The tough men.

 

It happened to rain... but that didn't stop us! We kept on going and going and going, all the way till the fireworks.  These were the best fireworks I think I have ever seen. They just kept lighting up the sky and seemed to never end. Truly a magical moment to end the day with.

The bus ride home: two very tuckered out kids.

Gracie says to me on the fairy ride back to the bus: 

"Mom it was for real today, wasn't it?  It wasn't a dream??"

heart melt - "No sweetie it wasn't a dream, it really did happen!!"

Day three:  Breakfast with Pluto and the drive to Tampa FL to St. Pete beach, the wedding site.

 Well, Disney World... till next time! We had soo much fun.

Gracelyn turns 7!!

My princess has turned 7!! Her birthday is April 6th so this is a little past due... but I am playing catch up.

I really can't believe 7 years ago Marty and I brought our baby girl home from the hospital. Life has changed so much since then.

Gracie had her first playdate. Her friend Brianna came over for the morning on her birthday.

So here is what Miss Gracelyn has accomplished in the seventh year of her life:

• Graduated Kindergarten. She had a nice service at St. John church and got to up front and get a certificate.
• Passed Level 2 swimming lessons, which means she can swim across the entire pool without assistance.
• Passing Level 2 meant she could do the rock-climbing wall at the RWF's water-park! She did great!
• She loves to swim. Loves the water in the pool and at the Sohre cabin.
• Can read!!!  She learned so much in kindergarten. She said good-bye to the SuperKids kindergarten curriculum.
• Vacation bible school at Gloria Dei.
• Finished her first year of dance and had a big recital in May 2013.
• Rides her bike like crazy!
• Learned the monkey bars at school and at the neighbors.
• Loves Mac 'n cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples and oranges.
• Still LOVES her blanket and can't sleep without it.
• Learned kick-ball in school.
• Friends at school are Annabelle and Brianna.  Very much likes riding the bus with Will. Has a friend on the bus named Gracie!
• Started 1st grade. Mrs. Rogotzke is her teacher. She is a wonderful student. Getting mostly A's and just a few B's. Loves Phy Ed. Loves science. Enjoys learning to read and can read books already. Can to math, count money, tell time, starting to learn fractions.
• Never lost her cloth-pin in school and always gets a prize for filling up her prize sticker chart in school.
• Played little Lions Soccer at school in the fall and basketball in the winter.
• Started her second year of dance.
• Loves playing outside in the snow. 
• Got to go to DISNEY WORLD!!! Uncle Kevin and Auntie Jana's wedding was in Florida in Feb 2014.  At the end of the the looong wonderful day at Disney world when we were riding the ferry back to the parking lot she says to me "Mom it wasn't a dream was it?  We really went to Disney World?"  Ahhh such a sweet moment, my heart melted. Priceless!!!
• Got to ride a plane and feel the ocean water.
• Welcomed home her 3rd brother Isaiah. She loves him so. She wants to hold him quite often. Enjoys sitting on the couch and hold him. Loves to hold him "like Mom". Which means standing up holding the baby upright. She is soo cute.
• Loves playing with all her cousins.
• Enjoys playing with Barbies and her dollhouse. Loves stuffed animals. Panda bear is probably her favorite. 
• Gracie is still best friends with her brother Zach!  They play so well with each other (and fight well with each other!!) Tries to play and help Jared, except Jared generally doesn't want the help and doesn't play so well yet with others. 

blogging

It has been a long time since I did a blog posting. This bothers me a lot.  I am not sure how many people actually look at my blog.  It really doesn't matter the point of it is more for me actually.  See these adorable kids of mine are growing up so fast and this blog was a way to write the story of them growing up. It is a way for me to look back and remember a few of the treasured times with these wonderful little beings.  They seriously are growing up soo fast. I want it to stop. I wish I could freeze time and be able to play some of the moments back in slow motion. I want to be able to remember every moment. I want to be able to think back and remember which kid did what and when.  Instead I find Marty and I often saying "didn't Gracie used to do that?" or "Was is Zachy or Gracie that used to say that" or "Gosh I think one of the other kids did that too, I just can't remember which one" and the story goes. I am sure this is the same situation for many families that have more than one child. All the children are precious, but when thinking back they seem to all run together.  So that is where this blog comes in.  It was my intention to document a few of those extra special moments like birthday's and holiday's but even more importantly document those day-to-day moments that seem to all blend together. Someday I have the intention of printing the entire blog and it will be a beautiful coffee table book to browse through and bring back such special times and be starting for many conversations.  So that leaves me with feeling very disappointed in myself for this 5 month lapse in blogging!!!! What the heck is going on with me???  Well here is the scoop:  I've got 4 kids, a husband, a job 4 days a week, in the MN Army National Guard, a house to keep, food to make, laundry to do, a baby to breast feed, a baby to feed around the clock and overnight, and the list continues.  Seems the day is so jam packed with things to do that taking pictures, downloading pictures, editing them, uploading them, and incorporating them all in a blog with some words to explain them just doesn't make the list. Generally I most of my picture downloading and uploading on my weekend guards but lately all I want to do when I am free for my 2 hours on guard weekend is vege out and maybe catch up on some reading or watch sitcom re-runs on TV.  I just don't want to have to "do one more thing such as blogging".  So now I am here today right now typing on my computer... on my Guard weekend during my couple of hours of free-time on Saturday evening.  I do have the TV on playing "Third Rock from the Sun" re-runs, and I feel compelled to make an explanation blog about why I have not been blogging!  Well there is my confession. So I am going to try to make a better effort.  I am going to try to at least upload pictures. Maybe they won't be as organized or have a nice story to go with them, but I am going to try to do some updating and documenting of my wonderful children and their life that is passing before my eyes. I want to cherish every moment!!!!  I want to remember every moment!!!!  Being a part of these children's life is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Being a Mom to them is the most beautiful and wonderful job in the world even if it is also the most time-consuming and tiring job!  I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Ginger Bread House Making: Year 2

Visit from Grandma and Grandpa Sohre

Mid December was the Christmas program for the kiddos (Gracelyn and Zachy).

Grandma and Grandpa Sohre came to watch the program and to spend the day.

The kids were all dressed up in their Sunday Best. After the church program we had cookies and milk at church. The kiddos managed to cooperate for a quite family photo.  Isaiah is one week old!

Jared showing Grandpa how to play the iPad!!!

Isaiah getting a little Grandma time.

And that family photo was so nice I thought I should put it up again for one more viewing.

Love my family of 4 kiddos!

Coming Home

And home we are!!!  The Malecek crew of 4.

Gracelyn 6 yrs old, Zachy 5 yrs old, Jared 2 yrs old, and baby Isaiah 4 days old.

Such a good-looking group.

Hanging out in the swing, taking a nap. 

Eating about evey 2-3 hours (generally every 2). Walking up at night about 3 times.

Isaiah very much likes to sleep with Mommy on the chair in the living room. When he gets put back in his little white crib at night he starts to cry - so we sleep on the chair or he comes into bed and sleeps with Marty and I.

Ahhh, such a cutie!

And little Jared checking him out. Jared amazed me. I thought he would be showing signs of jealousy, but really he hasn't. He tries to be helpful, but sometimes to helpful. It brings back flashbacks of when Zach was born and how Gracelyn was trying to be so helpful (she was 1 1/2 yrs old).  He can get me diapers and throw diapers away. He tries to shove the nuk in Isaiah's mouth with just a little to much force - so all good intentions on his part, just a little to much strength. He will tell us when Isaiah is crying "Zaya crying, pick up, pick up". 

 It is soo cute.

Gracelyn and Zach are both loving their brother very much. Both want to hold him all the time. Gracelyn is a good little mother. She is very helpful. Gracelyn wants to hold him and walk around with him. We have taught them about the weak head and how to support it - and they do really well. They both worry about Momma's milk - and know Isaiah nurses and "Can't have milk in a cup yet, right Mom?"  They pick up on soo much. 

Love them all!!